Update: Monday, November 13, 2023, 7:39:10AM EST
For about two weeks now I’ve moved to priority to experiencing the ride and not on capturing everything. My bike just has an action cam on it that I only use when I need to capture something.
Since returning to cycling again in February 2023 (and losing 20 kilos) I’ve realized that my cycling goals are really just to get outside, stay healthy, and share adventures with my friends online. I honestly don’t care about the bike as long as it’s comfortable and works well for live streaming. In fact, the more gear I move from my body to the bike, the more I want to ride and stream.
And what better bike to capture adventures than an “adventure” bike? Turns out my tanky Salsa Marrakesch with relaxed geometry, rack mounts, and lots of places to attach stuff is perfect for using my bike a fast-moving camera rig. Even the kickstand turns it into a mobile tripod. I never want my bike falling over even when carrying “cheap” streaming gear.
Hollywood videographers regularly turn bikes into rigs because it’s cheap and practical. Mine just happens to be lighter and faster than theirs, even though I can’t really shoot anything past sunset with my action cam. Even though I did consider it, I really don’t need support for an expensive full-sized camera. I’m good with lower quality for live streaming. Plus, I can always press record to capture in 4k when something seems worth it.
And while it is fun to compete on the bike, I can do that indoors in Zwift. I don’t really want to compete with cyclists in a peloton at my age. But I do want to capture cyclists in the group rides and pelotons kind of like an “embedded” cycling journalist. My bike/rig just has to be fast enough to keep up with them for a while, like that cameraman running next to that track sprinter.
Terry Bersten’s been doing this stuff for years with his bike messenger Hotline vidoes. I’m a huge fan. He started with a GoPro gimble mounted to his helmet. Now he’s using a Sony FX30 to create some of the most amazing video footage from the cycling world. In fact, he just returned from Japan covering the World Bike Messenger Championships. The guy’s a beast and a pro, but most of all he just loves biking and capturing the experience, like me. I’m super grateful he shares his tech stuff along the way. Thanks Terry.