gauvins

I am about to purchase a GoPro session to capture images of bike tours.

Which handlebar mount would you suggest? I like the idea behind the GoPro pro mount which rotates left-right and up-down. But 60$ is a lot for something that I may not use that much. Then there are cheap fixed mounts going for less than 5$. Or is it better to stick with OEM?

rumrunn6

not a gopro user myself, but, in general, tried cheap mounts. they fail

Cyclist0084

I agree with rumrunn6. Although pricey, the OEM mounts work better and last longer than cheap knock-offs do. If I'm shelling out a couple hundred bucks for a camera, I damn well want to make sure it doesn't fall off my bike.

SpeshulEd 

If you have a garmin, this might be handy...I would recommend it.
https://www.amazon.com/K-EDGE-Garmin.../dp/B00OC7ESOQ

AdvXtrm

I'd suggest "not" using a handlebar mount at all. You'll get much better and less shaky video if mounted on your helmet, or using a shoulder or chest mount.

TimothyH

Barfly. Best made.

https://www.barflybike.com/

SpeshulEd 

I would somewhat disagree with that.

Official GoPro helmet mount:

K-Edge handlebar mount:

The helmet mount video is sped up a bit which makes it even worse, but both are equally shaky. If you want stabilized video, I'd invest in a gimbal.

AdvXtrm

You really cannot compare video shot with different cameras and or settings if that's the case, on varied terrain, that may have anti-shake and other enhancements applied. Add to that frame-rate differences etc., it's just not the simple. I'll stick with the other mounts myself.

TimothyH

OP says he wants a bar mount. He also said he is touring and wants to capture images.

Gimbal and chest straps don't make sense.
Why can't people at bike forums just accept what people want?

SpeshulEd 

The only difference between those two videos is the helmet mount video was sped up slightly in post production.

While not a controlled experiment or anything, I think it's easy to say there's still a fair amount of vibration coming from a helmet mount.

SpeshulEd 

You know, because this is the only the thread on the entire forum that's ever went slightly off topic...

AdvXtrm

lol

Cyclist0084

Because, by golly, "I know better than the OP and if he doesn't take MY recommendation, I'm going to mercilessly stalk / harass / embarrass him/her until he/she quits BF."

Paraphrased from numerous "I know better than you" posts I've seen over the years.

ct-vt-trekker

I used the K-edge handlebar mount for years on 4 different bikes, MTB, Tandem, cross and road bikes. I have an old first issue HD GoPro. None of my video has ever been shaky. The mount is solid but the camera image stabilization will work fine.

gauvins

FWIW - I have a helmet mount as well and will try various things. My question was both general (what to look for in a handlebar mount) and specific (the pro mount is 30$ more than the basic mount. It allows left-right pan. It is worth it?)

TimothyH

@gauvins

I have a the GoPro branded bike mount kit and never use it.

You can have it for free. Just cover the cost of shipping if you want it. Shipping from Atlanta, GA, USA to Canada may be expensive though.

Send me a PM with your address if you want me to price it and I'll let you know.


-Tim-

longbeachgary

I use the gopro handlebar/seatpost mount and it works like a charm. Not sure I'd trust a $300 camera to a $5 mount.

rumrunn6

used this one today. it came with the sportcam

canklecat

Ion makes that Polaroid action cam. Not sure which Ion model it's based on -- looks similar to the Speed Pro. Good value in an action cam. Rainproof, no need for a special housing, as long as the original rear cap is attached. But I need to remember to avoid bad weather when I'm running the camera via my external USB battery.

I have the same handlebar mount. The ballhead is very handy once you get the hang of guesstimating the level. You can twist the camera around while riding to record sideways panning shots, back behind you, even selfies.

You can also farm rig a helmet mount on road helmets with large vents. The cylindrical camera shape snugs into the vent. I've used zip ties to snug a small tripod socket D-ring, then velcro straps around the camera.

rumrunn6

the Polaroind came w a bunch of mounts. the helmet mount was a clever strap solution. but lately I've been using the dashmount w a couple zip ties. just faster & easier. using a different stud in the camera for more security cuz the stud on the dash mount is a little funky. it sits a little higher which camera=wise is good but then the camera becomes more of a dorky thing. it came w a side mount but I can't imagine wearing the thing on the side of my helmet. mounting it directly to the helmet is intriguing. got any pics of that?



you have an external battery? cool! for mine right now I think I accidentally deleted the formatting file so I have to get a new one. it's the file that tells the camera what it's settings are. yesterday I had to keep resetting it after every video clip. the 10 second time lapse was working fine, but carrying a paperclip on my zipper was annoying to say the least

canklecat

I'll try to post some pix of my helmet mount later. And I plan to get a smaller external battery, one of the cylindrical ones to fit in an adjacent helmet vent. My current USB battery, a Jackery, is a bit large for helmet mounting. I've done it, but it's awkward and feels a bit heavy up there.

Regarding the firmware or operating system glitch, that seems to be a quirk with some action cams -- not just the Ion. Mobius has a whole page on troubleshooting stuff like this. Ion doesn't, but a customer service chat helped resolve the glitch.

First, be sure to use a high quality Class 10 card. Sandisk, Lexar, Kingston, a few others are all reliable. But Sandisk and Lexar cards have been counterfeited so it's hard to be sure you're getting the genuine article.

Reformat the card in the PC. Usually this will clear up glitches. When you reinsert the media card into the camera and turn it on, the operating system will automatically reinstall on the card. The OS and installation routine are built into the camera itself and should be fully automated.

Open the OS to get the customizable features. I usually resync the date/time every time I use the camera because it tends to be off about 15 minutes or so a day.

The Ion customer service tech said it shouldn't be necessary to reformat the card after every use, so I just delete the files after copying whatever I want to keep to my external hard drive. Usually I just delete ride videos if nothing interesting happened.

One persistent glitch I've experienced is the camera tends to shut off within two minutes after first turning it on. The customer service tech suggested trying a new card but I haven't gotten around to that yet. It only happens occasionally but can be annoying when the camera is on my helmet and I don't notice. So I've gotten into the habit of turning it on while I'm getting set to ride, then rechecking at the curb before riding away. If it's still on after two minutes it should run continuously until the battery is exhausted or the card is full.

But when I really need to record reliably I'll mount it on the handlebar where I can keep an eye on that red recording light.

A couple of weeks ago I rode my bike to the local women's march/rally on January 21. I forgot the helmet mounted cam was still running, but it recorded some interesting stuff from a higher than average point of view. I was also taking still photos and might combine the two into a video.

rumrunn6

haha interesting. BTW my settings file came back. maybe cuz I hooked it up to another laptop. but it still misbehaved today. it's happened before & it goes away when I buy a new card. I tend to delete stuff & reuse the cards on several computers, maybe that confuses the camera. I don't reformat the cards I just save them & store them. I'm weird that way

I've done some other things w the camera like hooked it up to an improvised zip line. also mounted it on my shoulder during a family cook out. someone called it my pirate's parrot. thought about dressing it up like a bird but never did

turkey9186

Go with a metal mount. I have broke three of the Garmin mounts while riding on chipseal.

rumrunn6

got a new card, that did the trick. funny how I cud only find a small card (16 gig) on Amazon. someday I'll delete files or feel comfortable reformatting. I'm the kind that still has just about every film negative I ever took. slides too ... :/

Chris0516