tempocyclist

I’m in the market for a handlebar mounted (or out-front mount) video camera for the road bike. I’ve had a Cycliq Fly12 in the past. Quality of footage was good, but I found the unit bulky (plus I don’t require the light). The mount was also flimsy and I broke it. I still use a Fly6 on the rear and that's perfect.

Any suggestions for a more slimline/discreet front camera?

Battery life of 4 hours would be a plus (without a secondary battery pack). Selection of mounting options handy also. Video doesn’t need to be GoPro quality, but sharp enough to capture number plates and the occasional YouTube ride upload.

A new GoPro isn't out of the question, but I'd prefer something more streamlined and with better run time.

Am I asking too much?

texbiker

I use a GoPro for short rides but as a handheld camera. For longer rides I use a Drift Ghost XL. The battery life is much better than the GoPro Hero 10 Black. With an adapter you can use a GoPro mount out front. That is what I do.

Polaris OBark

I have a Sony AZ1 Action Cam that is very small and a bit more "aero" in profile than a go-pro. Battery lasts an hour, but I can cary a couple of spares in my tool bag, if needed.

chaadster

You may be asking too much, insofar as I am aware.

Check out the tiny INSTA360 Go 2 if the form factor is top priority. They also have an optional USB-C charge case (with GoPro type mount) which would allow max recording time while plugged into an external 5v battery.

Also, DJI’s Action 2 is small and cool looking, but limited on-board runtime is only augmented with an optional clip-on battery which is as big as the unit itself, pushing the whole kit into the Hero 10 size range.

And speaking of GoPro, they’ve recently released their Enduro battery which is supposed to push run times past 2hrs for video.

Bald Paul

The Enduro battery is advertised as a Cold Weather battery. I have a feeling it may suffer badly from overheating in warmer weather.

chaadster

GoPro say up to a 40% improvement in run-time at 77°F, which is well above cold, so maybe there’s not too much to worry about there, although heat dissipation is an issue with Hero10 even with standard battery if there’s no breeze or water, but for cycling I don’t think that’s an issue.

tempocyclist

I was afraid of that. Could require me to do more Google deep diving into different options. I don't want to add an additional battery pack, but if needs must, I guess I could. Thanks.


I'll take a look at that one and see, might be a contender.

CliffordK

I have a Gopro Hero 10, 5.3K. It chews up the battery very quickly when recording at 4K/5K, and 30FPS. Perhaps an hour or so of battery life.

I had an extended battery by Digipower on order, but they seem to have just cancelled the order.

You might look at the GoPro Session 5.



I think it is now discontinued, but it is a very compact camera. Battery life of 1 to 2 hours.

chaadster

True re: H10, but at least the batteries are light, tiny, and inexpensive, making on-road swaps pretty easy to do.

I also have a Session, and it’s good to be aware that it’s neither powerable by an external battery nor is the internal battery exchangeable. I do love the shape/size, though, and often take it rather than the H10 when I just want to grab some stills to illuminate a Strava record.

I really don’t understand why a simple, loop recording video cam, other than Cycliq, seems to be unavailable. The Rideye project— was it Kickstarter?— looked so promising, yet didn’t make it. Maybe not so many people are looking for safety video as the top priority, and if getting it costs pretty much the same as a fully featured action cam, well…

Daniel4

I know you stated handle-bar mount. But you'll have to remove it everytime you park your bike.

You might already have too many removable things on your bike, like an Airzounds, front light, rear light, etc.

Mounting on your helmet removes that requirement (unless you lock your helmet with your bike).

Also a handle-bar mounted camera records every turn and steering of the handlebar. I'd rather have it record where I'm looking.

But regardless of what you buy, a lot of cameras already come with mounting accessories or you can buy more.

chaadster

You could also sit pat for short bit, as DC Rainmaker just a day ago announced that GoPro is bringing more differentiation to their lineup, and will likely be offering a revamp of the small-form cam probably aimed at less intensive use scenarios, so simplified with fewer features. The timetable is end of ‘22, so not great if you want something for the upcoming northern hemisphere summer season, but given GoPro’s preeminence in the market, definitely worth considering.

tempocyclist

I hardly ever remove anything when I park my bike (but the only place I park is the café). 😁

If there were a small "bullet" style camera that mounted to a helmet I may consider that. Still searching my options. Otherwise I'd prefer a "set and forget" camera on the front, similar to my Fly6 rear camera. Switch it on at the start, switch it off at the end. It seems the Fly12 front camera really is the market leader in this space. Hmmm.

SpedFast

I've accumulated several of the small box cameras (think gopro) and I can't extend battery life beyond one and a half hours. I carry a spare bat and change it when I remember. I agree with you 100% on a bullet style camera that can be mounted on the side of the helmet so it's not obtrusive like the box sitting on top of your head. Even if it had an auxiliary bat pack mounted on the rear of the helmet it would still be better than what's currently available and I'm sure the tech is out there, just watch a movie with special ops. I just haven't found it in a civilian market (yet).

rumrunn6

wouldn't it be nice if someone invented a helmet w/ a built in camera?
https://bikerumor.com/brikos-cerebel...dration-video/
https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/hel...in-camera.html

adamrice 

This has got to be the smallest name-brand action camera, the Insta360 GO 2. Battery life is considerably less than 4 hours.