Originally Posted by
KonAaron Snake
I bought a Contour Roam last year...I find that I rarely use it. I wanted it to discourage poor behavior, but I didn't find that it did...in fact I think it made me look confrontational and tended to make others more aggressive. The wide angle lens also made me look like a more aggressive cyclist than I am...everything looks faster on film and routine passing looks far closer than it actually was. I came to the conclusion that the camera was probably more likely to make me look negligent when I wasn't than it was to show negligence on the part of others. I really only use it now for rides I want to photo - like riding on the boardwalk with my wife and father...or being in a vintage bike group ride.
My experience is polar opposite, I bought my cameras to gather better info on poor behavior, then be able to give better info to law enforcement so they can help discourage it, one motorist at a time. My Contour cameras are mounted to be somewhat stealthy, other than when I'm stopped at a stop sign or stop light, a motorist might possibly observe a camera lens pointed back at them. If anything, my rear camera may have been the contributing cause in reducing the amount of verbal and physical intimidation at stop signs and stop lights. I certainly don't see myself as more aggressive when using a camera, I feel more at ease knowing that if a motorist does try to use their vehicle aggressively towards me, I now have a better chance of legal recourse against them than going home or to work and mulling over the incident for some time afterwards.
I use my cameras on every ride, since when something happens, whether it is good or bad, it usually is over with in a matter of seconds.