I would not ride without one. There are times when only a mirror will help you identify and avoid a potentially dangerous situation.

This is from the first 50 miles of the Hoo Doo 500. That's me on the shoulder on the other side of the rumble strip.

First Frame: The driver of the westbound auto decided to pass, even though another auto was approaching and visibility was limited. Nice.

Second Frame: Driver begins to "complete" his pass, with both affected autos moving towards the shoulder, one of them onto the shoulder occupied by ME!



Before this began, I was on the drops and going 30+ MPH. But I saw it develop in front of me and thanks to the rear view mirror, was able to tell there was an auto approaching behind me, how far back he was, and gauge the relative speeds of both cars relative to myself. Not possible by turning your head or relying on your hearing.

Should I have had to bail out into the dirt, I was prepared. As it was, I knew there was the danger, but knew there was no need to bail out.

I also find them very useful on descents. I've been in situations where I had a choice of maneuvering around an obstacle to my left or right, and made my choice after seeing a tandem rapidly approaching me from behind. No way I could hear them, and no way I could turn my head in time or keep my head there long enough to gauge their speed. That would have been a nasty crash.

On top of that, they're very handy for surreptitious booty checks.

I know there is a difference of opinion on the matter, but I think rear view mirrors rock.