Originally Posted by Magictofu
Thanks all for your input... it might seem like some frivolous concern but having the right mirror is an important part of bike safety. Some of the roads we regularly use have no paved shoulder and knowing if a truck is about to surpass you is very useful.
My partner decided for the topeak mirrors but I'm still undecided... I think I'm going to try a helmet mount mirror, they are cheap so if I don't like it I can just give it to someone else or even dump it.
Cheers
Not frivolous at all, just another safety measure/aid. These let you know if following traffic has seen you. Once you get used to a mirror, you will get used to "scanning" it (like good drivers do in cars/trucks)-it will become second nature. They do take some getting used to.
You will be able to see if vehicles are slowing+moving left (a good indicator that they see you), or not-perhaps an indicator of a distracted driver. Especially helpfull if you normally cycle out a bit from the road edge-this gives you an "out" by moving a touch right just as they pass. At the same time-if the aproaching vehicle is far enough back, you can move a bit LEFT-and watch for there reaction (slowing/ moving left)--and you know if they have seen you. Allways do an actuall check/look back prior to changing lanes or turning (critical point).
They also come in handy to see other cyclists-especially if you think an inexperienced cyclist might be on your wheel (without letting you know).