Headcam for safety
 

i am starting my commute to work on Route 9 to Tarrytown,NY and planning on using 1-2 headcams to hopefully deter aggressive drivers...and have some documentation when people are foolish or worse. It's a bit a a nuisance to have to think of a bike ride to work this way, but I am trying to offset the risks of a 17-mi commute in order to relax and enjoy le défi!.

I also think the video--while predominately boring, might, over time, document some interesting things and contribute to bike commuting in general.

The Tachyon XC looks like my cam of choice. Any thoughts, bike-izens?

Depending on your state, you may want to turn the sound recording off in order to be legal. IN many states (CA is one of them) it is legal to record video in public places (which, obviously, the street is); but, it is illegal to record sound without permission from all parties.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=394724

The UK users above use (I think from their reports, youtube pages and UK forums) in decreasing order of preference and expense

vio pov-1 http://www.vio-pov.com/

archos helmet cam (unsure of model) - http://www.archos.com/products/imt/a...ng=en&p=helmet

ATC-5k http://www2.oregonscientific.com/sho...cid=14&pid=896

ATC-2k http://www2.oregonscientific.com/sho...cid=14&pid=709

Public filming with a helmet camera falls under the leisure filming exemption in the UK apparently, i.e., no permission required.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=491496

You want a GOOD helmet cam, go here:
http://www.vholdr.com/

$330, but you WILL like it. Or you can spend less and take your chances. Personally, I've spent more money trying to save money than if I just bought good stuff in the first place.

Thanks Markhr and Robert C.

I decided on two cams: tachyon xc (head cam, 50 degrees FOV) and the GoPro (for underseat, rear 170'FOV).

I'll add a red glow light to the bottom bar: http://www.rockthebike.com/down-low-glow even though they are not waterproof :( .

It's going to take years to recoupe the cost of this in commute dollars...

And a red t-shirt to wear over clothes reading "Research" in reflective letters (English and Spanish). I hope to look municipal and neutral--maybe people will throw/yell/honk/swipe less, ask a few questions at a stoplight, and not be so hyper about passing a cyclist on the road.

At the end of the day I hope to have fun on the way to work, reduce fear of this straight route, encourage a flotilla of bike commuters, and, at the very least, have traffic footage for the NY Depart. of Transportation.

Thanks ItsJustMe!

I mainly used this review to make the decision:
http://helmetcamreview.wordpress.com...w-number-two2/

I liked vholr, but need something waterproof, as this is for documenting the commute on bad days as well.

PS: the glow light is disappointingly not waterproof. It's giving me pause to buy, but I like it's visibility and I think I can secure it with clear dry bags.

I am surprised, I thought vholdr was waterproof. I will therefore stop wanting one. I agree, must be waterproof. Thanks for that link, good stuff.

I'll have to check the youtubage when I get home (blocked from work) - that Tacyon XC looks great feature and price-wise, but if its video is no better than the ATC2K, that puts it out.

Too bad about the vholdr; it really does have excellent video. The ATC2K suffers from an incredibly cheap imaging chip, which results in a LOT of smear during action shots.

I can see as evidence, but do you really think that a helmet cam is perceptible enough to a car blowing by that they would take note?

I would think if deterrent is what you are looking for that wearing police issue bicycle cop attire would be a better choice (without it saying police - so you aren't impersonating an officer)

I agree. Drivers won't even notice a gizmo mounted on a helmet.

A jacket with the word POLITE written across the back would get more attention.

I have had my camera for a few months now. I've ridden with it on the bike and on the helmet and cagers, 1) probably don't even notice it and 2) if they do they certainly don't give a damn based on some of the video I have.
But it is fun to capture those interesting moments both good and bad. I've learned to adjust my riding by just watching some of them.

No problem, good luck. Please post your new setup and results/vids when you can.

The only way that video makes a difference is if you have a REALLY bad situation and get abused a lot, and you take a lot of video to the cops, and they use it to write tickets and prosecute, and you're willing to do this week after week for months.

There is a guy around here somewhere who claims that since he's done this for a long time now and has gotten dozens of people busted for reckless/dangerous driving, his situation is a bit better now.

Nobody's going to notice that you're wearing a camera. That's not what it's for. It's for evidence WHEN you get assaulted or hit, so it's not your word against theirs. There's a video lurking around somewhere taken by a motorcycle rider, the driver did something absolutely insane like pulled a 180 in front of her on the expressway while she was just driving along. The car driver later tried to say that the motorcyclist was veering around and caused him to lose control...until he saw the video, then he went back to "yeah, OK, it was totally my fault." Without video or other evidence, the benefit of the doubt will usually go to the 4 wheeler.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...23955766744009

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1027776.php

WTF??? Unless there was a mechanical problem with that car, that cager needs to lose her license *permanently*!

I have an ATC-2K that I mounted on my bars for a while. Mounting it to the bike causes a lot of vibration which gets transmitted to the microphone and drowns out all other audio. I saw a blog somewhere with an explanation that the mike is behind a waterproof membrane, and removing the membrane drastically improves the audio.

I only wish I had the camera with me a month ago when some moron passed me approaching a tight curve, then slammed on the brakes while simultaneously swerving into the bike lane I was using.:mad:

Edited to add: A neat feature of the ATC-2K is that mounted to your bars, it looks like a headlight, so no one even notices it.

Isn't it a shame that we have to even think like this when "sharing" the road?

HIS license :)

Male driver was the guy claiming she (the biker) swerved, it wasn't him, etc. Turns out he was uninsured too.

The biker, Dawn Champion, had a website and forum where you might still be able to find the details of the rehab, claims and settlement as well as her other hobbies.

I found her website, but DAMN, she really needs to break it up into multiple pages:

http://www.smoothcurvesracing.com/home.php

yea... wtf was that driver doing...

I agree with this point.

nowabisabi,
I've found a digital still camera to be a good deterrent on two different occasions where altercations were about to escalate. Both times, they skedaddled when my flash started firing. Might wanna get a cheap pocket digicam too and set it to always flash.

Whoa, that video is insane. And a serious selling point to head cams.

I love the idea of "POLITE".

I always figured I'd be better off if they didn't notice the camera. I ride through an area where there are a lot of people that need to lose their licenses until they can drive more responsibly. I also drive past an assisted living facility. There are a lot of those people that should be taking a cab. I have considered a camera for documenting that sort of thing.

helmet cam is a great way to protect yourself on the road, think of it as a form of insurance. I've gotten out of some really hot water because of my footage. Bikers are ALWAYS the bad guys.

Sounds like you are looking for problems.

"Insurance" and "protection" imply that the helmet cam keeps problems from happening. Can you give an example?