Mirror Mirror when I bike; its the distance that I like.
 

There are numerous threads about mirrors on BF and someone has surely shared this realization before, but since it just came to me...

I'm a committed mirror user, but on my last commute it was missing so I had to adapt. I am accustomed to turning my head to look behind me; when a car approaches I generally glance back at them, primarily to let them know I see them. Without a mirror, I just glanced back on a 5-10 second basis and I was not surprised by anyone.

On reflection, what I gain with a mirror is a longer period of situational awareness covering a much longer distance that I can achieve without it. With a mirror, my glances inform me about what's cooking 1/4, even 1/2 mile back, whereas without it my awareness distance was only about 200 feet or so.

So I can now clearly articulate that my reason for using a mirror in a commuting context is that it gives me much better situational awareness to the rear.

I like the eyeglass mirrors.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bdf94e9f95.jpg

I'm near sighted, use readers, so the eyeglass/helmet mirrors don't work for me. I have mirrors on all my bikes. At 78, my years of turning 180 degrees to look over my shoulder are long gone.

I have used a helmet mounted mirror for the last 35 years, and agree with flangehead on his statement.
I tell my friends, "I may well die by being run over by a truck, but he is going to have to come off the road and into the corn field to get me."