JoeyBike

Wonder why I picked "20+MPH Commuter" as my tag line?

A bud asked if I would help him test his new helmet mounted camera by riding in front of him through the streets of New Orleans after dark. So I suggested he follow me on part of my commute home through the French Quarter and the edge of the Central Business District. Another fast friend rode with us as well. The danged vid came out really good, especially considering it was his first attempt. 28 meg. Good music too. Starts out relaxed, kicks into high gear as we make the turn onto the very well lit Canal Street complete with Christmas decorated palm trees etc. Great views of New Orleans after dark!

After they have enough of following me, they make a U-turn and play in traffic all over again.

I am wearing a white shirt and a small backpack. This is my REGULAR daily commute (first ten minutes of it anyway). I rode it without regard for the cameraman or my other friend. They both did a great job at keeping up! You will see why I very rarely get passed by a motor vehicle during my daily commute.

And all of you out there that think bikes should behave like cars and obey all of the silly traffic laws will have plenty to gripe about.

https://robotican.org/video/Helmet_Ca...ccompanied.wmv

Enjoy!

EDIT: 01-04-07

For those of you who could not view the video in its original format, it is now up on the cameraman's MySpace video viewer:

https://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fus...deoID=25322236

dohfoh

Nice!

Can you credit the music?

JoeyBike

I will find that out for you.

This all happened kinda fast. We did this test run Thursday night, the guy with the helmet cam slapped the vid together unedited (because we never stopped I guess), laid the music over it after a bit of trial and error, and it was posted as-is that same night. He claims it took him ten minutes!

Then I was off from work on Friday and today was race day (alleycat) which is why he was testing the camera in the first place. This test vid is not an official release, but it should be with a little cleaning up.

I will see the guy tomorrow at a big screen private showing of the raw race video so I will ask him and post the credit here next day or two.

BTW - the guy riding with me in the video finished in the top five and the camera man finished three places behind him in a field of 45. Don't want to give their exact finish position for identity purposes, if you know what I mean. I worked so that my bud could race.

I will pass on your compliment to the camera/editor fellow.

Smallwheels

At what time of night was this made? There didn't seem to be too many people out that night. I moved away from New Orleans on October third 2005. I worked downtown back then.

I see that the low temperature there tonight is 63 degrees. I miss that. The low temperature tonight in my town in Montana is 0 degrees.

Seeing this video makes me glad that I have a Dinotte tail light.

JoeyBike

Started riding a few minutes after 7PM. It was a weeknight with nothing in particular going on in the city. Most people do not visit NO during Thanksgiving-Christmas 'cause they hang with friends and families I guess.

As for the tail light, we both chose lights that would hopefully not overwhelm the camera in low light. Trust me, we have bright ones. I was also running a 30 watt Nightsun headlight that garners quite a bit of respect, as you could see on several occasions crossing traffic gave us the right of way. I look like a semi with one headlight burned out!

atbman

Has the city of New Orleans never thought of putting in proper street lighting? Even allowing for any technical limitations on the camera, it seemed absurdly dark for a major US city

arcticbiker

Cool vid! You can see when the traffic lights change to amber from green as the camera man is riding through the intersection. We won't talk about the red ones

I'm amazed at how infrequently the camera man turned his head to check for traffic. He kept pretty focused you and your friend.

It would be cool to see the helmet cam set up.

JoeyBike

The French Quarter (first segment) has lighting restrictions so that it does not look like Disney Land. Nutty as it sounds, they try to keep the city looking pretty much 300 years old. (a little sarcasm). Looks pretty much like every other night-shot vid I have seen on YouTube.

When we leave the Quarter things light up really nicely.

JoeyBike

Go here:

https://digave.com/videos/how.htm

Our camera man looks pretty much like this guy - The famous Lucas Brunelle. He has lots of race videos on his site as well.

roughrider504

45 people made it out to NolaBikeRace?! Wow, too bad I could not make it. Nice video.

JoeyBike

Musicians: Venetian Snares

Will get back to you on the name of the piece.

The Human Car

Any vid that shows cyclists faster then cars is cycling advocacy in my book but then again I see why you posted it here rather then A&S.

Cool vid

nonnumericdave

What camera did he use?

Squillis

Music by Venetian Snares - Rossz csillag alatt született - 05 Hajnal. The camera is a Sony DCR-HC48.

JoeyBike

Like gazelles through a field of fat cows.

JoeyBike

Thank you...I was running out of answers!

The Human Car

There's potential for a great sig line there.

Gromit

Great quality video!!! Most excellent.

Very poor cycling!!! Wrong way on a one way, wrong way on a two way (over the double yellow and begging for a left hook), failure to yield to pedestrians in a cross walk, running red lights. Poor form. On the bright side, your friend signaled left turn after you parted ways.

[edit] I'm really only jerking your chain, but it's just something to think about in the future. My measely .02

JoeyBike

The pedestrian thing was unfortunate. They had the right of way in all directions at that time. I squeezed through first without endangering anyone I think, but the guys keeping up were, well, trying to stay together for the video and once I froze the peds in their tracks the other two riders shot that gap. I grant you that one...we all sucked there.

TWO turns were signaled! The second rider signaled our right turn just before the ped incident and just before the U-turn. However, we all knew the route before we got started.

The initial one-way-wrong-way was biked pretty slowly and with great caution. The double yellow line crossing against traffic (that was not there) is protected by the double yellow line. There is no reason on earth for anyone to turn left on that stretch at that time of evening. Yes, we were depending on motorists to do what they are supposed to do - always risky in that sense. You would NEVER want to pass on the right anywhere in this city between moving traffic and parked cars. That's why we position ourselves as we do. Sometimes "as far right as safety permits" is the left curb.

As for the speed and the red lights....that's why I commute on a bike. I don't like going slow, much less stopping a zillion times.

If you are really interested in what goes on in someone's head who rides like that, check out my WebLog :

https://joey-bike.blogspot.com/

If you keep an open mind, you will learn something about the failures of city planners as related to bikes as transportation, at least where I live.

Thanks for the response! Sounds like the vid got your thumbs-up regardless of our transgressions.

Gromit

The camera is a Sony DCR-HC48.

https://www.crutchfield.com/App/Produ...RHC48&g=318350

I didn't see a helmet mounted version. Did he somehow mount the above image? Quality is nice, but is it unwieldy?


Really, regarding the cycling, I wasn't trying to harsh you too much. I am well aware of the failing of city planners (living in Detroit). Frankly, I'm amazed that people can ride like that. I'm too much a coward.

Squillis

I'll take some detailed photos of the rig this week sometime.

kyselad

I'll bite on this one. You can complain about the city planners all you want, but the riding is irresponsible. Blowing through red lights and cutting off cars with right of way isn't relying on cars to drive the way they're "supposed to" but to anticipate your disregard for their rights just as many of us (me included) complain about their disregard for ours.

If you want to risk your safety, go right ahead. It's dealing with bike averse drivers that pisses me off, and this kinda thing doesn't help. It's one thing to seek mutual respect on the road, another thing entirely to give everyone else the finger and ruin it for the rest of us just so you can go online and post videos to impress everyone with your insane riding skillz. Sure you can pull of a 20+mph commute riding like that. Would you be impressed by a driver who pulls off a 50+mph commute using the same tactics?

vuduchyld

Agreed.

By the way, please don't bother to post and beg for sympathy on the off chance you ever get hit.

Oh, and that doesn't look like 20+ mph to me. Looks pretty average, whatever speed you claim.

Percist

Meh, I've seen better riding, nice camera work though.

The risks taken don't seem commiserate with the performance achieved, now pre-Katrina may have been interesting.

I agree with vuduchyld, check your computer for tire size calibration: https://sheldonbrown.com/cyclecomputer-calibration.html

P.S. Contraflow was completely unnecessary. I hope your next of kin enjoys getting sued for the damages you're going to cause to someones windshield.

Squillis

Not likely. All my next of kin were lost to horrible bicycle accidents.