Cycle Cameras / Helmet Cams (GoPro, Drift, Veho, Contour, Fly6, Fly12, SJCAM, Apeman, 1080p, etc.)

I have a memory of someone in either this thread or the roadsafe thread talking about a way of stabilising a bunch of images to make it easier to read a number plate (possibly @frankenbike?). Anyone remember that? Had the cops get in touch to say they aren’t going to pursue a prosecution as they can’t make the number plate out clearly enough, and fuck that.

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/186788/?offset=28025#comment14948149

Nice one, cheers!

Also nice to see that my memory still works ok.

If anyone would like a free gopro adapter for a garmin mount PM me. Ordered it from aliexpress but unfortunately it's facing the wrong direction when used with my wahoo.

After seeing a dopey Prius skid through some red lights on my way home the other day, I think I'd like to start recording my commute/tours.

What's the best I can get for around £100 - £150?

GoPro are selling refurbed Hero5 Blacks for £129 at the moment which is mighty tempting.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GoPro-HERO5-Black-4K-Waterproof-Action-Camera-Camcorder-Certified-Refurbished/183010576289

if it's only for commuting, get the chinese ones. Much cheaper and do their job. I got an sjcam one for 45 euro's with two batteries etc. Quality is good + runs for 1.5 hrs. Only downside is the waterproof case is a bit clumsy.

Thanks! It's on the list, I like the look of the SJ4000X.

I tour quite a lot with my other half and I'd like the option for nicer quality recordings when I'm
not commuting, but the SJCams do have replacement batteries!

I'd love to be able to put longer lasting batteries in my Apeman.

I think I have the sj4000. Yeah, for nice quality I'd skip them and get a gopro. Have only been able to use mine in bad light (morning and evening) but good enough to read numberplates.

Swish, I've pulled the trigger on that refurb on eBay.

Any suggestions for mounts? I'd prefer off the helmet if that's wise.

I use these for my Cycliq12 (mounted upside down) as they free up a lot of bar space and so the cam sits below the stem:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30-31-8mm-Bike-GoPro-Handlebar-Bar-Standard-Mount-Adapter-For-GoPro-Hero-Camera/352847379418

In terms of which cam to buy I would recommend a GoPro Session if you can get hold of one. I think you can only get them 2nd hand nowadays but there are plenty out there on offer. My Session 4 was £150 new in 2015. There was a GoPro Session 5 too.

The reason is size and simplicity. A nice small, unobtrusive black cube which sits on your bike, front or rear (or chest mount) with one button which is on/off. Simple to use.

There are plenty of people who bought them intending to use them for rad edits but who just keep them in a drawer unused and you can always pick up good quality cams at decent prices.

In terms of mount I too use similar to @Pifko with Garmin on top and GoPro beneath. The Garmin further helps disguise the fact you are running a cam.

I also have a saddle rail mount for rear facing action and a chesty cam for #POV action.

Here's a couple of edited videos showing you the quality of footage. Obvs, the one where it's dark and raining is not as good as the summer but that will be the same whichever you choose.

1/ Grown Man Sport https://www.pinkbike.com/video/509754/ - Summer cycle commuting (backing track a bit shouty at first but gets more mellow). Demo's front beneath Garmin and rear saddle rail mounted cam

2/ Early Morning Rain https://www.pinkbike.com/video/511508/ - Dark, wet, winter commute. Demo's chesty POV mount

Just seen this. Did you give it a go? Shift/transform/layer in Photoshop might be all you need to do.

I did not. I got as far as splitting the footage into frames, but turned out the combination of shit camera, wobbly mount, appalling road surface, low light, and the speed at which the arsehole passed me all combined to leave me with absolutely fuck all to work with.

Smashing, thanks guys.

For anyone who cares, here's some test footage of my commute (recorded @ 1440p 60FPS). This was taken from a cheapy stem mount from eBay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x3XMFLkesE&feature=youtu.be

Riveting.

What’s it like in low light?

Still playing around with what's best format wise, but here's last nights at 4k30FPS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmM6Zo1X2IU&feature=youtu.be

Right at the end near Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park it struggles with the lack of street light combined with bright numberplate lights, but the raw footage is enough to pick out numberplates from one lane over easily.

I've got a bunch of those and similar mounts that came with the Apeman cameras that I'll never likely use if anyone is interested?

Here's another edit of my commuting footage.

The video was meant to juxtapose summer versus winter riding along Cycle Superhighway 7 but I'm not sure that comes across very well, more just a mish-mash of riding clips.

Also GoPro studio kept on crashing and so the ending wasn't as planned and I had to cut it short.

Still, I had fun making the video and it's always an experience riding those roads

Steel and You

Okay so the Langster is alu not steel but I was a big Numan fan back in the 80's so it's a great chance to use this track.

So my gf has brought a the new hero 8 for me to ride with. However, my go pro keeps switching off when I go for a ride when it is in video. Is there something that it doesn’t like when it is mounted on a upside down wahoo mount? It’s really annoying as there are some footage I wish it recorded but so far I have only 3 seconds clips.

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i think you probably just have it on the wrong setting. I don't have an 8 but I've had a few different models over the years.

check out page 30 and make sure you have it on the correct setting

GoPro 8 manual

EDIT - page 46/47 refers to clips i.e. "short 15- or 30-second video clips that are quick and easy to save on your phone and share on social media".

Make sure you don't have the clips setting on.

I’ve tried this, when I film from a non moving position it is fine, but when I am riding doesn’t record and say ‘files can not be repair/recovered’ 🤨