Helmet Cams - Highly recommended

kurako

Got a muvi for chrissy and its a lot of fun. I think everyone should get one really. Drivers will likely behave a lot better if the know they're being filmed. Only slight difficulty I have with it is it never seems to be recording when all the best bits happen!

Had a car this morning pull out, drive in the left most of 3 lanes then cut across the other 2 lanes and take a right turn all through a red light. Must have been some sort of medical emergency I guess.

Then just tonight a cabby pulls up at a light literally inches away. I look down at his front wing, I look back at him, scowl, he looks a bit sheepish so I edge forward get a good look at his number plate and when the lights change I don't think anyone has ever given me so much space. LOL!

Here's one I did manage to film this morning.

EDIT : Link removed at company's request

the_village_idiot

seems a bit of a novelty to me......

although if i cycled a very dangerous route and feared being run over i would perhaps record it for legal reasons

kurako

That's kind of my point though.

Cycling in London I see a lot of risky and ultimately pointless behaviour from the whole spectrum of road users; cyclists wobbling up the inside of buses, motorists who can't wait an extra couple seconds to pass safely, pedestrians who like to play the chicken game to see how close they can get to your handlebars as the pass.

In the case of private individuals I realise there's little point in posting a video as there's not much chance of the subject seeing it. However, it is a good way of highlighting the sort of dumb stuff that people do and maybe make them think a bit more about their actions.

The instance above was a company van emblazoned with logo and phone numbers. The video is a bit grainy but some of the still images are pretty clear. Especially the one at about 18.5 seconds where I glance back and you can see the front corner of the van just creeping into shot. I can and will write to the company and suggest that they send their drivers on an advanced driving course or at least remind their drivers about the sort of public image that they want to project.

Intimidation from drivers is a big bug bear and if they know ( or at least think there is a chance ) they will be filmed it will hopefully cut that out.

Lastly, as an evidenciary tool I think video is invaluable. If the worst comes to the worst and I do get in an accident due to poor driving I will at least have video rather just my word against theirs.

mtb-idle

that's the left turn into Rookery Road along Clapham Common South Side if I'm not mistaken.

It's a definite hot spot for danger and one that needs maximum awareness of what's going on around you.

Had an Oh Sh*t moment there myself a few years back when a woman cut across in front of me to take the left turn when i was doing close on 25mph. Ended up doing an endo trying to stop whilst both my feet had come out of the SPDs and my nuts were one the top tube.

The issue is that there are two lanes merging into one and drivers on the outside (right hand) lane regularly cut across riders (and other drivers) to turn left.

I now try to position myself in the outside lane so that I am out of the way of anyone wanting to turn left.

gaz545

Not only drivers are bad - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGha9Dc0yWg

I know that road where you had the bad overtake, and i personal ride that lane in primary so that for anyone to overtake me they have to go fully in the other lane. good road positioning is key!

kurako

MTB-Idle wrote:

that's the left turn into Rookery Road along Clapham Common South Side if I'm not mistaken.

Correct. Its a bit of a hot spot for left hooks but I'm normally ok with decent speed, frequent shoulder checks and moving to the outside of the lane as I approach the turning.

gaz545 wrote:

I know that road where you had the bad overtake, and i personal ride that lane in primary so that for anyone to overtake me they have to go fully in the other lane. good road positioning is key!

I was more or less in primary but the fecker still squeezed through :shock:

Anyways a bit of digging around on linkedin and google got me the direct email of the company's MD. I sent him a rather polite ( really, it was ) email including links and asked him to remind his employees about their duty of care to other road users. We'll see what comes of that.

Oh and Gaz. That cyclist in your vid is a total tool!

VespaTrek

I bought this from eBay for myself for Xmas, pretty cheap. Arrived in about 10days. Looks the business, but I haven't used it yet, but a fairly cheap option for about £12.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-DV-DVR-Sports-Video-Camera-Spy-cam-SpyCam-MD80-DC_W0QQitemZ300383642737QQihZ020QQcategoryZ11724QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m444QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%252BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63

Wallace1492

VespaTrek wrote:

I bought this from eBay for myself for Xmas, pretty cheap. Arrived in about 10days. Looks the business, but I haven't used it yet, but a fairly cheap option for about £12.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-DV-DVR-Sports-Video-Camera-Spy-cam-SpyCam-MD80-DC_W0QQitemZ300383642737QQihZ020QQcategoryZ11724QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m444QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%252BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63

Got this myself, but not used yet. If anyone has used let me know, as the instructions seem a little well, not the easiest!!

antfly

I got the muvi as-well, to get geeky for a second you need to buy a class 6 micro sd card to get a much better picture. The whole thing is so light you can stick it on the bars or helmet and forget it is there.
Kurako, I assume you know it switches off after 30mins but if the vox is on it comes straight back on again.

suzyb

VespaTrek wrote:

I bought this from eBay for myself for Xmas, pretty cheap. Arrived in about 10days. Looks the business, but I haven't used it yet, but a fairly cheap option for about £12.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-DV-DVR-Sports-Video-Camera-Spy-cam-SpyCam-MD80-DC_W0QQitemZ300383642737QQihZ020QQcategoryZ11724QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m444QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%252BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63

I've been looking for that link since christmas but couldn't find it :roll:

kurako

antfly wrote:

I got the muvi as-well, to get geeky for a second you need to buy a class 6 micro sd card to get a much better picture. The whole thing is so light you can stick it on the bars or helmet and forget it is there.
Kurako, I assume you know it switches off after 30mins but if the vox is on it comes straight back on again.

LOL! No I didn't know that as the instruction booklet is rubbish. I'm sure I would have worked it out as all my vids were cutting out at 30 mins.

lastant

Now maybe I'm going mad, but is that eBay link not just an unbadged Muvi?

If so it's a cracking offer at 16%ish of the price of the Muvi...I'll risk it!

antfly

It`s not just unbadged it`s a plastic copy, battery life is poor and other issues. It`s a third of the price I paid with extreme sports pack.

fossyant

There are AEE MD80's out there which are the same as the MUVI and made of metal. They are about £25ish on ebay.

kurako

A happy ending?

Just got a reply from the MD of the company featured in my vid. He traced the driver, will give him a talking to and I've taken down the footage at his request.

It's so much more effective to have pictures to back up your claims and hopefully that's one dodgy driver who will think twice before doing something stupid in future.

Cafewanda

Kurako wrote:

MTB-Idle wrote:

that's the left turn into Rookery Road along Clapham Common South Side if I'm not mistaken.

Correct. Its a bit of a hot spot for left hooks but I'm normally ok with decent speed, frequent shoulder checks and moving to the outside of the lane as I approach the turning.

I had a 'moment' at that spot last week and I was in primary precisely to avoid such incidents! Front wheel touched left rear door. I now position myself the same as you with frequent shoulder checks also.

kurako

Cafewanda wrote:

Kurako wrote:

MTB-Idle wrote:

that's the left turn into Rookery Road along Clapham Common South Side if I'm not mistaken.

Correct. Its a bit of a hot spot for left hooks but I'm normally ok with decent speed, frequent shoulder checks and moving to the outside of the lane as I approach the turning.

I had a 'moment' at that spot last week and I was in primary precisely to avoid such incidents! Front wheel touched left rear door. I now position myself the same as you with frequent shoulder checks also.

It's scary when that happens, huh? Never ceases to amaze me the way some drivers are so impatient and have panic attacks if they're not within 6 feet of the car in front.

Good for you though. Road position and awareness are the 2 key factors. I'll give you a wave next time I see you and Baby-girl.

Hrun

antfly wrote:

I got the muvi as-well, to get geeky for a second you need to buy a class 6 micro sd card to get a much better picture. The whole thing is so light you can stick it on the bars or helmet and forget it is there.
Kurako, I assume you know it switches off after 30mins but if the vox is on it comes straight back on again.

+1 on upgrading the card.

But mine doesn't switch off after 30 minutes, although it does split the file at 1mB

I have an MD80.

the_hundredth_idiot

Wallace1492 wrote:

VespaTrek wrote:

I bought this from eBay for myself for Xmas, pretty cheap. Arrived in about 10days. Looks the business, but I haven't used it yet, but a fairly cheap option for about £12.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-DV-DVR-Sports-Video-Camera-Spy-cam-SpyCam-MD80-DC_W0QQitemZ300383642737QQihZ020QQcategoryZ11724QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m444QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DCRX%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DSI%252BUA%252BLM%252BLA%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63

Got this myself, but not used yet. If anyone has used let me know, as the instructions seem a little well, not the easiest!!

+2.

I also bought one based on recommendations on bikeradar but I haven't got around to using it yet. I really need to get myself a decent capacity micro SD card first.

Any tips on translating the instructions greatefully received.

Vat59

Just ordered a new MD91s camera from Dogcam , £100 with sports pack .

" It`s just a tiny bit bigger than the MD80s but it has got a higher quality processing chip inside giving it even better colour reproduction, a higher contrast ratio, faster reaction times to changing light conditions and most importantly it captures video at 30fps"

So next time a bus driver forgets that i`m there :shock: or under estimates the time it takes to pass a cyclist at 25 mph it won`t be his word against mine. :twisted:

antfly

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UK-MD91-Mini-Digi ... 2a03e271a3

A bit cheaper.