Here are a few ways of mounting your GoPro HD camera on a bike using only the helmet mount. I also made a short video with on board scenes from each angle as a demonstration on what's possible.
Basically you don't necessarily need the handlebar mount or the roll bar mount if you only shoot bike videos occasionally.
Now, if you're gonna do bike tricks and jumps, please note that some of these placements aren't as secure as the proper original GoPro mounts designed to hold your camera on the bike frame. These are just improvisations (read that as a disclaimer).
However, I was able to shoot even tailwhip scenes, done on ramps in a bike/skate park. I also shot a downhill clip with the camera mounted on the down tube - there were lots of rocks and gravel on the mountain road/single track - and the helmet mount + two arm piece withstood all the shocks. The footage is pretty steady as well. You can watch the downhill MTB video and see more pictures here: How to mount your GoPro camera on your mountain bike.
Tip: For each camera mounting/placement on your bike you have at least two views:
- Front view
- Back view
You can (and should, for the sake of video art) tilt the camera up or down for capturing footage from all angles.
For back and front view, simply unscrew the bolt that holds the case on the two piece arm and place the camera back (facing the opposite direction) or just take the whole rig and place it on the other side of the bike. When the situation permits, slide the cam from the quick release buckle and slide it back, lens facing the other side.
Here are the pictures (click for large view):
This way of fixing your cam on your bike is particularly interesting if you want to capture the moment when your chain moves to a higher/lower gear - min 1:01.
And here's the same video with color correction on each scene (the video links at the end don't work on Vimeo).
There's a specific article on how to edit GoPro HD videos if you want to learn the basics of action sports video editing (also the software I use for that) - check that out and leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions.
Happy cycling!
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Constantin - thanks for posting this - great video, really like all the various angles. And the in-depth photos/descriptions of your mounts are much appreciated. Would you say it's even better to mount to the bike tubes with the helmet system than the bike mount, or just that it's possible?
ReplyDeleteHi, Brendan! Thanks for the kind words!
ReplyDeleteI'm only saying it's possible and presumably faster to mount your GoPro on your bike with the helmet mount.
I'm sure the roll bar mount or the handlebar mount offer a firmer hold. But since I don't have those, I improvised and the result is pretty decent as you can see in the video.
You have to tighten the straps harder in order to get no shaking of the cam - don't pull too hard on it though or the plastic piece may break (helmet piece).