Cameras

I like using a dedicated action cam for easy one button recording while riding.

  • GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini
    • I chose the GoPro mini over the regular one because it’s smaller and less expensive than the bigger GoPro. I’m ok not having a screen since my previous camera, the insta360 Go 2, didn’t.
    • Some cons: No screens, no swappable battery.
    • I put the camera in my top tube bag for easy access while riding.
    • GoPro Bite Mount: I got this mount recently to hold the camera in my mouth while riding after using the mounting buckle as a makeshift bike mount. You can also put the other end of the mount into a GoPro quick-release mount. This is the default mount that is on the GoPro since I can also hold it in my hand.
    • GoPro Handlebar Mount: I use this to mount the GoPro on the handlebars or stem.
    • GoPro Flexible Grip Mount: I actually haven’t used this on a bike ride yet, but I got this to put the GoPro on the square shaped stem on my new bike. I have used it to wrap around things to record time lapses.
    • Mounting a GoPro under the bike computer: I don’t do this anymore, but it’s easy enough to reach down to turn on/off the camera.
  • Insta360 Go 2
    • I don’t have this camera anymore. It’s at the bottom of the Foster City Lagoon.
    • Note there is a newer version of this camera, Go 3, that comes with a case that has a screen.
    • This camera is so small and easy to mount anywhere!
    • Some cons: No 4k recording. No swappable battery. No swappable SD card (Get the version with more internal memory). I think the battery on the camera itself lasts only 30 min so I usually had to pop it back into its case for charging in the middle of a ride. You can still use the camera when it’s in the charging case, but I never did.
    • Magnetic pendant: This comes with the camera. This is the default mount I used for POV shots. It was easy to remove from the mount while riding if I wanted to hold the camera. Your body is a good shock absorber so the camera has never fallen off the magnetic pendant.
    • USB Power Mount: I used this to mount the camera on my handlebars with the GoPro Handlebar Mount. You can charge the camera when it’s in the mount. There is a buckle to secure the camera in the mount. I would not recommend using the magnetic mounts in the Mount Adapter Bundle to mount the camera onto the bike. My camera fell off many times on a bumpy road.

Apps I use for creating videos

The following are apps I use to create videos. They’re all free and simple to use. I usually end up using multiple apps for one video because each has limitations.

My workflow

This is a high level process of how I create a video using my GoPro (current camera) footage.

  • I use an iPad with a pencil to create all videos.
  • Import videos from GoPro into GoPro Quik app.
  • I try to use the GoPro Quik app to create most of my videos because it syncs the clips I pick with the music. The app also has a variety of music tracks that can be uploaded to Youtube.
  • Pick music track I want to use in the app.
  • Go through each video, select the clips I want to use.
  • Watch video, edit, watch video, edit, repeat a reasonable number of times til I’m reasonably happy with my creation.
  • Export video to 4k, 60 fps
  • Send to my laptop for upload to Youtube for sharing. I’ve tried uploading the video directly from my iPad before, but it didn’t upload in 4k.
  • Export all original videos from GoPro Quik to NAS in a folder named using the format yyyymmdd_{event-or-location} so folders are in chronological order. I use a NAS from Synology. I also set up Synology to back up to a SSD. I have no cloud storage solution for videos/photos I take from my cameras right now, except my phone camera.
  • There’s no way to export the video project in GoPro Quik right now, but if I worked on the video using iMovie, I export the project as well.