Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
Many people can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Many people don't even use the mirrors in/on their cars even though there are AT LEAST two of them, often three. They don't us the mirrors because they CAN'T use them. Their brains just aren't built that way.
Let nature take it's course. Cyclists who can't figure out a mirror do not pose much of a danger to me. I don't sweat it. Like you, I wouldn't ride/drive without a mirror.
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While I understand personal choices, and like you said, whether a cyclists uses a mirror or not isn't likely going to affect me while riding.
To argue against the general use of mirrors is a bit daft, right up there with arguing against using helmets. I'm not saying it's been done in this thread, but I've seen others on BF that have. Some of the reasoning is as absurd as people decades ago arguing against using seat belts in cars because you might get trapped in a fiery wreck or drown in a submerged car. And that has likely happened but overall the use of seat belts has saved many more lives than it has cost. You can always come up with some negative aspect of doing anything, you just have to be reasonable when contrasting with the positives.
In this case, I'm a do-what-works-for-you kind of guy. I don't think anyone is wrong choosing to use or not use a mirror. They work well for me. Have they saved me, not that I know of. It's definitely helped me make decisions when to change lanes, take a lane etc. It definitely makes me more comfortable knowing what's overtaking me.
More on topic, to the OP I don't like handlebar mount mirrors because I find they vibrate too much to see clearly. Others love them. So, you'll just have to see how it works for you. I used the Take-A-Look (TAL) mirror clipped to my sunglasses, for several years. And while it's about the most geeky thing out there, it works really well. For most of this year, Ive been using the TriEye sunglasses with built in mirror. It doesn't give me quite as good a view as the TAL, but still works well. Plus it is more protected from getting bumped out of position. And, I'll say it, it looks much less geeky.