Originally Posted by
chasm54
Well, maybe. In the first place, the ability to look around while holding your line is a valuable skill. If you can't do it (I'm sure you, personally, can) you aren't really safe on the bike, imo, and need to think twice about riding in traffic. In the second place, I've never really understood what you're supposed to do if you're riding in a straight line and see in your mirror that a car is approaching from behind. Throw yourself into the grass verge? Where I ride, cars pass at highish speeds all the time. Imagining they'll run into me isn't productive.
That's not to discourage people from using mirrors if they find them helpful. But vehicles approaching from the rear are not, for the most part, intending to run into you - and if they are, having a mirror ain't likely to make much difference.
OP, enjoy it. And fixing a flat is easy. Maybe the guy you watched lacked experience.
They are handy for all kinds of reasons:
1. Lane Control and Release: A technique where when you observe a car a long distance behind you that suspect is about about to close pass you, you move to the left to reserve your space. When the car begins to pass, you move right to the safe space. Essentially, you've reserved a space for you that you later use. I did this just last week to avoid a close pass.
2. I have observed autos drifting over into my lane on a few occasions before. On most of those occasions, I had an escape route I that I would have taken if necessary. A mirror not only gave me advance warning to do that, but also revealed that it wasn't necessary, when they moved back into their lane. BTW, yes ... if necessary ... throw yourself into the grass. It is what I intend to do.
3. Even if all they do is inform you that you are about to be close passed, that is valuable information, so you aren't startled about it.
4. Other stuff: I've had tandems pass me on the right (
) while descending. With a mirror, I saw them and knew not to weave right to avoid the pothole that appeared in front of me. Not possible without a rear view mirror.