Italian Road Bike Mirror (bicycle racing un-helmet mirrors) SLIGHTLY BLEMISHED

Description

Made In Italy
Current Status:
The only mirror you will be proud to have on your road bike.
NOTE: This listing is for one mirror (not a pair) that has one or more slight blemishes.  Please see the example picture below.  It is still a very usable mirror on the road.  If you prefer an unblemished mirror, please see our regular listings.
A chip, barely visible scratch or an area with a slightly rough edge will be present on the mirror glass.  It does not affect the usable visible image while you are riding.  The chip or rough edge will always be on the edge while a scratch can be anywhere on the mirror.  None of the blemishes are extreme and are often hard to see even when you are looking for them.  Since these are factory sealed, please note that we are unable to offer a choice of which type of blemish(es) will be shipped to you.
Only a limited number of blemished mirrors are available.  If you prefer an unblemished mirror, please see our regular listings.
It may not matter
on any other kind of bike.  But on your road bike, every component, every bolt, every little piece and part is scrutinized to maximize performance and functionality.  Each component must serve a valuable purpose and justify being there.  On a road bike, looks are important too because by their very nature, a road bike is an attention-getting machine.  A machine that when ridden, becomes one with the rider.
When considering a mirror, it is important that it matches the quality of the bike.  A mirror that sticks out like an afterthought is not a proper instrument on a road bike.
That is why The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ is the mirror of choice, the only mirror you will be proud to have on your road bike.
Mario, the patriarch of the family in Italy, developed this mirror with great care and thought.  It is an honor for me to be a friend of the family for so many years and that he has entrusted me to bring his inventive design to the world.
Keep an eye on traffic or your competition.
Special road bike specific convex mirror design
Instrument quality glass mirror, not plastic
Completely waterproof
Clean classic Italian styling
Doesn't vibrate like mirrors that stick out
Stays in position
No front blind spot like helmet mirrors
Replaces helmet mirrors and eliminates the helmet mirror blind spot
Only 54 grams complete
Just big enough to do the job
What makes The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ different?
There are 3 things that make The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ different, and the best mirror for a road bike.  First is its very low and minimalist profile.  It doesn’t stick out and there is no other mirror design that compares.  Second is that there is no ball joint.  It does not vibrate or get bumped out of position.  Third is the specially designed instrument quality glass.  Plastic cannot meet the high standard that is needed for road bike quality, and the glass that is used is a certain convex shape and is mirrored in a particular way as well.
Profile:
The housing is made from weatherproof rubber and positions the lens at the correct angle while still allowing for adjustment.  The housing keeps the mirror as close as possible to your handlebar to achieve the lowest possible profile.  Since there is no ball joint, the mirror does not vibrate or come out of position with the slightest bump or vibration, like other mirrors that need constant re-adjustment.
The Glass:
The lens is made of instrument grade glass that reflects an image that plastic cannot match.   Each lens is cut from a large sheet that is molded to a very specific curvature, resulting in the convex shape that allows you to see a lot from a very small mirror.  (A flat mirror will not work. As an experiment, I tried.)  Then each lens is precisely trimmed and the edges polished to the exact size and shape needed for The Italian Road Bike Mirror™.
Actual Rider View
Front-Silvered Mirror:
Not only does The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ use glass instead of plastic as its mirror, the surface of The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ is front-silvered (also known as a “first-surface" mirror.) The glass has a vacuum deposited hard aluminum coating on the front, it is not “silvered” on the back like a common mirror.  There is no grey backing as you find on a typical household or automotive mirror.  This front-silvering eliminates ghost images which are seen in common rear surface silvered mirrors.  A front-silvered mirror displays the most accurate reflected image.  These instrument grade mirrors are found in high end telescopes, military periscopes, and of course now on The Italian Road Bike Mirror™.  Think of it this way: With an ordinary mirror, light must first refract through the front then into the thickness of the glass, then reflect off of the silver backing of the glass, then refract again through the glass to produce the visible image.  With front-silvering, the image you see is a direct reflection with no refractive interference from the glass.  The image you see doesn’t even pass through the glass once.
Installation and Adjustment:
Unlike other mirrors, The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ is adjusted and positioned
during installation
.   The mounting flaps are rubbery and flexible, allowing you to flex them in whatever position is needed for the best view.  After installation, the adjustment can be fined tuned, and once in position it stays in position.  When properly installed, there is no need to re-adjust it over and over because of bumping it or because of the vibrations of the road.
Flexible adjustment flaps go under your bar tape
and make installation & adjustment easy.
Safety:
Naturally, no instrument or device can guarantee safety out on the road.  But it is better to know what is coming up from behind you than to not know.  It's also good to know when you can take the whole road and when you probably shouldn’t, without looking over your shoulder all the time.  When stopped at a light, it's also good to know that the car behind is really going to stop.  Like any other instrument or accessory, don't pay excessive attention to the mirror. Use it as part of your total awareness on the bike.
Left or Right Side:
The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ is
sold as a single mirror
, which is the way most road cyclists use them.  If you want extended coverage, of course a mirror can be installed on each side.  The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ can be used in countries with either left or right side driving.  If using one mirror, install it on the traffic side: (left side for right-side drive, right side for left-side drive.)
Have some fun!
There are at least two ways to have great fun with the mirror.  Since the mirror is so inconspicuous, you can tell when another cyclist is coming up on you way before they know that you know.  You can use that information to hammer and destroy their sneak attack while they try to figure out why they were never able to pass you.  Or, you can slow down a bit and make a new friend.
Racing:
Because The Italian Road Bike Mirror™ is inconspicuous, you won't give up your strategic advantage by having some big mirror hanging off your race bike, or by doing a lookback.  Knowing when there's no one behind you is also really helpful so you can rest up for your next attack.  It's quite an advantage to know when your competition is there, without them knowing that you know. If you have any questions as to whether this mirror can be used in a particular race, please check with the race officials.
Side View: Doesn't stick out... becomes part of your handlebar
Front View: Barely noticeable from the front
Reviews:
Please feel free to see the reviews here on eBay, and also do an internet search for “Italian Road Bike Mirror Reviews” and please also check
www.YouTube.com
as well.   This mirror has quite a following too.  There are many groups and teams who've purchased them for every member.
Why isn't the Italian Road Bike Mirror available in bike shops?
Only a limited supply of these mirrors are produced each year.  Unfortunately, there's not enough of a supply to provide them to bike shops.  We could produce more by having them made elsewhere, but it is important to maintain the legacy of the Italian Road Bike Mirror by having them made only in Italy.
Happy Riding!
Whether this is your first mirror or you are one of many repeat customers, I wish you lots of good and safe saddle time.
Buona Pedalata!
SPECIFICATIONS
Package Contents:
1 Mirror (not a pair)
Weight:
54 grams, mirror & housing complete
Mirror Material:
Hand cut, instrument quality glass
Operational Range (Degrees):
-40 to 77 C (-40 to 170 F)
Reflective Technology:
Front-Silvered (first-surface)
Mirror Shape:
Convex, ovalized
Mirror Height:
53mm (2.09 inches)
Mirror Width:
33mm (1.30 inches)
Copyright 2001 - 2018