Bicycle mount

Bus No. 8

Bus No. 8

Well-known member
I'm wondering if anyone has built a camera mount for the handlebars of a bicycle? I know that I want something that will firmly clamp to the handlebars, but being mechanically inept at this particular type of thing, I'm really not sure how to go about it.

I'll be shooting in Copenhagen where everyone rides bicycles and getting the "bike cam" is pretty important to me. I do plan to let some air out of the tires to provide smoother shock absorption and to ride slowly when shooting, plus I'll most likely be using a "Christiania Bike", which is basically a tricycle, but with the two parallel wheels up front, rather than in back (See pic)

But building the actual hardware well is stumping me at the moment.

Robert
 

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Measure the diameter of your handle bars. That's your first step. You can PM that dimension along with a pix of your handle bar. I can do you up a CAD plan of one. Oh, metric dims are perfect, I design in millimeters.
 
No need to build, just assemble. Use some cartelini's to clamp onto the handle bar/other pipes on the bike, then use some arms for positioning, etc. I'm sure you can figure it out easily enough.
 
Sounds like a fun project - being a Copenhagener myself ;-)

Like someone has said before - the best stabilizer out there is your body. Maybe there's a way to mount the camera onto yourself? If not then I'd go for a DIY steadicam solution with an arm mounted onto a tripod (or something) on the bike. There's lots of useful information and inspiration on http://www.homebuiltstabilizers.com/

Just out of curiosity - what kind of project are you working on?

Tony
 
What type of shot are you looking for? POV or a shot of the rider? As was mentioned by tlorenzo, your body provides a great support for the camera. Using a helmet mounted camera is a great way to go. Very stable and a great POV. Now if you want to shoot with the DVX then a helmet mount is probably not that great of an option because of the weight.

Here's a quick and dirty DIY handlebar camera mount:

http://www.camerahacker.com/build/Bicycle_Camera_Mount.shtml

Now if you don't mind shooting with a lesser quality camera then try one of the many helmet mounted lipstick cameras. For example:

http://www.helmetcamera.com/


I've shot many hours of helmet camera footage using both a lipstick camera and a mini-dv camera. Being mounted on your helmet allows your body to absorb lots of the vibration and bumps.
 
Robert - if you're deciding to go with the helmet-mounted style then please let me know where and when. I'd love to see a DVX mounted to someone's head ;-)

Good luck with your project!

Tony
 
1. Manfrotto 484RC2 Ball Head

2. Manfrotto 5327 Mount

3. Bogen Super Clamp

4. 5/8" stainless tubing (15mm would work too)

These parts would let you mount your camera in just about any conceivable way on your bike, to just about any tubing.
 
the super clamp, or more normally called maffer clamp, is all you need... you buy one of those and a 1/4 insert and its a very solid bar mount. put a very sturdy ball mount on there if you need more flexibility, but the closer you keep it to the bar the more stable the footage will be.
 
Hi. I ve builded one and it has been challenging.
I have to say that it works good only for stunt-like shots and not for more tranquil ones, following another bike or an actor.

he camera must me mounted absolutely NOT on handlebar BUT on the main chassis of the bike. So, depending of bikes you must find a solution to have anothe bar steadily mounted between the saddle and the NOT rotating pat of the HANDLE. On this bar (positioned among your legs) you need to create smtgh to accomodate your camera, or in my case the fluid head with the camera.

If you look for stunt like shots you can even excuse minor vibrations. If you want to use the bike mount as a smooth way to achieve travelling in the streets, well... You'll find the the bicycle is NOT the mean.

Here is a link to a very short video shot almost entirely with my Bike Mount. And you ll see that it can fit only speedy shots and not tranquil ones.

http://www.kameyabashi.com/taoistmovies/screen.asp?Title=Email

When you go fast you can pilot a bike very steady and straight. Otherwise, the bike will zig zag alittle. It's normal...

Bear in mind that my bike mount does NOT mount on the handle bar but on the central body of the bike. Shots achieved on handle bars cannot be used becos it s impossible to have a good frame even if you go fast.
 
Yep, you could omit the tubing and 5327 if you're not interested in "outboard" shots. The KISS rule applies.

If you are doing outboard shots (like the camera out beside you) I'd buy a couple more clamps/grip heads and triangulate the mount. I've been itching to try this setup out on my full suspension bike. With 5" of travel and everything "softened" down, it might actually work as a half-stable platform.

At that point, you may as well add some tires, seat, and call it a side car.:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
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why not make a type of shock absorber as seen with microphones... attempt to suspend the camera like a mic inbetween a web of rubber bands
 
Wow - lot's of great replies!

It makes sense now that the camera would not be mounted on the handlebars , given that one of the functions of the handlebars is to turn the bike, and the handlebars are in constant horizontal motion.

Because I'll be using a Christiania bike (see pic in original post), I do have a number of mounting location options. One of the options I've considered is sitting in the front cart of the bike and using my DV Rig Pro to stabilize. This seems like a decent plan for some simple dolly-like shots.

I'm not too hot on the helmet camera idea - that has a covert, hidden cam, or extreme sports feel to it that I'm not looking for. Plus, less ability to control and monitor what the camera is recording. And I do want higher quality video than a lipstick cam. Which is not to say that the discussion hasn't started me thinking about an excuse to use a helmet cam sometime very soon.

I'm thinking now that whichever of the plans or kits some of you have mentioned offers the most flexibility of mounting options will be the best. To answer HansK's question, the type of shots I might want from this could vary. I may want a tracking shot, I may want a shot of someone riding in the cart in front (driving your drunk friend home in the front cart of a Christiania bike is a time honored tradition) - so I want to be able to mount it according to the needs of a particular shot.

Focus This! - thanks for the offer of designing something. Unfortunately, I'm in Seattle right now where the type of bike I'll be using doesn't exist. I think, though, that some of the other listed plans will help me to get started.

And, finally, to answer tlorenzo's question about what the project is - we're going to be shooting a trailer to raise funds for a feature-length, English language documentary about Christiania (and not the obvious Sex, Drugs and Democracy angle) - wanna help?

Thanks, everyone - I think I have a lot of info now to help me get started on putting something together.

Robert

P.S., Iskandar, your movie just finished downloading. Very cool. I don't understand, though, you said that your movie would demonstrate that the bike mount is only good for speedy shots, not tranquil shots - but your shots are tranquil and I think they mostly look great. There is some bump and vibration, but I think the conceit of shooting from a bicycle is implicit and that makes it okay to me. Certainly a little goes a long way, but in the context of an edited piece in which the bicycle mount shots are just one of many elements, I think it could work fine.
 
Becos I was sure to get more stable shots than the ones I actually got... Also, streets in Japan are the smoothest in the whole world so I was a bit disappointed.
But thinkin on it, a real super smooth shot are IMPOSSIBLE to get on this world ^_^

I m now oriented to ride a motorbike behind the driver and so follow actors with hand held camera.

OR a small 4 wheeled cart or car that do not zig-zag. This was the main problem.
 
Thanks, Iskandar. Yeah, in watching the video again, I was reminded that you were riding on very smooth paving. Where I'll be shooting there is almost no paving - the smoothest surfaces are dirt paths, so that might certainly be an issue. But in terms of the zig-zagging, the bike I'll be using is three wheeled, with two parallel wheels in front, so I think it will be pretty stable in that respect.
 
Bus No. 8 said:
Unfortunately, I'm in Seattle right now where the type of bike I'll be using doesn't exist.
Click to expand...
Are you sure? I've seen them used here in San Francisco. Check with the local bicycle coalition. Sometimes couriers use them. So you might be able to find one up there.

Also, thought of one other option, film using a Tandem Bike. Seated in the back (the stoker) you could shoot handheld. There's even full suspension tandems that would help with absorbing some of the bumps.
 
I would just say do the Tour de France treatment and film it all from the back of a motorcycle. But if you have places that don't allow engines, then that won't work...

If you had a good motorcycle or dirtbike, that would absorb a lot of the small bumps.

Just a thought.
 
I built one a few months back - well rather put together a bunch of my grip gear to do it. You definitely do not want to mount to the handle bars, as it was mentioned here, since you're constantly adjusting them to steer/maintain balance.

Here is the pic:

bike_rig.jpg


I used the following:

(1) Cardellini (centre jaw)
(2) Maffers
(4) Grip heads
(1) Cheese Plate
(1) 1 3/4" conduit
Various 3/8" bolts and nuts

The key is to have a really wide angle lens and definitely the better the frame/shocks the smoother the shots.
 
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