The Bike Shop

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Contour vs GoPro? (Read 70 times)

galberras


fear the Col Sanders

    Does anyone here ride with a camera?  

     

    At first, I thought it was just a novelty.  However, the other week (or other month, who knows) I got pelted by a teenager with the leftovers of his fountain drink.  After I got over my stewing rage, I reflected all the way home about the NY Times article about cyclists using them to identify "bad drivers".  

     

    Anyway, I'm kinda OCD so I thought I would at least do some due diligence and see what's out there and all that.  If I am going to get run over at some point, I might like some footage to upload to YouTube or something... Big grin

     

    Thoughts?  Users?  If only there was a James Bond, spy version that was super small and svelte to slap on my huge helmet.

    Just because I look dumb doesn't mean I'm not...

    zoom-zoom


    rectumdamnnearkilledem

      The VAST majority of folks around here have GoPro.  We may get one at some point...mostly to document my crashes!

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

      galberras


      fear the Col Sanders

        So.. hypothetically speaking... would a camera mounted on the front of the bike be able to record enough detail if someone were to send me flying off the road?  It seems like a helmet camera may be better in this regard.  Okay, enough of the OCDness.

         

        After watching some cool youtube videos of people skiing today, I think I will be investing in one next year.

        Just because I look dumb doesn't mean I'm not...

        xhristopher


          Spring is here! So here's a GoPro video of my first outside ride of the year.

           

          The camera belongs to my 11 year old son. In exchange for getting him such a great B-day gift he's agreed to let me use it some.

           

          would a camera mounted on the front of the bike be able to record enough detail if someone were to send me flying off the road?  It seems like a helmet camera may be better in this regard.

           

          I gave this some thought on my ride yesterday and I'm not sure there is a perfect answer for this. I guess the helmet mount might give you a little more control. The bar mount frames the shifters nicely.

           

           

          Someone should create a 360 camera to mount on top of a helmet to catch the action from all directions.

            Snow, ice and excess sand everywhere on the roads around me yet, you suck.

             

            The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

             

            2014 Goals:

             

            Stay healthy

            Enjoy life

             

            xhristopher


              Snow, ice and excess sand everywhere on the roads around me yet, you suck.

               

              Most of the ride was through Wakefield. I avoided running in that town this winter because they never salted, sanded, or plowed the roads properly but come spring it's all good.

               

              This was also my first ride on my new Speedplays. I'm instantly happy with them. I guess this shouldn't be a suprise. If they are good enough for Spartacus...

              Slo


                Spring is here! So here's a GoPro video of my first outside ride of the year.

                 

                 

                Well, I don't think it's going to go viral.

                 

                If I were doing more of the MTB stuff I was doing 10 - 15 years ago I think I would buy one of these camera's. For the stuff I do today probably not.

                 

                There were a few things that bothered me though...Riding in the parking lane.  As an active League of American Bicyclist member and advocate and member of The Iowa Bike Coalition we would recomend that you use the traffice lane. It really is much safer. This of course depends on your city ordinances as well but I doubt they have you in the parking lane.

                 

                It also appeared that you were in the turning lane and going straight a few times and / or pulled up alongside of cars at stops were you both went straight. Take your lane and stay behind cars and make the cars stay behind you. Do not give them room to pull up along side of you. Pulling up along side of a car when you are both going straight at a stop reinforces to the auotmobile driver that it's ok not to yield any lane to you.

                 

                There are better sites that give more info...under a time crunch this will give you an idea.  http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/18/top-5-reasons-to-claim-the-lane-and-why-its-safer/

                 

                I commute over 3000 miles per year and ride another 5000 or so miles. My incidents are pretty rare...usually memorable but very infrequent. If I had a camera for those rare incidents the battery would likely be dead or something.

                  Someone should create a 360 camera to mount on top of a helmet to catch the action from all directions.

                  .. top of helmet and on bar and under seat

                  Should be mandatory for the Tour de France as well as other made for TV races like the International Distance Triathlon races.  That makes for a great perspective.  It'll be like Nascar.

                   

                  (Oh, and regarding the weather.... 80 degrees on my ride on Saturday.  80 degrees for my run yesterday.  Spring is here!)

                  Life Goals:

                  #1: Do what I can do

                  #2: Enjoy life

                   

                   

                  xhristopher


                     

                    Well, I don't think it's going to go viral.

                     

                    If I were doing more of the MTB stuff I was doing 10 - 15 years ago I think I would buy one of these camera's. For the stuff I do today probably not.

                     

                    There were a few things that bothered me though...Riding in the parking lane.  As an active League of American Bicyclist member and advocate and member of The Iowa Bike Coalition we would recomend that you use the traffice lane. It really is much safer. This of course depends on your city ordinances as well but I doubt they have you in the parking lane.

                     

                    It also appeared that you were in the turning lane and going straight a few times and / or pulled up alongside of cars at stops were you both went straight. Take your lane and stay behind cars and make the cars stay behind you. Do not give them room to pull up along side of you. Pulling up along side of a car when you are both going straight at a stop reinforces to the auotmobile driver that it's ok not to yield any lane to you.

                     

                    There are better sites that give more info...under a time crunch this will give you an idea.  http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/18/top-5-reasons-to-claim-the-lane-and-why-its-safer/

                     

                    I commute over 3000 miles per year and ride another 5000 or so miles. My incidents are pretty rare...usually memorable but very infrequent. If I had a camera for those rare incidents the battery would likely be dead or something.

                     

                    Considering it's April 1st I almost can't tell if you are having fun with me or not?

                     

                    I've been riding my whole life, including years of commuting in DC and Boston, without incident until an 89 year old man ran a stop sign two summers ago and sent me to Mass General in an Ambulance and completely totaled my bike. I haven't mentally been the same rider since. It really sucks. I no longer bike commute to keep the peace with my family and I don't trust cars. It comes across in my riding. This being my first road ride in months I took more of the shoulder than normal and a whole lot more than I used to.

                     

                    If you skip to 4:15 you will see a woman in a red Honda fit pull out right in front of me. She was a little elderly lady who ran the stop sign and never even saw me. I tried to make eye contact but it seemed she was looking for bigger objects, or not looking at all. I'm not sure if being further in the lane would have helped her see me. She's what scare's me. Drivers past their prime but still on the road with no vision or reaction time.

                     

                    And that guy who hit me, who's insurance company gave me a modest settlement, and who's now in his 90s... he still drives. The system is broken and I'm a little broken by it too.

                     

                    Despite that I'm still out there and trying to regain a little of the rider I once was ... on the road at least. Take me off road and I'm still an animal.

                    Slo


                      I do recall reading once about your accident. Very sorry to hear that. I was struck by a car once too. 40 mph...sent me flying. Remarkably I walked away.

                       

                      Seriously, I'm not playing April Fools with you. Take the time to Google "Take Your Lane". It really is a much safer place to ride. Read the comments readers have left in the link I provided.

                       

                      I ask everyone that reads this to look into and put Take Your Lane into practice. Share it with other riders...In towns like Des Moines Iowa or Madison Wisconsin the impact has been crazy positive.

                       

                      Incidents like the Red Van will become fewer because you are more visible. On-coming Drivers are not looking to the far left of the center line when making a turn.

                       

                      I would also ask that if you ride a bike on the road or a bike trail then become a member of The League of American Bicyclist. This group works very hard to keep our rights and to make cycling safer for everyone.


                      Hip Redux

                        I do recommend taking the lane over getting way over to the right, but I can also appreciate being nervous back on the bike after an accident.      It's perfectly natural (I cooked a corner down a hill and gave myself a concussion, and I still get apprehensive going downhill...).    Sorry to hear of your accident xhristopher - but glad you're back in the saddle!

                         

                        xhristopher


                          Oh, I'll take the lane when I need it but I also reserve the right to chill out on the shoulder when it's clear. I think the wide angle of the GoPro, not to mention speeding up the video, makes the ride look much more aggressive than it was. This was Easter afternoon, traffic was light, and I had my pick. It's gonna take a few more miles before I get my confidence back up to where it was last summer before I took the fall and winter off from riding. Getting back in the saddle didn't use to be an issue but times have changed.


                          Village people

                            Xhristoper, I read about you accident in another forum. I am glad you are back out riding. I am nervous to ride on my little country roads, I don't know if I could ride in Boston. I won't even drive there.


                            Hip Redux

                              Xhristoper, I read about you accident in another forum. I am glad you are back out riding. I am nervous to ride on my little country roads, I don't know if I could ride in Boston. I won't even drive there.

                               

                              Country roads can be just as bad - people are just not expecting bikes on the road, and they will drive pretty fast (even on curvy roads like here!).   At least in the city, in theory, people should be aware of pedestrians, bikes, etc.   You have to be proactive in making yourself as visible and apparent as possible in either case... and sometimes there still is a dumb driver not paying attention...

                               


                              Village people

                                 

                                Country roads can be just as bad - people are just not expecting bikes on the road, and they will drive pretty fast (even on curvy roads like here!).   At least in the city, in theory, people should be aware of pedestrians, bikes, etc.   You have to be proactive in making yourself as visible and apparent as possible in either case... and sometimes there still is a dumb driver not paying attention...

                                 

                                There are a fair number of cyclists and it is tricky driving with them. i can't see oncoming traffic with the windIng roads. They probably feel like I am tailing them until I can see well enough to pass.

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