Best Cycling Camera Buying Guide
Do you know that some action cameras are considered as both sports and safety camera?
While on the other hand, some action cameras are considered the best ones for bike riding or for cycling?
If you want to know the mystery about it, you must first know about some of the best cycling cameras which come with the most sought after bike- riding and safety features.
This you’ll get to know about in short time but let’s first understand how to choose the right type of cycling camera for your bike.
There is a number of factors to consider when it is about selecting the best camera for biking.
For one thing, a cycling camera is clearly different from a traditional one or general action cam and emphasizes lot more on the features that a rider or cyclist requires. And, safety is one critical issue to consider when looking for an effective bike helmet camera when riding your bike.
Our Pick For The Best Cycling Cameras in 2020
Thereby, our top picks for the cameras of 2019 are ranked as follow-
- Crosstour CT7000 Action Camera
- CAMPARK ACT74 ACTION CAMERA
- SpyTec Mobius
- GoPro HERO5 Black
- Sony HDRAS50R/B Full HD Action Cam
- TomTom Bandit 4k Action Video Camera
- Garmin VIRB Elite Action Camera
- CYCLIQ Fly6 CE HD Bike Camera + Rear Light
- Veho Muvi Micro Camcorder Veho – VCC- 003 Muvi
① Crosstour CT7000 Action Camera
…Affordably the best value action-cam for cyclist and a GoPro alternative adept with the right features just what a bicyclist or a casual photographer might need.
A strong player in the market of action cameras, Crosstour brings yet another action camera- CT7000, and this time although it is marketed as an action camera it’s more of a bicyclist’s essential gear item.
- Video Quality
The highest video quality of the Crosstour CT7000 is 1080P with the frame rate of 30fps and the highest photo resolution is 12MP. The CT7000 comes with a 170-degree wide-angle lens which and this is no doubt a plus, which essentially means you can shoot and record wider scenes and scenery.
- Image Quality
The highest photo resolution is 12MP for taking still photos and there is a timer mode also.
- Ease of use
The individual weight of the camera only is 2.47 ounces and the display screen is 2 inch LCD screen. The Crosstour is a little bit light-weight and a great camera that comes with almost 3 hours of recording time.
- Mounting Options
CT7000 comes with all sorts of accessories essential for the bicyclist. With its 18 mounting accessories, you can attach the camera starting from your helmet to almost anywhere.
Pros
- It comes with HDMI port
- Wi-Fi control
- Completely weatherproof and waterproof at a depth of up to 30 meters.
- 2 Spare batteries
Cons
- No 4K Video
- Limited User Guide
② CAMPARK ACT74 ACTION CAMERA
The best value cycling camera offering decent performance for capturing stable footage while mountain biking or cycling on toughest terrains.
- Size and Weight
Campark Act74weighs only 1 pound and the official dimension is 9.7 x 4.6 x 3 inches
- Video Quality
The Campark ACT74 is made to shoot 4K ultra-high-definition resolution and the highest video resolution is 1080p. Just like Crosstour CT7000, Campark also comes with 170 degree wide angles to shoot wide scenery footage and we just love it!
And, what more we love about this camera is the availability of different modes to choose from. Such as – time-lapse, loop recording, and slow-motion modes – just like the top-tier ones.
- Image Quality
The highest image resolution to capture photos with ACT74 is 16 MP and the adjustable wide angle lens does the fantastic job of shooting and capturing amazing photos.
- Ease of use
The camera weighs only a pound and comes with a two-inch high-definition screen which is readable in any light setting. With it being superb waterproof there is nothing to worry about when you are cycling even during rainy days.
- Mounting Options
Campark Act74 Action Camera comes with bicycle mounting kit and a helmet mounting kit
Pros
- Waterproof for up to 30m deep,
- 2 Rechargeable Batteries included
- Built-In WIFI & HDMI
Cons
- Critical reviews on the video Quality in spite of it offering 4k
⓷ SpyTec Mobius
Incredibly light weight and essentially a mini action camera priced considerably lower than sport cams and – a perfect dash cam for your motorcycle.
- Size and weight
Small and lightweight portable camera but it is big in terms of the performance. As for its weight, the camera weighs 1.2 ounces
- Video Resolution
The camera comes with pretty much impressive video shooting quality and you’ll able to record 1080P videos with 60-frames-per-second and there happens to 2 video modes and 4 different timer modes to choose from. As for the optical view, the camera comes with 131-degree wide-angle lens
- Video Quality
The Mobius comes with optional video resolutions to choose from – 1080/30fps, 720/60fps, and the bitrates is 18,000kbs making it indeed a cost-effective video camera with good low light recording capabilities
- Image Quality
With Mobius there are lots of options to adjust time-lapse captures and select whether to display timestamp or not
- Mounting Options
Perhaps, the greatest drawback of Spy Tec Mobius Action camera is that there is no mounting option is included in it. However, the camera does include a mounting sleeve, tripod screw hole, and touch-fastener strip to fit along with any gear. The camera does not come with mounting options and you’ll have to buy helmet or bike mounts separately
Pros
- Lightweight and portable
- Easily mountable on helmets and doesn’t interfere with the view or vision
- Several mount options available
Cons
- A Tripod screw hold is well included but you’ll need to purchase a tripod that connects with it.
- No built-in GPS
⓸ GoPro HERO5 Black
….Essentially the best action camera picked by Forbes, Wirecutter and us please, for its superior action footage.
- Size and Weight
The GoPro Hero5 Black camera comes with the official dimension of 1.75 x 2.44 x 1.26 in and weighs 4.16 ounces – a diminutive size indeed. With one-button simplicity and convenient 2-inch touch display the GoPro Hero 5 is more polished and provides direct access to the most-used settings.
- Video Quality
The video quality of GoPro combines all the excellent video features of GoPro Hero4 Silver and notably includes a stunning 4K video with it.
- Image Quality
GoPro Hero5 lets you capture 12 MP photos in 3 modes such as a single, burst, or even in time-lapse modes, and for image stabilization Hero5 comes with HyperSmooth pro-quality photo capturing features. Along with top-notch electronic image stabilization, the image quality is crisp, clean and sharp
- Mounting Options
The Hero5 Black from GoPro comes with Curved Adhesive Mount, Flat Adhesive Mount and a Mounting Buckle
Pros
- Intuitive touchscreen
- Waterproof up to 33′ without housing
- Hands-free control by using voice commands
Cons
- Video quality drops in low light
- Does not record wide-angle 360-degree video
- The battery doesn’t last more than 2 hours
⑤ Sony HDRAS50R/B Full HD Action Cam
A decent action camera from the tech giant itself and comes with the Zeiss Lens to capture great shots while cycling.
What’s different about it from GoPro Hero5 Black is that Sony HDRAS550R/B comes with 2.5 hours of battery life.
- Size and Weight
The dimensions of the Sony HDRAS550R/B are 5 x 4.5 x 7.9 inches and weighs 1.25 pounds. Not quite lightweight as GoPro the HDRA2550 however comes with a good hold so that it is easy to grip the body more easily.
- Video Quality
In front of the camera, there is a Zeiss Tessar lens paired with 1/2,.3 inch CMOS sensor capable of shooting 1080p at 60 frames per second. The full-fledged optical image stabilization helps in shooting steadier footage. The field of view can be changed to wide or narrow and there are time-lapse modes with many intervals.
- Image Quality
The HDRAS550R/B is able to shoot still images are 11 MP and comes with different shooting modes such as Burst. Time Lapse, Loop, and Live Stream and comes with Sony’s Steadyshot Electronic Image Stabilization system to remove any vibrations. And, what more is that the Exmore R sensor allows us to take great photos even in poor lit atmosphere, and the 170-degree wide-angle is perfect for shooting panoramic pictures.
- Mounting Options
HDRAS550R/B comes with a basic adhesive mount and has standard ¼ inched of tripod thread to attach optional mounts with it.
Pros
- SteadyShot systems enable image stabilizations
- Long battery Life
Cons
- The stereo microphone picks up wind noise during cycling and when mounted to a bike frame
⑥ TomTom Bandit 4k Action Video Camera
A well designed simple to use action camera with shake-to-edit features and a good Alternative to base GoPro
One distinctive feature which sets the Bandit apart from GoPro HERO5 Black and Sony HDRAS550R/B is that the Bandit comes with 3 hours of battery life even with non-stop recording. This is what makes it a compact camera for cycling to non-stop record and edit.
- Size and weight
TomTom Bandit’s dimension is 3.7 x 1.5 x 2.1 inches detailing its white sturdy body with a red band and weighs 6.6 ounces. When it comes to the subject of how TomTom Bandit weighs compared to other best cycling camera it must be said that TomTom Bandit weighs a bit more than Sony and GoPro camera but much less than that of Garmin VIRB elite indeed.
- Video Quality
TomTom Bandit comes with 3 basic video modes – normal video, slow motion, and cinematic mode and a the video mode, you can shoot 4k videos at 15Fps With TomTom Bandit you can specify which angle view you want- either a wide-angle view at a normal more zoomed-in view and this can be done from the settings And, what more is that during out test we did find out the video quality is indeed great with well-saturated color and copes well with changes in exposure.
- Image Quality
The highest image resolution you can capture with TomTom Bandit is up to 16MP and you can also shoot time-lapse sequences.
There are two variants of photo mode available with TomTom Bandit. One is normal shots and the other burst shots and the photo features works better during daylight hours.
- Mounting Options
TomTom Bandit comes with fairly versatile mounting options for mounting on a bike. The base TomTom bandit comes with a flat and curved sticky mount along with a tripod and a GoPro adapter.
At the back of the camera, there is a 360 degree tilt mount to rotate the camera at 360 degrees or to rotate upside down
Pros-
- Great video editing features
- Impressive shake to edit features
- Innovative mounting systems
- Built-in motion sensors and GPS
Cons
- The frame rate is limited to 15fps in 4k mode
- Doesn’t support Bluetooth to phone
- Heavy compared to other action cams
What makes TomTom Bandit stand out from the rest is its availability of excellent features such as ‘create as story’ feature to turn your videos into a great action-packed movie clip with simply a small shake.
⓻ Garmin VIRB Elite Action Camera
Perhaps, VIRB was designed for cycling with the essential features that a cyclist would want in his action camera and is a sold first generation action camera
Size and weight
The official dimension of the Garmin VIRB Elite Action Camera is 4.2 x 1.82 x 1.13 in and weighs 6.08 ounces. The camera comes with 1.4″ Chroma display however the Garmin is fairly a bit taller than the regular GoPro and also weighs a bit heavier.
Video Quality
VIRB elite comes with the ability to capture HD 1080p videos and there are other multiple HD video modes to adjust accordingly.
Image Quality
With VIRB Elite the highest image resolution is 16 MP and there is an option to choose from Time Lapse or Photo Burst. The high definition photography comes with digital stabilization along with Plus Lens Distortion Correction
Mounting Options
Garmin VIRB Elite comes with two adhesive mounts- one flat-mount and another one curved and there is a second mounting piece for charging.
Pros
- GPS tracking
- ANT+ SENSOR CONNECTIVITY
- Wi-Fi functions
- Waterproof to IPX7
Cons
- No live Internet streaming
- No zoom
⓼ CYCLIQ Fly6 CE HD Bike Camera + Rear Light
The all-in-one rear facing dashboard cam designed specifically for cycling and comes with full 1080p HD resolution with good audio quality – what more is there to ask?!
- Size and weight
The Cycliq Fly 6 weighs 3.84 ounces and which is almost 112 grams.
Video Quality
Cycliq Fly6 CE comes with a 135-degree wide-angle and the massive power to shoot 1920 x 1080p resolution video along with good audio quality and is capable enough to shoot up to 60 frames per second. And, what more is that there are several bright light modes for the daily cyclist to shoot amazing video footage.
The looping video feature along with its rear-facing camera aspect adds to its advantage.
- Image Quality
The Fly6 is a great camera to record dangerous driving evidence and the image quality is adequate enough to do just that. The camera comes with 6-axis electronic image stabilization to ensure that the best footage is captured and
With the brightest flash set and on a typical 3 to 4 hours bicycle riding the battery is sufficient enough
- Mounting Options
There is a strap pack provided along with FLY 6 to mount the cam to your seat post and also comes with a convenient Cycliq 1/8th turn quick release function for quick and easy mounting.
In the strap pack, you’ll get 1 aero seat post strap and 1 seat post mount and another 1 standard seat post strap
Pros –
- Multiple different connectivity options – Bluetooth, ANT + connectivity
- In-Built Bike Alarm system for extra security
- Nanotechnology protection for weather safety
Cons-
- During humid weather camera lens often times fogs up and video might get blurry
- No Troubleshooting guidelines included in the instruction manual
⓽ Veho Muvi Micro Camcorder
A tiny helmet camcorder and a decent safety cycling camera easy to operate and even safe to take on spy missions!
- Size and weight
Veho MUVI camera is small in size weighing just about 1.76 ounces. Just as the name sounds, the camera is micro indeed featuring a 2Megapixel lens.
- Video Quality
The Veho Muvi micro camcorder comes with decent 640×480 resolutions and digital video format is AVI and MJPEG. The video resolution quality is decent and adequate enough to read number plates of moving cars and vehicles.
- Image Quality
Veho VCC 003 camera can capture 2-megapixel image quality and the exposure modes are automatic and program.
- Mounting Options
Al though USB cable, neck strap, and spring clip is provided as the included accessories there is no mounting option included with it and yet you can mount it to your cycle’s handlebar with the two Velcro strap provided with it.
Mounting it on your helmet is more visible and takes a lot of time to get used to it. Things are a lot more easily with the extreme sports mounting kit available with the package
Pros
- Tiny in size
- Supplied 2GB Micro SD Card
- Battery Back-Up lasts up to 120 minutes
Cons
- Limited recording time
- Shaky Video Quality
- Max view angle is limited to only 72 degree
- No waterproof guarantee
How We Picked The Best Cycling Camera?
It took months and hours to compile the top 9 biking cameras of this year, 2019. In fact, it was going to be the top 10 ones but unfortunately, the Contour ROAM3 HD Camera which was supposed to be in our list is currently out of the market and thereby we are left with the selective top 9 ones.
Our bike enthusiasts spent hours with the best value cycling cameras – sometimes mounting them on their helmet and bicycling horrendous roads and terrains to determine the shakiness of video quality.
At other times, we mounted them on bikes and carried them in hikes to test how each one of them copes in real-world situations. And, what more is that I was the technical editor myself have spent hours fidgeting the user interface of the GoPro and couldn’t resist myself from the urge to take some cool cycling footages.
Indeed, it felt like those of the expert cycling vloggers when shooting footage’s with our hand-picked cycling cameras.
Key Features to Look For When Buying A Cycling Camera
When it is about buying a good cycling camera there are other specific features to consider. And, these are as follow-
✶ It needs to be waterproof
A cycling camera needs to be totally waterproof. Because once in a while you will eventually get caught up in the rain. And, apart from documenting the ride the last thing you would want to do is worry about your camera.
This is why your cycling camera simply needs to be totally waterproof. By that, it is meant, that the camera will survive when submerged even under 33’ feet water.
How can you understand the extent of the camera’s waterproof abilities? Look for the IP ratings in the product specification.
The higher the number the IP is multiplied with the greater the extent of its waterproofing abilities.
In this regard, it is worth mentioning that Garmin VIRB Elite Action Camera comes with Waterproof to IPX7
✶ Battery Life
For recording, longer rides it is important to consider the battery life of the camera and hours it’ll last with continuous video recording. Similarly, consider whether the camera comes with rechargeable batteries included with it or not.
The case is obviously different if you are willing to tend more on the safety issues and are looking for cameras to record only shorts commutes.
For example, if your intention is to buy a camera to record your riding commute for a nonstop period of time then, TomTom Bandit 4k Action Video cam could be a great cycling camera.
This is because the camera comes with 3 impressive hours of battery life to continuously record and edit your riding footages.
✶ Good video recording capacity
The cycling camera must have a good video recording capacity. By good recording capacity, it is meant that there is a decent size SD card size.
Another important thing to look for when buying a cycling camera is its ability to automatically back up footages. Be it in a cloud subscription service using Wi-Fi like that of GoPro’s or be it in the stellar SD card, backing up the video footage automatically is one important thing to consider regarding the camera’s video quality.
Another thing to look for the video recording capacity in a cycling camera is its ‘loop recording’ feature.
GoPro Hero 7 Black comes with digital image stabilization and the greatest video stabilization features.
Sean O’Kane. “GoPro’s Hero 7 Black sets a new bar in video stabilization”. September 2018.
✶ High Image Quality
Do you know what key feature of a cycling camera ensures that it comes with a high-quality image capacity? Image stabilization is an important thing that is known to almost cyclists and bike riders.
And, what contributes to image stabilization in case of a cycling camera? The camera needs to be a high def one and the one which comes with great frame rates to capture still images.
Apart from the high definition which is the ability of the camera to record at 1080p for greater details, you should be considering the lens field of view (larger viewing angles) and most essentially the frame rates of the camera.
The higher the number of frame rates it is the image becomes more still and stable. In this regard, look for video modes and time-lapse modes.
For example; Sony HDRAS550R/B Full Action Cam boasts on its Zeiss Tessar lens and the brand’s renowned optical image stabilization features for shooting steadier footage. – A great cycling camera you might consider which comes with most stabilization features and also wide-angle views.
✶ Time/date stamp
Time and date stamp is an important feature to look for when buying a cycling camera.
It is because the feature apparently becomes the most useful piece of information in case of showing the riding footage as evidence.
✶ Internal GPS tracking
One of the most overlooked features and yet the most useful one to look for when buying your cycling camera is its in-built GPS tracking system.
And, what best about some of the cycling cameras is that some of them already comes with an in-built GPS tracking system allowing you to track your stolen bike!
TomTom Bandit 4K Action Cam comes with in-built motion sensors – a great shake and edits feature for cyclists and bike rides. On the other hand, GoPro Hero 5 Black comes with voice commands for hands free control and one great feature to invest in.
While if its GPS tracking that you intend for then Garmin VIRB Elite might just be your right choice!
✶ Sound Recording
A great sound recording option is a highly demand-able feature for cycling camera- this we know from practical experiences.
It is because most of the helmet cameras that already come with sound recording function are prone to catch the wind noise and this is not the type of sound recording one would want to add in video footage meant for publishing on YouTube.
✶ Mount options
Last but not at all least is the mounting option that comes with the camera. The most preferred mounting option for cycle commuters is to opt for helmet mounts while others will opt for seat post mountable ones or handlebar mounting options.
However, for optimum coverage considering the safety of cycling you might consider seat post mounts as and is the best way to mount a front/rear camera and get maximum coverage.
But there are both pros and cons attached to each mounting option and this we have discussed much more briefly in the Faq section.
The Competition & How We Rated Them
Apart from our personal experiences with selective cycling cameras we also researched almost 5 trust-able sources to select the top 9 cycling cameras of the year.
To determine and calculate the ratings we have researched CNET, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW, TRUSTED REVIEWS, road.cc. and the percentage of consumer ratings from Amazon.
FAQ
Q: How to determine the right type of cycling camera?
A: If you want to determine whether a camera is a right fit for you, you must know the answer to the following questions-
- What is your budget?
- When do you plan to use the camera most often? Is it during the night time or mostly during the day time?
- How do you intend to use the camera?
- Is it strictly for the safety concern or is it more likely to shoot cycling footages or bike riding documentaries?
- Where do you plan on mounting the camera?
Answering this question easily determines the right type of cycling camera you might go for.
Q: Which is the best place to mount the action cameras when riding?
A: Usually bike riders tend to follow any of the following three options to mount their action camera when riding- Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Helmet Mount: Mounting the action camera on your helmet is a good option but you’ll have to make sure that it is tightly mounted.
Many bike riders tend to avoid the extra weight of mounting a camera on the helmet when riding. When opting for helmet mount it is better to choose the lightest weight camera.
And, another downside of helmet mounts is that the images and videos captured on the camera will appear to be too high and certainly not the type you would want for documenting your road biking rides.
Seat post mount: This is an unconventional way of mounting the camera when riding your bike.
One advantage of seat post mount is that mounting the camera in this way gives you the clearest view of what’s in the behind when you are riding.
The only downside is that with the seat post mount cameras you can’t use the dropper seat posts when cycling.
Handlebar Mount: Handlebar mounting position for camera allows you to have a decent view.
But, the downside of handlebar mount cameras is that the video quality is shaky and without a good stabilization feature the images also tend to be blurry.
Q: What is a 360-degree cycling camera?
A: A 360-degree camera is the cycle camera that captures everything. That means, unlike regular camera the 360 camera is multidirectional and allows the user to change angles anytime.
360-degree cameras come with amazing stabilization and with it you can shoot everything on the surrounding when riding.
Q: Do the cycling cameras only record videos but not the sound?
A: Some cycling cameras record both the video and the sound while others don’t. It is always best to check the product specification and the feature of recording the sound is always included with the specification if the cam supports.
However, one important thing to note is that some bike cams do record sound but is not the good quality one as it also catches the wind noise when recording.
Q: What is the best safety camera for cycling?
A: A good safety cycling camera should be able to record both the front face and the rear.
In this regard, Cycliq Fly 6 is worth mentionable for its safety features and also comes with a great front and rear lights.
Q: What is your advice for a small cycling camera which is mountable on handlebars and comes with decent video quality?
A: If it is particularly a small cycling camera that you intend for then Veho Muvi Camcorder VCC-003 Muvi might just be the one.
The camera is not only small in size but also comes with 680×480 resolutions- decent enough to read number plates and serve the footage as evidence.
Conclusion: Picking the Best “Cycling Camera” – How to Make the Right Selection
A good cycling camera is the one which is light-weight, waterproof, and comes with easy mounting options. And, most essentially the camera must be portable enough and have good video recording capacity to shoot the right footage at the right time which might just prove to be one of the most important pieces of evidence.
What’s your view of the best cycling camera? What features do you think to make the camera a perfect one for cyclists and bike riders?
Do not hesitate to share your opinion in the comments below!