Originally Posted by
InTheRain
I have a bar end mirror that extends out. It's a regular mirror... not a concave lens and it's fairly good sized. I spend most of my time on the tops of my drop bars and leave my mirror adjusted for that riding position. I started using this mirror a year after starting commuting by bike. I initially used the the "take-a-look" mirror... hated it. I believe the mirror I use is made by blackburn.
https://www.amazon.com/Blackburn-Mul.../dp/B000BNZ0NI
I liked the mirror so much on my commutes that I added one to my road bike. I've been using the mirrors for nearly 10 years now. I couldn't imagine riding now without one, anymore than driving my car without mirrors.
The mirror you linked to is sold under several different brand names, and I like using them a lot.
jppe, the issue with your mirror appears to be that it is too small. You might need one like the Blackburn/Rhode Gear/Zefal one. I have a small, rectangular Zefal mirror on my rando bike, and it really needs to be replaced. A test is trying to see Machka several hundred metres/yards behind me, and often I can't discern her with the small mirror. With the larger one on my touring bike, the issue isn't so acute. For her part, Machka uses the bigger mirrors; we both feel a bit naked when not riding with mirrors.
I have been using mirrors on and off (more on than off) for years. They help in judging placement of vehicles behind me when coming up to difficult pinch points or road surfaces, plus driver behaviour, plus picking gaps in traffic to turn across the road, to merge, or to overtake. I also am rarely startled by another cyclist coming up behind or beside me.