As a cyclist it’s important to ride defensively and to always be aware of your surroundings. Even if you follow all the rules of the road, all it takes is one distracted driver to ruin your day. That’s where The Beam’s Corky rear view mirror comes into play. With a retail price of ~$30.00 the Corky is a compact folding rear view mirror that is designed to fit drop bars from 21-23 mm in diameter. The simple bar plug design makes installation quick, while the rotating body and ball socket mount provide 360 degrees of rotation. The Beam also offers the mirror in multiple color options to match different bike color schemes and handlebar tape designs. For those with urban bikes, The Beam also sells an urban Corky specifically designed for straight bars.
The Beam’s Corky rear view mirror is a sleek and compact way to add a mirror to a road bike.
| Retail Price | €24.99 |
| Rating | 8.8 / 10 |
| Measured weight (in g) | 18 |
| Likes | + Compact form factor + Convex mirror provides a wide viewing angle + Multiple color options available |
| Dislikes | – Static mounting – Mirror size is small due to folding design |
| Where to Buy (US) | The Beam |
UNBOXING
The Corky comes in a sleek two piece box with a cardboard base and transparent plastic upper piece that displays the mirror. It’s a premium looking design that would present well in a bike shop. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Corky mirror
- Allen wrench for installation
The installation instructions are printed directly onto the box with simple illustrations.
FIT & FINISH
Although there are a lot of bike mirrors available on the market, the Corky differentiates itself with its compact foldable bar-end plug design. In its folded position it’s only slightly thicker than traditional bar end plugs. The convex mirror is concealed in the outer cover which is mounted to a rotatable outer ring. To conceal the ball socket joint of the mirror attachment point, there is a raised wedge shaped piece on the outer ring that also makes it easy to grip and rotate while riding. The Beam offers multiple color options for the outer ring to help the Corky blend in with your bike but leaves the actual lens outer body black. There is also minimal branding with The Beam logo de-bossed on the inside face of the Corky.
ON THE ROAD
Setting up the Corky was surprisingly easy as it simply replaces your existing bar end plug. The Corky simply slides in place and has an expansion style plug that increases in diameter as you tighten down the allen bolt. Once it’s tightened, the mirror position can easily be adjusted by rotating the outer body a full 360 degrees or rotating the mirror on its ball socket joint. We found it easy to position even while riding as the notched outer body is easy to move with a few fingers. While the mirror itself is small, in order to be able to fold, it’s very helpful for monitoring cars or bicycles behind you. The convex lens provides a wide viewing area allowing you to quickly glance at it and see about a car lane width behind your bike. One downside of this static mounting bar-end design is that it doesn’t move with your head, so you may need to adjust the position if you switch positions on the bike.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found The Beam Corky rear view mirror to be well built and easy to adjust. The simple rotating body and ball socket mount make it easy to position the mirror for an optimal viewing angle. We were impressed that the mirror kept its position even over bumps and rougher patches of road. The compact convex lens design also provides a wide view to make it easier to spot traffic or other cyclists behind you. While the Corky doesn’t provide as large of a mirror as other bike mirrors or helmet mounted options, the folding design means it’s easy to fold away when not needed. It’s a sleek design that means you won’t have a big mirror sticking off your road bike or interfering with the overall design of the bike.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by The Beam. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.