downtube42

I have an 808 #16 on my handlebars, and recorded my commute back when my commute wasn't a walk across the hall. I also recorded my first cyclocross race, which was fun. I've done a couple time-lapse recordings of rides. With external power it will take 1 pic every 60 seconds for 3.5 days. Perfect for long brevets.

Does not make me feel safer.
Nothing helpful other than entertainment.
808 #16 is cheap. Not waterproof, low quality lens, lots of fiddly stuff, but cheap entry into cameras.

I captured a motorist behaving badly putting me at risk. My wife saw it, and became even more stressed about me riding. So there are downsides.

Milton Keynes

I don't have a camera yet, but I plan on getting one for or after Christmas, or at least some time before spring comes around again and I get back on my bike. I'm not so much worried about traffic incidents, which it will help with, but I'd like to see videos of my rides. Sometimes I come across interesting things, like the flock of wild turkeys flying across the road in front of me once, or early one morning an owl just sitting in the middle of the street as I rode by, or the time the skunk crossed my path not far in front of my bike with tail raised (but luckily didn't spray).

Chistophe516

That is why I use a Chest Mount Strap. Both steady, and captures bad drivers on camera. I don't want drivers to be bad. They just do it.

Lemond1985

I have caught a few incidents like that, plus sometimes if you pass a another bike or a pedestrian that you're too busy to get a good look at, but you can review the video later on. I've caught a few waves from fellow riders that I didn't see in real time.

I like to review road incidents too, and I almost always find I overreact. Tough habit to break, but I think I got so used to yelling at people in my car when they do dumb things, that I often do the same thing on my bike, not really considering how much more vulnerable I am on the bike compared to being encased in a car that can go 120 mph if the need ever arises.

Chistophe516

Both the videos linked below, are while rider is on a mountain bike.


The title of the first video link. Speaks for itself. The second video link shows how less shaky a Chest Strap makes the camera. With, or without a gimbal.


How to stablize shaky GoPro helmet cam


Mountain biking with the Feiyu Tech Wearable Gimbal

BikeLite

Someone needs to try one of the gimbal handhelds on the bike handlebars.

Chistophe516

Nope. The helmetcam, is subject to the reactions of the cyclist. When they hear, see, feel something suddenly. By moving their head. A chest-mounted camera isn't directly affected by the senses of the human body.

Helldorado

Watching cycling videos from helmet cams are usually nausea and vertigo inducing; the POV moves around too much. The camera lacks the image stabilizing mechanism that our heads have, which involves minute and continuous interactions between our optic cerebral cortex, our inner ear balance mechanisms, and our eye muscles. Thats why the world generally looks "stable" to us despite the fact that our heads are bumping up and down and side to side when we bomb down a single-track our our $6,500 full suspension bikes, walk up a flight of stairs, jog in the park, etc...

CargoDane

Not sure if it's the fish-lens or the way the camera moves, but I have to say that is still vertigo and nausea inducing. 3:02 onwards.

SClaraPokeman

The assumption behind using a camera (recording a bicycle ride or while driving) is that in event of an accident the film will provide evidence that will put blame on the "other" party. But what if what's recorded doesn't exonerate the person doing the recording--for instance, a bicyclist who goes through a light on a red and hits a pedestrian? Instead of a possible "his word against her word" you have a situation where you can have evidence that proves you were at fault. Are you legally required to turn over evidence that can incriminate you?

Helldorado

Is a banker required to turn over his accounting ledgers when being investigated for fraud and corruption? You betcha, Red Rider!

CargoDane

Except, the person with a camera isn't being investigated for, say, "filming without a permit" or some other related thing. Maybe the camera wasn't "on" when you crashed.
Seriously, though, if it turned out I was also at fault in a crash, so be it. With or without a camera or evidence, things like that happens to people. We have all had an absence of mind and done something stupid where we had to apologise profusely because we caught ourselves being idiots (whether or not it ended in a crash).

Helldorado

Can the police or local prosecutors examine your cell phone if you were involved in a car crash to determine whether or not you were using it at the time of the crash? I believe I've read accounts of this actually happening. But I'm not a lawyer or a cop. I'm just a cyclist trying to stay alive on the mean streets of 2020, a very mean year.

Gyro

Here's a short shot I upload to a file hosting from my hero 6 on my handle bars. The 6 does a great job smoothing out the bumps. If your looking to just record your rides , it's all you need. 350 meg reduced picture quality to lower file size.

https://ufile.io/w1782gp3

CargoDane

Not a lawyer either, but I think they can do that with phones. A helmet mounted camera wouldn't be the same, I'd think. But really, unless you're unconscious, and you know you don't want any evidence of your wrong doing (hoping the other party is not filming either etc.), you could just pull the sd card out of the camera. Or, you could ride the best way possible so even if you are at fault - even just a little - you can use to learn something from. Even if you are at fault, hopefully your insurance will pay.

Personally, if I was filming, I don't think I'd think of pulling out the SD card if an accident occured. Sometimes accidents happen. I wouldn't think of destroying evidence in the first place, and I wouldnt' think it would be great to do so if the other party finds out you destroyed said evidence. That alone implies that you are the one at fault.
But, yes, if you ride/drive so rotten that you think any filming of your behaviour will incriminate you, maybe actually do carry a camera and review footage of your riding/driving at home.

I-Like-To-Bike

I am not a lawyer either, but I don't believe police (or insurance companies) have a free pass to examine cell phones for use at the time of an accident without some sort of warrant or legal blessing, nor are they likely to seek or get such a warrant without good cause and a reason to think it will make a significant charge stick. In the case of an auto-bicycle collision, even if cell phone records do indicate that the motorist's cell phone was "in use", I doubt it would prove to be of that much benefit to the cyclist involved. Either the motorist collided with a cyclist who was riding legally or was not riding legally, and motorist cell phone use will not alter that issue.

Cell phone use while driving (or riding) may, or may not be a violation of traffic law but all that gets the offender is a fine that won't necessarily help the cyclist. Cell phone use by a motorist (or a cyclist) may be considered by some to be a prima facie contributing factor to a charge of distracted driving or riding but probably in and of itself not the sole factor in determining cause or fault for a collision.

In a related issue, would anyone consider a cyclist at least partially at fault for a collision if cell phone records indicate the cyclist's cell phone was in use, whether it be for Strava, GPS or some sort of map reading, or any other communication purpose at the time of an accident?

CargoDane

Well, if it was being punched at the time of the incident. But proving that would be quite difficult. Actually tapping a dedicated GPS would be the same.

I once (when I was young) had a problem with the front derailleur, so I tried to fix it while riding (slowly) on an almost deserted street. THere were cars parked, but figured they were far away, so tried to fix it while riding. BOOM! Straight into the back of a taxi. The man came out asking me if I was okay. I was super embarrassed, literally red-faced, and said "Yes, I'm okay. I'm so sorry!", checking that his car had not been damaged, I quickly rode away.

Distracted driving/riding is distracted, regardless of what you're riding or driving, and regardless of what distracts you. I don't care that you have your cell phone or gps on while riding or driving, it's the distracted part that matters.

I'm not really sure what the point of this post is, other than "it depends", and "I too have been distracted like an idiot".

Chistophe516

I am not the only one.
HD3andMe, What was said here ^^^^^, is how helmetcam videos make me feel.

CB HI

Cops need a search warrant these days. So if the cops want your video, then let them get the search warrant. If someone else, like a driver or insurance want the video that you do not want to release, then they have to wait until the discovery phase of a court case. If you still do not release the video at that point, the judge may find you in contempt.

Now to the fear that the video may hurt you; since police all to often make bad assumptions that the cyclist are always at fault, a video is almost always more helpful to lawful cyclist.

Milton Keynes

When I get a camera, I'm just going to mount it on the handlebars. I hope it will be stable enough and not that much vibration that a video will be watchable.

Gyro

Here's a short shot I upload to a file hosting from my hero 6 on my handle bars. The 6 does a great job smoothing out the bumps. If your looking to just record your rides , it's all you need. 350 meg reduced picture quality to lower file size.

https://ufile.io/w1782gp3