Taking photos while biking is dangerous

[OpticsDan]

Anyone think taking photos while biking with your phone is dangerous?

 I’m a camera guru and passionate about most forms of biking. I love taking cool photos and posting them to my Strava activity log. But I find phone cameras and other sports cameras on the market to be either dangerous, not cool, or uncomfortable. 

Anyone have input on this topic?

[OpticsDan]

@Jane @Soren @NickRunBikeMN and others, any input on this type of helmet camera product? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rh-1/rh-1-performance-cycling-helmet-with-integrated-video-came... 

It looks like a great solution, but unfortunately the company wasn't able to complete their product development. 

[Soren]

Thanks for sharing, I hadn't seen this proposal, too bad they didn't get into production for it. There's a lot of cool stuff packed into this, including MIPS. 3hrs of continuous video streaming / recording per charge seems pretty good too! I also like that you can control the camera system through voice control.
I think I prefer the perspective from a helmet mounted camera vs. a chest mounted one, but I do think that it would affect my ability to look around as freely if it were mounted on my head, but I'd have to try it out to know for sure.
Have you seen SAFA Brian's cycling videos? He uses a variety of cameras, including 360 and chest mounted ones and his footage is absolutely phenomenal. I know he's quite a controversial figure in the cycling world but I thought it was worth mentioning since he does POV videos like no one else.

[Jane]

Great discussion.  I do not take pictures while riding my bike, because for me it could be dangerous.  For the first couple years after I got into cycling I had to hydrate through a camel back pack because I wasn't steady enough to take one hand off the handlebars to grab a water bottle.  I'm more co-ordinated now, and will use my left hand to grab the bottle for a quick drink.  I wouldn't trust my skills enough to take pictures though; I still pull over and stop to do that.

[OpticsDan]

@Jane I agree! I'd love to take more photos and add to my strava posts, but find it a challenge to do so while on a ride.

[NickRunBikeMN]

In short , NO, on a safe stretch of road/trail to pull phone from jersey or bar feed bag... double click side button to open camera.... look to make sure thumb is over shutter button... then point to view/trail/bird/animal/etc... start clicking thumb (usually without looking).   Press power/lock button and put back in pocket.

Riding one handed is easy, same for getting bottle out of cage and drinking or opening a bar to eat while biking.... same procedure/risks.  Obviously in the city, singletrack or gnarly gravel it can be tricky (similar to fueling or drinking)...but you can pick your moments that make sense.  Also easy enough to quick put hand back on bar partially while holding phone (or waterbottle/bar/gel).   If I want to compose a good quality shot, then I am going to be stopping usually.

[OpticsDan]

Totally agree! I see a lot of posts from people taking selfies while riding and it seems too risky.  It would be great to be able to do selfies or landscape shots without having to stop or put your self at risk.

[Soren]

I love this topic! I used to be a freelance photographer before working at Strava, photography is a huge part of my life. As an avid cyclist now, I often take photos while I'm out riding. I love being able to capture the scenery, the ever changing light and shadows, and of course, capture the best angles of all the pastries I consume! I used to bring my chunky DSLR camera with me on special rides, but it was uncomfortable and heavy -- overall highly impractical. I've seen cyclists with special harnesses/straps for bigger cameras, but that still looks like a hassle to me.

I purchased a more compact camera (Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II) that fits in my jersey pocket and this has greatly improved the experience. Somedays I just use my iPhone and that does a fairly decent job. I must admit that there have been a few precarious occasions -- not being able to tuck the camera away in time, compromised bike handling, camera dangling from the handlebars, etc. Those occasions have been good lessons and I will more often than not sacrifice a photo opportunity if the risk is too great.

It really comes down to how well you can assess risk and apply logic and discretion to situations, and your ability to be prudent, which may vary greatly from person to person.
Here are some of my favorite shots from my adventures: 

San Francisco, CARampart Range Road, COBuena Vista, COand a bonus iPhone photo of the Aspen leaves in Telluride, COMt. Lemmon, AZ

[OpticsDan]

@Soren beautiful photos.  Any comment on the process from getting your photos from the canon photo, onto your phone, then into strava?

[Soren]

thank you, Dan! It's super easy and mainly why I got that camera before going on a bikepacking trip last year. I use the Canon Camera Connect app on my phone to download the photos via wifi, do a quick edit and then upload them to my Strava activity.