As you said Other than poking someones eye out in a very close encounter or possibly your own eyes or the mirror glass ending up in your eyes if you by chance hit the pavement are good reasons for saying they are not reliable or safe.

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I like my helmet mounted mirror because with small movements of my head I can get a view of whats directly behind me, off to my right or to my left.

That small movement of your head creates such a drastic change in what you see, you can tend miss things you should be seeing is another reason I wouldn't have a helmet mirror, but hey this is just my opinion to each his own.

I've used both handlebar mirrors and eyeglass mounted mirrors. I've never used a helmet mount, so I will refrain from comment in that regard. I can say that for my own personal use, I prefer the eyeglass mount. The only time it's been an issue that was unbearabe was when it was misting to the point I had to take my glasses off... No more mirror. But, I prefer the vision I have from flicking my eyes as opposed to moving my head from my forward look to the bke mounted mirror. As always, YMMV.

Mark

I hope I did not give the impression that I have to "zero in" every time I use the helmet mirror. No, just the first couple of times I use it for the ride.

I don't know about everybody else, but it seems like my helmet is never in the same place each time I wear it. It could be as a result of a different "bed head" arrangement, or the effect of the temperature, or maybe my head changes shape from day to day ( Now THAT'S an interesting thought ), but each time I put on my helmet things just feel like they're in a different place from the last time. Thus I have to "fix the focus" on each ride.

Typically, I have discovered I can do the "zeroing in" while seated on the bike, before I even take off. And even if my eye isn't all the way fine tuned, I use the first couple of seconds pedaling to glance repeatedly in the mirror to do it. This happens before I even hit traffic.

I have also rediscovered a little trick from a former life which eliminates the tendency to turn my head and have my front wheel follow the direction of my head (a dangerous situation rddy pointed out earlier). It's a sighting method where you glance over into the mirror, keeping your head still, and then bring your eyes back to sighting straight down the road. You decide if you need to turn your head left or right to see what you want to see, then turn your head in the proper direction while swiveling your eyes to keep them sighted straight down the road (Your eyes "stay in one place" while your head moves). You glance back in the mirror and then back down the road (keeping your head still). If you need to further adjust your head, you do it while again keeping your eyes focused down the road.

The trainer who taught me this said what is happening when an automobile or a gun sight follows your head movement is since you are moving your head AND your eyes at the same time, in the same direction, the rest of your body follows. By breaking it up so that only your eyes or your head are moving at one time, your body won't move to follow.

It may sound complicated and slow, but after you've practiced the move eyes/move head procedure for just a little bit the step by step process becomes very quick and your eyes, your head and your body all cooperate and you don't wander around in the lane when you look into the mirror.

BluesCat,

I think that's the secret to helmet or eyeglass mirrors. I know that I DON'T move my head but I just shift my eyes to the helmet mirror. It became second nature to do so when I used one on my DF touring bike, wheneverI was in the drops or on the aero bar, a quick glance into the mirror was all I really needed, that and my ears telling me if anything was behind me.

Walt