Originally Posted by
alan s
Keep focused on the road ahead. If you are hard of hearing, have a stiff neck or poor peripheral vision, and generally lack situational awareness and riding ability, a mirror could come in handy. Tried one once, and it was worse than useless.
Some people (like me) can't ride fast all the time, unless it's downhill. And some people (like me) ride in traffic that is ALWAYS faster, no matter how fast you're able to ride, i.e. 35-45 MPH speed limits. And then there's wind that can make it quite difficult to hear approaching traffic behind you. A mirror makes me much more aware of my surroundings than simply focusing on what's ahead.