Helmet Cam - Drift or Contour?

[Renn Sport]

Morning...

I am new cyclist having just got the bug. In fact I finding that my cycle is calling more than the lures of my motorcycle. I know I am sick...

As I commute into central London from Surrey I have come across the occasional sociopathic nutter who believes running me off the road or simpling pulling out on me is an acceptable level of social interaction. I need a helmet cam...

So having conducted a forensic search and leaving dissatisfied with my use of the function I am going to ask...


I ride 2 hours a day and would like a discrete camera for my Kask lid. I have drilled down to Contour and Drift Stealth. I want to pay not more than £100 ideally and want ease of charging.

Recommendations appreciated.

[BigJonMcQuimm]

Not of help, but are there risks related to wearing a cam on your helmet?

Are helmets able to withstand a direct strike, with the camera and mount, should the worst happen?

We use them in skydiving and BASE - but then the helmets are not going to save you anyways!!!

edit : We also have cutaways on each camera in case of snagging etc

Edited by BigJonMcQuimm on Friday 21st October 11:58

[PhillT]

I'm also worried about having a camera on my helmet, especially after what happened to Michael Schumacher. Instead, I have a GoPro mount integrated into my Garmin mount (link below) on my handlebars, which works pretty well. Am considering getting a mount for the back of the bike too.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019H81QZS

[Renn Sport]

Well I hadn't really considered injury due to a camera and also didn't realise Schumacher's injury was caused by a helmet mounted cam?

I have just purchased a helmet mounted light... however I thinking that in a fall these items will skitter off.

Having crashed a motorcycle a couple of times on track and off... I was thinking this is what would happen?

[upsidedownmark]

Rather depends how you land really, which is probably a matter of luck. Putting something hard and potentially helmet piercing between me and the crash never seemed like a good idea, but plenty do.

What I don't really get is the point - what do you do with said helmet cam footage? Seems that most with helmet cams ride around full of righteous indignation, courting confrontation so they can post their heroics on youtube. Always thought being able to point the finger after the event was rather futile (and I'm personally not sure of the admissability as evidence?) Each to their own though.

[47p2]

PhillT said:

I'm also worried about having a camera on my helmet, especially after what happened to Michael Schumacher. Instead, I have a GoPro mount integrated into my Garmin mount (link below) on my handlebars, which works pretty well. Am considering getting a mount for the back of the bike too.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019H81QZS

GoPro is a great bit of kit, shame the battery life sucks though, I can manage 1.5 hours before having to change batteries. If you need a rear camera then the Fly6 lasts for a minimum of 6 hours.

Is that GoPro attachment for the Garmin mount any good? I would have thought it would be prone to quite a bit of vibration given the weight of both the camera and the Garmin perched on it.

[PhillT]

upsidedownmark said:

What I don't really get is the point - what do you do with said helmet cam footage?

I don't do anything with it, but much like my car dashcam, it's useful to have in case it's needed. I just have it recording on a loop. Should I have or witness an accident, I have some sort of evidence. Plus if I see something awesome I can post a picture for imaginary internet points.

I've only actually watched the footage back a couple of times, but it's been fine for me - your results may vary but the footage hasn't been noticeably vibratey.

The battery life is a bit of an arse on the GoPro, especially as mine's an older one, but luckily I rarely ride for more than 90 minutes at the mo, and have a spare battery anyway. I believe the mount will let you attach other types of cam too, but don't have any others so can't confirm.

[deckster]

I managed to commute daily through central London for ten years and never felt the need for a camera. Indeed, from most of the footage that one sees, it would be easy to draw the conclusion that wearing a cam instantly turns you into a self-righteous arse with a massively inflated sense of your own importance and a penchant for winding people up over the tiniest imagined slight.

Can you tell I'm not a fan?

[Magic919]

Stick it on the bike. Helmet cam is not a great image.

[untakenname]

I have a camera on the bars and a camera on the saddle, for my commuting bike I use an innovv C1 and a mobius on the back and on my other bike I use a Garmin Virb on the front and a Shimano on the rear.

The Garmin Virb is quite good as it has GPS and integrates with my cadence and power meter so you can get info in real time of speed/distance then with the footage an overlay showing how fast you're going, watts and rpm.
|http://thumbsnap.com/0eFkyPMB[/url]

Battery lasts about 3 hours but can be extended by plugging it into a usb powerbank, I recorded all my ride last year doing Dunwich Dynamo which was about 8 hours or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qnblYCXcQ4


Just like driving without a dashcam I don't see why anyone would ride without a bike cam as it's useful insurance should the worst happen.
I used to commute by bike from Kent into Central London by bike and had quite a few offs and one serious accident (went through the windscreen of a minicab performing a deranged manoeuvre).
Due to my injuries he was prosecuted for DWDCA and the CPS said they wouldn't have been able to proceed if it was just my word against his as he lied and what he did was so bizzarre it didn't make any sense without the footage I provided, having it on video made it an open and shut case.[url]

[idiotgap]

I'm considering getting a camera with the insurance money I got from my last crash commuting into the city from Surrey.

I don't want a helmet cam unless it's invisible and even on the bike I want it to I be discrete so am considering the fly12 which is a bike light with built in camera and very stealthy, potentially with a fly6 as well for the rear. My commute is 2 hours too so the battery life of almost all the standard action cam offerings is an issue.

[Renn Sport]

All good inputs and food for thought. I am not hot on the camera idea but in case I am hit and the driver runs or there is some doubt about circumstances.

A discreet camera might be a good idea.

Might look at the fly..