Originally Posted by LeaKerr

My bike is just the one I inherited from my mother. I assume it fits me because I can reach the pedals and whatnot. If there are other factors to fitting (Gods I am such a newb), where would I go to get some help on determining it? Just a bike store?

Originally Posted by Gritter

The best thing you can do is just close your eyes when you ride. It feels like flying and might be disorientating at first, but once you get used to it, it's very relaxing for your eyes. I'm just kidding. I really hit the eyeball on the pupil with my internet diagnosis there, like a doctor!

Weak eye muscles? Can't wear glasses? I'm afraid this reaches beyond my pay-grade, young lady. I would probably wear a patch over one eye, so the weak eye could work harder, to get some exercise. Then trade which eye wears the patch, then I would look over here, then I would look over there, then under there. I would focus on a close object, then quickly focus far away, then on my peripherals. I would exercise my eyes and wear eye-pillows stuffed with fairy dust and aromatherapy odors when I slept on trains or busses. I would eat carrots.

Originally Posted by FBinNY

It was old standard to get a full medical history before attempting even what appears to be a simple diagnosis.

BITD - a doctor may spend as much as half an hour in conversation, leading it along with questions to get people to talk about things that they may not be aware are somehow linked to the issue. My old doctor who was trained before WWII used to say he could get more information talking to me across his desk then with a battery of tests. He did all the workups, like BP and drawing, blood himself, using the time to keep the conversation going. Usually he'd have formed a theory before even sending stuff to a lab, and would only order tests that would confirm or challenge his theory.

Unfortunately, these doctors want to allocate most of the patient workup to assistants, and limit direct contact to something on the order of 5 minutes. So, unless you take the initiative to force a discussion of all related and unrelated conditions, the doctor won't have enough to work with and test for one or two possibly dangerous conditions, ie. a possible heart issue, while completely missing important relevant info like your eye problems.

BTW - your doctor may never invest the time to discover the cause of your problems, but once he/she rules out anything immediately dangerous and gives you an all clear you may become your best diagnostician. Ride, and make notes of whatever is going on, experiment with thing like dark sunglasses, for example, or pre-ride diet until you begin to get clues, then you can home in and address whatever problem you have.

Originally Posted by ColaJacket

The Sheldon Brown site has a lot of good articles for beginners.

GH