On first thought, it seemed, there are probably few items more boring to review than bicycle mirrors. Um…it reflects stuff behind you…that’s pretty much the story, right?

Well, not quite. In fact, finding a bicycle mirror that actually works well has been confounding all our riders for a long time. Mirrors that mount on your helmet; mirrors that attach to your sunglasses; spot mirrors that go on your glasses lens; handlebar mirrors; the list goes on, and not many of them have worked well. The basics that make a mirror work on a car (solid mounting point, well outboard from where you sit so that you have a good angle to see what’s behind you) simply don’t exist on a bike. And while a handlebar end mirror can work okay on a flat-bar bike (until you tip the bike over and it gets smashed), they’ve been lousy for road bikes. We’ll admit that this partially comes down to aesthetics; a sleek and lovely road machine with an ugly wart hanging off the bar end is just…wrong.

But, safety is a big factor for us, and as we worked our way through an upcoming article on bike commuting (spoiler alert: We determined that the ideal steed is a cyclocross bike with drop handlebars), we really wanted to find a good mirror for city traffic. And, the need to be constantly aware of traffic behind us on rural roads was highlighted by the death of a rider in the Trek Across Maine while drinking from his water bottle.  So, we tested many; liked none. Then came the Italian Road Bike Mirror from online retailer AVT (formerly Aspire Velo Tech). Suddenly, we had a serious contender worthy of a full review!

Let’s start with some basics. The IRBM is a pretty sleek design with a housing that integrates well into the handlebars; often, our riders went on group rides without other people noticing the mirror at all. Add to that a well-designed optical ground glass mirror that actually allows you to CLEARLY see what’s behind you, and the benefits start to look seriously worthwhile. Then comes the mounting system, which  permanently attaches the mirror to the bar, under the bar tape. It’s a solid system that so far has survived the usual bangs and bumps from bikes being tipped over and transported without damage to the mirror or significant misalignment. All sounds great, yes?

Well…as long as you mount it correctly, yes. And that’s the hard part. The manual suggests that you just unwrap the bar tape from the end of the bar, mount the mirror and rewrap it. Our advice? Just say no. It’s frustrating, leaves you with an ugly mess around the mirror and doesn’t work. Most bikes can stand to have their bar tape replaced, so take this as an opportunity to do a spiff your ride.

Here’s how to do it right: Take off the entire wrap on the left side of the bar, mount the mirror with a reasonably minimal amount of electrical tape, and go for a ride. Concentrate on getting the alignment so that the view is perfect when you’re riding out on the hoods; we found that this positioning also makes it easiest to use when riding the tops of the bars, and when you’re down in the drops. Angle it out enough that you can’t see your leg in the right edge of the mirror; let’s face it, if a car is THAT close to you, you’re already in more trouble than a mirror can fix! Focus on being able to see vehicles a long way back; it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to see things that are already almost on top of you, which again will do you no good. Carry your roll of electrical tape in your jersey pocket so that you have extra if you need it while making adjustments…and when you get it JUST RIGHT, immediately tape it down firmly in place. Then, ride a little more to make sure you didn’t move it while taping it down (trust us, you can do this and it’s REALLY frustrating if you then put your bar tape on and realize it’s not aligned right). Once you’re absolutely positive that it’s right, retape the bar, and you’re done.

Soon, you’ll find (as we did) that you’re hooked. Testers who at first found it awkward to use became used to it, and then had problems riding other bikes without it; that quick look in the mirror before taking a drink, passing another cyclist, moving out around a pothole, etc. had become second nature. Whether we were in urban traffic or out on rolling rural roads, the IRBM became an integral part of our equipment, not only making us safer but actually making our rides less stressful and more enjoyable.

Bottom line: Traffic has increased, driver distractions have increased, dangers to cyclists have increased, and anything you can do to be aware of traffic behind you and what it’s up to can allow you to ride more safely. We’re now, against all odds, absolute fans of having a mirror on our road bikes, as long as it’s the IRBM. With the installation caveats above, we can recommend it unhesitatingly; several of us our giving them out as birthday presents to our favorite riders to help them feel as safe as we do with it on our bike. Give it a try for yourself!