Mirrors
Browse used bike mirrors for sale from riders across the UK. Mirrors mount in three places — inside the handlebar as a bar-end plug, clamped to the bar or brake lever, or on a helmet or glasses arm — and give a view of traffic behind without turning your head off the road. They are most used by commuters, tourers, e-bike and trike riders, and anyone whose neck movement is limited.
Bar-end, bar-clamp or helmet mirror?
Bar-end mirrors sit low and wide, give the steadiest image and stay put once set, but they need an open bar end and they add width when filtering. Bar-clamp mirrors fit anywhere on a 22.2mm bar and adjust easily, though they vibrate more on rough surfaces. Helmet and glasses mirrors weigh a few grams and show whatever you point your head at, which takes practice to use and re-aim every time you put the helmet on. Convex glass shows more road but makes vehicles look further away than they are; flat glass judges distance accurately over a narrower view.
How do I set a bike mirror up so it is actually useful?
Aim it so the edge of the image just clips your own shoulder or arm, which gives your brain a fixed reference and means everything else in the frame is genuinely behind you. On drop bars, set the mirror for the position you spend most time in, since a mirror aimed for the hoods shows sky from the drops. A mirror does not replace a shoulder check before moving out; it tells you whether a check is needed. Riders who want a full picture of what is behind them usually pair a mirror with a bright rear light from bike accessories so they are seen as well as seeing.
What should I check on a used bike mirror?
The failure is almost always the ball joint or the arm's friction pivot. Set the mirror, then push it firmly with a thumb: if it moves and does not spring back, or if it will not hold position under vibration, the joint is worn and there is usually no way to tighten it. Check the glass or acrylic face for crazing and for a silvered backing that has lifted at the edges, which happens when water gets behind it. On bar-end mirrors, check the expander wedge still grips — the plug is a rubber cone on a bolt, and a perished cone spins in the bar. Make sure any clamp shims are included, since a mirror for a 22.2mm bar needs a shim to sit on a 31.8mm road bar and mirrors are often listed without them.
How much should a used mirror cost?
Mirrors are inexpensive new, so buy used mainly for well-made bar-end units where the saving is worthwhile and the mechanism can be judged from clear photographs. Around half of new is fair for a mirror with a firm joint and unmarked glass; a mirror with a loose ball joint is worth nothing regardless of the brand on it. Buy new if you need a matched pair for an e-bike or trike, or a specific mount for an unusual bar diameter. Mirrors often appear in the same listings as baskets and racks when someone converts a bike for town use, so check bundles as well as single items.