Tiny and feathery, The Beam Corky dropbar rearview mirror has surprised me with its vibration-free effectiveness. Mirrors are no substitute for periodic over-the-shoulder checks, and there are arguably better choices if you’re regularly hauling a trailer or tagalong, but the Corky is both unobtrusive and effective.
> Buy now: The Beam Corky dropbar rearview mirror for €36.99 from The Beam
The design is universal, not left/right specific, with a plastic body, and basically works to the same principle as a standard, expander wedge-type bar-end plug. Slide it into the bar and turn the 3mm hex bolt until the end lodges securely inside.
Look closely and you’ll notice there’s a ‘foot’. This slides against the bar tape, acting as a brace, preventing the mirror moving or vibrating. Tape thickness has an influence – 3 or 5mm silicones are the most secure hosts, but this thick makes fitting slightly fiddlier.
The mirror itself is a convex design, made from polycarbonate, and I’ve been impressed by the stability and visual accuracy. Provided you’ve got the expander wedge snugged up properly, the mount and foot will hold tight. I’ve been hossing along backroads and across washboard surfaces without annoying blur when I glance down into the mirror.
I’ve needed to make minute adjustments from time to time, to account for a big pannier, trailer or a pronounced change in camber, but this is effortless and highly intuitive, even at a brisk pace – no need to pull over, or similar faff.
The ability to close the mirror completely is another convenient feature, and one that not all mirrors have – Cateye’s BM45, for example, although that’s considerably cheaper at £12.99, and has a larger surface area.
Another cheaper mirror I’ve had good results with is Bike Eye’s, especially when towing trailers or tagalongs, though the large surface area and aesthetic is hardly discreet. It comes in two sizes, both £16.95.
Probably the Corky’s closest competitor design-wise is Berthoud Cycles’ bar-end mirror and matching plug. Tass found it very easy to live with, though in common with the Corky, she noted it took a little fine-tuning to get the positioning nailed, and every so often she needed to realign it, but otherwise it behaved impeccably – as you’d hope, given the £60+ asking price.
The Corky isn’t exactly cheap at €36.99, but it’s less than half the Berthoud Cycles.
> Buy now: The Beam Corky dropbar rearview mirror for €36.99 from The Beam
Verdict
Surprisingly effective compact mirror, if pricey compared with most other options
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road.cc test report
Make and model: The Beam Corky dropbar rearview mirror
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?
The Beam says: “Upgrade your cycling experience with CORKY Mirrors – the ultimate solution for safety and performance. Crafted with precision and innovation, CORKY mirrors boast a range of features designed to elevate your ride.”
It’s a simple and surprisingly effective mirror for solo bikes, though there are cheaper and more effective options for touring, and riders regularly towing trailers or tagalongs.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product
The Beam lists these details:
Mountable on all drop bars, left and right.
Provides a remarkable 100-meter rear view.
Aerodynamic design
Mirror Size diameter: 32 mm
Offers 360 degrees of rotation.
Suitable for handlebars Ø 21-23 mm
Materials: ABS body, Polycarbonate (PC) glass, Steel Bolt
Designed in France
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
In common with similar designs, the mirror takes a little bit of patience to align correctly and needed tweaking to account for panniers and similar luggage. However, given the small surface area, it’s surprisingly effective, and while I’ve formed the opinion that the claimed 100-metre view is on clear days, 70-80m has been realistic through a gloomy December. I thought I’d broken the mirror at one point – it had come away from the main body – but I’m pleased to report the mirror’s ball end just pops back into position.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Light, unobtrusive, and surprisingly effective when I’d got alignment and positioning sussed.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The price, and getting alignment bang on takes more patience than some.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Cateye’s BM45 is considerably cheaper at £12.99 and has a larger surface area. I’ve also had good results with the Bike Eye mirror, especially when towing trailers or tagalongs. It comes in two sizes, both £16.95.
Probably the Corky’s closest competitor design-wise is Berthoud Cycles’ bar-end mirror and matching plug. Tass found it very easy to live with, though in common with the Corky, she noted it took a little fine-tuning to get the positioning nailed, and every so often she needed to realign it, but otherwise it behaved impeccably – as you’d hope, given the £60+ asking price.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Possibly
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Worth considering but there are better, cheaper options if towing trailers or tagalongs.
Use this box to explain your overall score
Surprisingly usable drop-bar mirror with some nice design features and decent build quality. It’s good, if relatively pricey, and in my experience there are better designs if you’re hauling trailers or tagalongs.
About the tester
Age: 51 Height: 1m 81cm Weight: 70kg
I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
7 thoughts on “The Beam Corky dropbar rearview mirror”
This is a tad cheaper
This is a tad cheaper
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007112974070.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.17.178fFrmyFrmyCo&algo_pvid=69dbac31-439d-4ee3-b41d-139a90ef5994&algo_exp_id=69dbac31-439d-4ee3-b41d-139a90ef5994-8&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21GBP%215.36%212.36%21%21%2146.73%2120.56%21%40211b80e117375811725743171e51e4%2112000039446070061%21sea%21UK%212674121166%21X&curPageLogUid=Pzmu7I6TBZ2t&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A
It is true, I have bought
It is true, I have bought whole bicycles for the price of this mirror.
Had used such a mirror but was really tiny, so removed it in favor of barend lights.
If its on Aliexpress then it
If its on Aliexpress then it’s probably exactly the same as the Beam Corky. One might say, suspiciously so…
The Cateye BM-45 is a cheaper
The Cateye BM-45 is a cheaper alternative that I can recommend.
https://www.cateyecycling.co.uk/products/cateye-bm-45-bar-end-mirror
Oops – just seen that it’s mentioned in TFA
I had to laugh that this was
I had to laugh that this was cheaper than the Berthold one. Full rear view camera and screen system.
I bought three of these, all
I bought three of these, all at once, they all broke within weeks.
I then bought this:
Sprintech Road Drop Bar Rearview Bike Mirror – Cycling Safety Mirror – Single For Left Side Dropbar (Black)
In five years, no failures. And a far superior field of view. Not as cool though.
arichman wrote:
With the Sprintech, I add a thin cord to the mirror part, thread it through the socket and tie it off inside the bar, with a few inches of slack. It occasionally gets knocked out of the socket, and I temporarily lost it a few times before I made this modification. Now if it gets knocked out, it dangles there, and I can pop it back in.
On my trip over to do LEJoG, I added the right hand mirror, and somehow lost it getting off the train in Penzance, before I’d even started! I moved my left over to the right for the ride.
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