Zefal Espion E80 Mirror

170g €29.95 (£26.25 at time of writing)

The Zefal Espion E80 Mirror is a large, bar-mounted, mirror aimed, primarily, at the utility or touring cyclist. Sitting prominently on the bars it gives a good view but does take up more space than those smaller mirrors that slip into the bar-end or can be found in some corner that allows the cyclists to look back under their armpit. Being of an age when a more upright position is becoming more attractive and contortions to get a glance to the rear less attractive, I’ve found it to be a handy addition to my handlebars, but size and prominence may well put others off. Others will prefer a radar rear light with app etc.

Pros: long arm and large mirror give good vision, ball-joint on mirror, adjustable, strong construction, tool-free adjustment.

Cons: comparatively bulky, distinct models for left and right, not suitable for road bikes.

Specification

Aimed at the tourer and commuter cyclist, the Espion E80 has a long arm and a large mirror to enable clear, wide rear-view. The mirror is convex – not so you’d really notice and bigger than most I have come across. Made for chrome-plated ABS plastic, Zefal described it as “unbreakable.” It’s fixed to the mounting arm by a ball-joint for maximum adjustment. The arm itself is plastic, robust, and, according to Zefal, “vibration free” although this is qualified elsewhere by the word “tarmac” (doesn’t say pot-hole-free, but we know what they mean). The bracket is designed to fit handlebars between 22 and 25.4mm diameter. A single shim is supplied, but it is easy enough to supplement from the spares box, in the unlikely event itis required. The arm pivots on the bracket and is designed to fold in if one has a fall, and for parking. I’ve done the latter, but not tested the former.

Dimensions are 240x210x80mm. This refers to the bracket, arm, and mirror. The actual mirror is 125mm at longest and 100mm at widest. It tapers a little toward the bottom and the top is gently curved. That amounts to 80cm squared in area.

The E in the E80 points to E.Assist Bike suitability, but don’t let it put you off. Incidentally, there’s also a cargo bike version with and additional mirror attached to the end of the main mirror.

Mounting 3.5/5

The logical place to mount this was on the Jones bars of my utility bike, to start with, and then add them onto the compact drops of my trad tourer, long day ride, machine. Zefal are right, they don’t fit easily; a bar-end model would. On flat bars, brake and gar controls can limit the positioning of the bracket. The long arm of the Espion 80 makes this less of a problem.

Jones bars can offer a bit of a challenge, despite having plenty of space. The lengthy arm allowed me to mount the mirror and the join of the bars, right next to the ergo grips, and still give clear vision behind.

There’s a single rubber shim, and this should fit most traditional sizes of handlebar diameter. You probably aren’t going to fix this to your trimmed-down racer – there are lighter, more discreet mirrors if you want one, but a radar function on your rear light may be an even better option if you want to know what that roaring sound behind you is.

Mounting is simple enough. You’ll need an Allen (Hex-head) key (wrench) and to keep an eye on the lock nut that sits flush in a recess and will attempt to escape if you give it half a chance.

Adjust position and angle of mirror. I took a ride down a quiet road to finish the adjustment, ensuring a clear view behind. You may need to repeat the adjustment after riding over rough surfaces, but on the whole things have held steady.

mounting bracket and arm of miror on bicycle handlebars

Vision and performance 4.25/5

For best effect a mirror needs to be adjustable to match the desired field of vision to rider height, position and preference, and available mounting position. Having two points of adjustment is very helpful. Cheaper models tend not to have this – some being only adjustable by rotating the mounting bracket around the bar. Higher quality models, like this one and other Zefal models I have used, cost more, but are more likely to perform to your needs.

The field of vision is excellent. Depending on position and road conditions, vehicles can be spotted clearly at a couple of hundred metres. Plenty of time to decide about signalling and manoeuvring. The size of the mirror also ensues a breadth of vision above the norm. Generally, I still glance over my shoulder. Whether this is just habit or not I do not know. I’ve always regarded that check over the shoulder as a life-preserver. That is particularly the case in rain, when vision is impaired by droplets. The Espion 80 is no exception, but why should it be?

Once properly adjusted, things will stay in place unless you hit rough track or fold the arm away. Described as vibration free, the arm is very effective, but really only vibration free on decent tarmac or smooth surfaces. It’ll take a bit of a bumping around, but not too much. In fairness, Zefal make this clear in their blurb. I have had to readjust after running over setts when hitting the ascent of canal bridges at speed. This is an annoyance, but it would be unfair to give the impression that it was either a huge problem or unique amongst handlebar-mounted bits and bobs. However, the modern tourer is likely to be riding on mixed surfaces. Even so, performance is better than with other adjustable mirrors I have used (non-adjustable ones are cheaper, but, in my experience, not so easy to fit to individual needs). Given the length of the arm and the law of levers, I have been impressed by the stability of the mirror.

Care and durability 4.5/5

Described as unbreakable, the mirror is robust and should require little care other than the odd wipe over with a cloth a bit of mild cleaner or furniture polish for the face. Additionally, a spot of silicone spray to protect the joints would not go amiss.

I’ve not tested the unbreakable claim, but given that it will fold in if you experience a fall, it is hard to imagine circumstances in which breakage is likely. You should not really need to worry about the nut and bolt, although nipping up should be part of your maintenance regime, especially after the first few outings (often a sin of omission and I know I am being sanctimonious; do as I say, not as I do).

The main danger, in my experience, is when leaning a bike against a wall and forgetting to use the “parking mode.” The worst you’ll get is a scratch.

Value 3.5/5

I like the Zefal Cyclops, €14.95, which is bar-end mounted, but this is not suitable for flat bars with grips and no bar-end plugs (such as my Ergon models) or for drops with bar-end shifters beloved by many tourers. However, it is reversible, i.e. can be mounted on left and right – great for cycling to a UK ferry port before hitting the road on mainland Europe, for example. Their Spin 15 is the same price and is recommended for road riders who want to keep things slick and light. I tried a predecessor of the Spin 15, the plain Zefal Spin Rear View Mirror. My fundamental issue with it was the mirror size, bit those speedsters with better eyesight may find it to be just the ticket.

Zefal are the Kings of the mirror, in my opinion, and their Spy 15 is a great option for MTB machines, but its silicone mounting strap give a whole lot more applications due to its mounting options.

However, there are numerous other high-quality options. RBRL, for example offer “rotatable, HD crystal glass ... wide view” mirrors at around the £18.00 mark. I can’t comment further; never tried them. Blackburn offer several mirrors, with their Multi Mirror (18.99rrp) and mounting it in the bar end and the Mountain Mirror, mounting over the end of a flat bar grip (unless yours is an ergo type, with a flanged profile). Cat Eye offer the BM45 bar end mirror for both drop and flat bars; £14.99. Finally, for a frame mounted mirror with no vibration it may be worth looking at the Bike Eye, mind, large panniers can obscure the view.

Summary

The thing with a mirror is just to check out where and how you are able to mount it. With an increasing range of options and variables on bar and grip design, let alone shifter and brake levers on flat bars, things can get personal. However, the Zefal Espion E80 offers plenty of promise because of its long arm, sturdy construction, size of mirror, and adjustability. It can be found discounted, too. A great fit for utility and touring cycling.

If you prefer a bar end mount or something that can be switched from left to right, there’s plenty of choice. Then there are helmet mounted mirrors. You may prefer a radar light, but at least with a mirror, you can’t run out of power.

Verdict 4/5 large, long, and effective, for urban and touring cycling with flat bars.

Steve Dyster

https://www.zefal.com/en

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2026

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