Many bikers like mounting cameras on their bikes to capture every moment on the road, take cool videos to share on social media, or as insurance evidence in case of an accident.
But how do you mount a camera on your bike? This post will give you some effective ways to mount your camera on a bike.
Table of Contents
Why Mount a Camera on Your Bike?
You’re Protected in Case of a Road Accident
If someone assaults you when the camera is still running, you can prove your case should it come up. Incidences like this need to be recorded and can deter incidents of road rage since they know you’re recording.
It Can Prove Fault and Negligence
If you’re injured in a bike accident, your case will come down to proving who is or is not at fault. If you can show clearly that a car hit you while you were following the law, the case will favor you.
The Footage Can be Used as Evidence
If you’re involved in a crash, and you’ve mounted a camera on your bike, you can easily whip out the footage and show exactly what happened.
Best Places to Mount Camera on Your Bike
On the helmet
Do you want to film your ride from your own point of view? Mounting a camera on your helmet may be the best option. You can do this in various ways.
First, you can mount your camera directly on top of the helmet. If you want to capture the action in front of you, face your camera forward. How about the action behind you? Keep the camera facing backward. However, you should not use this option if you’re riding solo.
Second, you can mount your camera to the side of your helmet, but this option is fairly equal to the top mount if you’re riding with others. However, if you’re riding solo, mount the camera on the side of your helmet. This will ensure that you capture your bike and part of the helmet in the video.
On the handlebars (front)
Mounting on the handlebars helps you get the camera out of the way and reduce the weight of your camera on top of your head. You can either mount the camera above or below the bars.
The ‘above the bars’ option makes accessing your camera’s buttons a breeze, while ‘below the bars’ keep the camera away from the GPS unit, light, smartphone mount, or anything else you place on the handlebars. Placing a camera on the bars makes identifying a license plate easy and eliminates the extra weight of the extended batteries.
On the handlebars (rear)
Although this is only possible on-road bike drop bars, this position gives the best perspective of how close a passing car may get and captures every moment you’re using your left hand to signal a lane change or turn.
This method is good at reading front license plates, but I cannot identify a driver coming from behind because of the windshield glare and the camera is low. However, a camera mounted in this position will vibrate more, especially on rough trails, so keep that in mind if you like riding on gravel or bumpy roads.
On the seat post
If you’ve been curious to record what happens behind you when on the road, opt for the seat-mounting option. Mounting your camera on the seat is better than on a helmet if you want to catch some back-side views. Seat mounting is more stable than a helmet, especially if your bike has good shocks.
However, it will be challenging to mount your camera on a seatpost if you’re used to hanging your bag under your saddle and don’t have enough seatpost exposed for both.
On your chest
Do you want to be part of the video while riding? A chest mount will be the best bet because you and your bike will be included in the video. You can use this method when riding solo or in a group. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, the chest mount will allow you to see everything that your arms are doing.
However, this option comes with some visibility limitations, especially if you’re sitting up in a relaxed position or leaning forward in an aero position.
Tips on How to Improve Your Videos
Now that you’ve figured out how to mount your camera on a bike, here’s how to increase the quality of your videos and capture the best moments throughout the journey.
- Ensure that the camera angles are well set
- Try spicing up your video by changing the view
- Bring your pals along for the ride to increase your filming opportunities and make your video more interesting.
- Ensure you have spare batteries
- Get a waterproof case for your camera
Conclusion
Whether your camera is mounted on the helmet, seat, handlebars, or chest, you can create some amazing videos to make your journey memorable. It’s important to keep in mind that different bike types have better mounting options. So ensure you look into your specific bike and choose an option that will suit your riding style.