Increase Your Hindsight For Cycling Safety With These Unique Bar-End Mirrors

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For the cyclists, e-cyclists, and tricyclists who spend a fair bit of time riding in and around busy streets and among traffic, situational awareness is one big key to staying safe while riding. Knowing who or what is coming up behind you before you merge or turn or hit the brakes can make all the difference, but taking a quick glance over your shoulder isn’t always optimal or possible, in which case having a cycling mirror on your bike can offer great rear-view visibility at a glance.

If you’re an active cyclist yourself, or you’re looking for a great gift for a bike commuting friend, the French cycling safety accessory company THE BEAM has a couple of unique (and affordable) bar-end mirror options, the CORKY and the CORKY URBAN, as well as the CORKY X mirror that attaches to glasses or sunglasses.

For those riding bikes with drop bars, the CORKY is designed to be quickly installed in the end of either side of your bars, where it can be rotated through a full 360° for maximum visibility and a range of view of up to 100 meters, with minimal drag and weight (16g) added to the bike. The CORKY can also be closed and be completely out of the way when not being used, which also helps to protect the polycarbonate mirror. THE BEAM lists the full retail price of the CORKY at €45, but it is currently priced at just €36,99 (~$39) on the website.

The CORKY URBAN is the version designed for bikes with flat bars, and it can be either mounted in a fixed position into the bar end, or can be slipped over the bar end with an included silicone mount (which makes it fast and easy to remove it to put it onto a different bike). The rearview mirror of the URBAN can also be closed when not in use, and although this version is nearly double the weight of the CORKY, it’s only 30 grams, which is rather insignificant. The CORKY URBAN is priced at €36 (~$38).

The CORKY X, which is said to be “modeled roughly on the form factor of Google Glass,” is designed to give riders a lightweight (14g) heads-up display that can be tilted in any direction to help eliminate blind spots and provide maximum visibility. THE BEAM says its “universally retrofittable design” is aerodynamic and stable, and “attaches securely and comfortably to any eyewear in mere seconds.” The CORKY X is priced at €49 (~$52).

THE BEAM also offers the VIRGO full face helmet, which was claimed to be “the safest cycling helmet for e-bikes” when it was launched via Kickstarter last spring. The VIRGO helmets are priced starting at around €179 (~$189), and are also available in a kids version.