If anyone looked at the current banner, or full image below, they may wonder about the strange looking fellow with even stranger attire. I call the white thing by my glasses "The Bas" as purchased it from "Bas the guide" on an Adventure South West Coast trip. Since then it's become an essential cycling accessory.
It's not just a rear view mirror, it's the best cycle rear view mirror I've ever used. Sturdy all metal construction and spectacle mount means there is no vibration. It's also easy to adjust and far less likely to be damaged than a helmet or bar mount mirror. The mirror isn't that big, so doesn't dominate forward view but moving your head slightly scans the road behind better than any fixed mirror.
You may wonder why this excitement over a bit of wire and acrylic mirror but on several occasions this thing has literally saved my life. In both cases I was on a busy road, keeping left, and watched large trucks graze by, one eye on the curb the other in the mirror, within centimetres of my shoulder. I suspect in one case it was just ignorance, the other because they were squeezed by traffic in the lane beside them. I'm pretty certain in both cases a normal glance behind would have meant a real possibility of going under the wheels. Having the mirror allowed me to see what was happening, do what I could to avoid it and stay on the bike.
If you're in New Zealand the only place I've seen them sold is Adventure South and theirs were tweaked for New Zealand's Left Hand Drive/Cycling; which is why mine is upside down in the San Francisco shot.
UPDATE 01/13/2016: Adventure South no longer sell them in New Zealand. Search for a "Bicycle Peddler of Greeley Colorado Take A Look Mirror" or buy the Greeley Colorado Take A Look Mirror on Amazon
For me, cycling without it would be like cycling naked. As for the rest of the attire, I'll let Karl du Fresne defend that!
Karl du Fresne: In defence of lycra and other unspeakable cycling clobber
Being a cyclist myself, I naturally bridled at this. But it’s not the first time I’ve heard a non-cyclist ridicule the strange outfits bike riders wear, so I’ve taken it upon myself to offer some sort of explanation....
