Best way to adjust/get used to eyeglass mirror?

[out_spokin']

OK, I read all the advice on which mirror to get but didn't get a sense on how you all learned to use the darn thing.

I've got the Take-A-Look original, and it fits on my Smiths fine. But my first ride with it was an exercise in getting sorta sick to my stomach as I wondered how to get it set up . I read in reviews that it takes a week or so to "get used to it" but I wonder if you all have any tips on how to angle it, and/or how to reduce the learning curve?

[emily_in_nc]

My Take-A-Look worked for me right from day 1. My DH hated it and took it off after the first ride, refusing to try it again. I have no idea what the answer to your question is, except maybe to try a different kind of mirror. My DH now has a handlebar-mounted one and does fine with that one.

Good luck!

[witeowl]

Yeah, sorry. No help here, either. I never had to get used to anything. It's like my rear view mirror in my car: When I'm not looking at it, it seems to disappear. When I want to check behind me, it takes just a very, very slight head turn to the left (I can't get it adjusted so that I don't have to turn at all - I see my hair/jersey if I try) and a refocus of the eyes.

[tulip]

I can't ride with eyeglass or helmet mirrors. But I do have a handlebar mirror that is great. So if you can't get comfortable with the eyeglass mirror, you might have better luck with a bar-mirror.

[Biciclista]

took me a couple weeks to get used to it. Now I wish i was wearing it when i go for a walk. on some easy safe ride put it on. mess with it until you can see behind you. ignore it. every now and then look in it. if it's too much ignore it again.
the "blindspot" aspect will go away quickly (by ignoring it) but it takes a little time and patience.

I also walked around with it for a bit, getting it so i could see behind me.

[PamNY]

took me a couple weeks to get used to it. Now I wish i was wearing it when i go for a walk.

Me too on both of the above. I needed a few weeks to get used to the Take-a-look mirror, but now I love it. I found it really frustrating at first and probably wouldn't have bothered -- but it was a gift, and I didn't want to say "Ick, I hate this thing." Perseverance paid off for me.

[cosc]

My take-a-look mirror is my best friend when I'm riding. Yes, I think it takes a while for your brain to adjust to this thing in front of the eye. After a little time, you'll will forget it's there except when needed.

[out_spokin']

Awesome. You just gave me the push I needed to try again...and walking with it! Brilliant really....part of my problem that first ride was I'd swerve a bit when I tried to look...like when I was first learning to ride and I'd swerve out when I did a quick check behind me. I'll tackle it again soon, thanks!

[tctrek]

Try to set it up so that you don't have to turn your head to see in it. I have mine set up so that I only have to shift my eyes to the left a little.

We ride in such high traffic areas, that I don't know what I'd do without my mirror. My DH wears one too and we take turns riding in back and looking for cars. I also like it 'cause I can see if someone grabs my wheel !

[beccaB]

I have bifocals in all of my glasses and can't get an eyeglass mirror to be in the right spot for me to be able to see it, so when it fell off I just gave up. Actually, mine attached to the helmet, but something that attaches to my glasses would have made me crazier than I already am.

[maryellen]

I've tried both helmet and sunglass attached mirrors and have not been able to adjust to them. But I think it's because I use reading glasses for close vision and the combo of peripheral vision and reading glass distance is confusing my brain.

I think I'll try a handlebar mirror. That will probably be far enough away that I won't have the same problem. I'm hoping my brain will interpret it like it does looking in car rear view mirrors. Fingers crossed. I live in NYC so a rear-view mirror is particularly useful.

[emily_in_nc]

I've tried both helmet and sunglass attached mirrors and have not been able to adjust to them. But I think it's because I use reading glasses for close vision and the combo of peripheral vision and reading glass distance is confusing my brain

That's a good point. My DH was wearing pretty high power reading glasses for close work when he tried the Take-A-Look and did not like it at all. I wear progressives or contacts with reading glasses, but my reading Rx is still pretty weak (+1.25 vs -2.25 for my distance Rx), so perhaps that is why I'm fine with the Take-A-Look and just contacts. So it may not work as my reading Rx gets stronger, but I love it for now.

[evangundy]

The Take-A-Look also comes in two sizes - short stem and long stem. Maybe your and/or your DH have the short one and needs the long one, or vice-versa. That's what happened the first time I tried them, DH got the long one and I got the short one, not realizing they were different. I could not get used to it. One day, they were both off our glasses and laid them side by side on the counter - voila! - different lengths. I tried the long one and Yay! it worked. I love mine and dont' ride without it.

The other trick that someone mentioned (might have been on TE somewhere) was to look at the image in the mirror, not at the mirror.

Good luck :-)
Edna

[GLC1968]

Wow, this thread is timely! I've been trying to get used to a helmet mirror and I can't seem to get it adjusted right. I'm able to ignore it when I don't need to see what's behind me, but there are two problems when I do need to use it:

1) It takes me a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the nearness of it and focus - so I have to look longer than I'd sometimes like to (I'm hoping this is a learning curve thing)

2) I have to figure out how to adjust it's positioning better. I have to turn my head to see in the mirror and the direction I need to turn it is not intuitive. I find that I'm riding and constantly tilting my head all over the place. I'm sure I look like Stevie Wonder to the people around me.

There are some great tips here, so I'm going to give it another shot. I especially like the idea of using it walking first. Of course, since it's attached to my helmet, I'm going to have to do this around my yard so that I don't need to wear my bike helmet walking down the street.