| Author | Message | ||
     Midnightrider |
So------I'm cheap (two kids in college, an unsold house in another state, yada, yada, yada). I wanted to try a set of bar end mirrors without plunking down the $$ and then finding out I don't like them. Plus, I wanted to keep the stock handguards. I bought 2 of these Bell bicycle mirrors - for about $3.50 each  I removed the bar end plugs and drilled out the ends with the largest drill I could use and still retain the clips that accept the hanguards. I removed the thumbscrew ends from the mirrors and dremmeled down the last 2 inches of the gooseneck to fit inside the hole I had drilled. I wanted to maintain some of the gooseneck for adjustability. Then I filled the inside of the cap with silicone and let it set overnight. I figured that they would just vibrate like hell and be useless and I would then replace the gooseneck with something rigid - but I would try this first. Next day road test. Holy Sh!t. I can't believe how much you can see with those beggars. They vibrated a lot (like the turn signals) at stop lights but they were amazingly stable at road speeds. I was IMPRESSED. And then, gradually, I started seeing more and more of me and less and less of the road. Although the gooseneck feature did let me adjust them, the mirrors are like little paddles in the wind. Highways speeds will gradually wrap them right back at you. Plan B. So - I removed the little set screw that hold the mirror on the gooseneck, set aside the mirror and the screw, and threw away the gooseneck. The silicone I filled the bar end caps with remained. I then inserted about a 2 inch section of 5/16 threaded rod into the plugs. I actually had to use a set of vise grips to screw it through. I was afraid there would be a lot of slop, but it is really solid. Then I added several layers of teflon tape to the threads outside the cap, wiggled the mirror on, and replaced the set screw. A hundred miles later they are still rock solid. You can rotate the plug slightly to adjust the horizontal aspect of the mirror. These cheapo mirrors are parabolic, so I don't even feel like I need to adjust them from side to side. When finances allow, I'll probably go for the Oberon or CRG mirrors but right now I'm pretty pleased with the $7 I have invested. | ||
| Midnightrider |
finished product  |
