GoPro mounting on an MTB - Anyone help..?

[jj.]

Any help would be appreciated. Trying to get a decent setup on an MTB, currently I'm using the gopro roll bar mount to attach to the main tube, with then the standard arms (3 of them) to get the positioning correct.

However I'm getting terrible camera shake when the going gets rough - http://youtu.be/FrvM0V03VaE

Even when trying a different setting (the 60 fps) on pretty much flat ground, although this was very root'ed - I seem to get it worse - http://youtu.be/0K04p39NTYg

Anyone got any ideas on how to get something more solid, are there other mounts/arms more suited, I really like the position I have got, (low done showing the forks working) just would like to stop the camera shake.

Would glueing the arms in position help?, (I had originally done the bolts up with my leather man, so they were pretty tight when on the trail, i.e I couldn't undo them with my fingers).

(Ignore the fork pressure, this was really just a test!)
jj

[Jimbo.]

You'll never get it perfectly smooth, and TBH, you can't do much better than what you've done already: the bike moves around a lot more than you think! To get a nice, stable image, you need to mount it to the rider.

[james239]

That seems fine - I've seen far worse footage.

Chest mount seems a good option too (is what I have). K-edge do a handlebar/saddle rail mount that get good reviews on wiggle - better than the plastic GoPro ones.

I like your footage showing the forks though so think I'll order myself a roll bar mount. Do you not find you get close to kneeing the camera all the time though?

[jj.]

This dude here ( http://youtu.be/tUQIy6BgDMo ) seems to have an excellent (shake free) setup, and really what I'd like to replicate - I'm still waiting for a response from him, regarding his mountings...

James, the roll bar mount is an excellent piece of kit (although personally I think it is over priced for what is essentially a few pieces of moulded plastic - although for use on a roll bar in a car, it is spot on (the real reason why I brought it)) - but still it does give some nice results. Regarding getting in the way, it's fine, I mounted it half way down the main tube, and doesn't stop any pedalling actions, you have to be a tad careful when climbing not to learn forward (up the steeper inclines) as I have caught my shin on the camera enclosure a couple of times...

I'll try and take a picture and post for you to view, over the next couple of days...

I have seen something called a manfrotto(sp) mount, which looks good, I might try that soon - just need to justify the £45 - £50 on another piece of plastic..!
jj

[anonymous-user]

I would have thought with a bit of lateral thinking you might be able to do a bit better than in that first vid ? (And that's a "smooth" bit of Woburn tbh ;-)


I wonder if adding some mass to "damp" the vibrations at the camera might help? (bring down the critical frequency a bit)

[jj.]

Max_Torque said:

I would have thought with a bit of lateral thinking you might be able to do a bit better than in that first vid ? (And that's a "smooth" bit of Woburn tbh ;-)I wonder if adding some mass to "damp" the vibrations at the camera might help? (bring down the critical frequency a bit)

Yeah, I could add weight (or some straps), but really wanted to find just a simple bracket, that works, that I could perhaps move around the bike for different shots.

Oddly on the bigger hits (if you know woburn - the bottom of the Jedi run for example) - it seems better ( suppose the suspension is soaking things up more then ).
I will keep looking...
jj

[anonymous-user]

To be expected that the suspension / mounting system can cope better with the low ride frequency stuff (big hits) but that the natural frequency of the mounting, and stiction in your suspension, makes it "zing" more on the smaller ripples etc!

There are two possible solutions:

1) only ride the big stuff

or

2) Use it as an excuse to splash out on some Kashima coated forks ??


;-)


On a totally seperate note, do you manage to hop and clear the deep muddy hole that is about 20m further down from the "bridge". You can get a decent speed up on the run up to the bridge, pop the bike onto then off the bridge, thread through the two trees and pop over the large stump in the middle of the lower track, but then i run out of nerve to try to clear the next hole. Get it wrong and you're definately set up for a proper "superman over the bars" moment......... ;-)

Here's my zesty taking a rest on said bridge:

[jj.]

Max_Torque said:

On a totally seperate note, do you manage to hop and clear the deep muddy hole that is about 20m further down from the "bridge".

I know where you mean, suppose it all depends on the conditions, I didn't this weekend, I was up there, felt it was too longer section of sticky mud, I didn't even ride through it, someone had placed a very large branch next to it, so you could get off and balance yourself, whilst sort of semi-carrying your bike over...!

I only really started to ride the woods from last summer, and still can't bring myself to do the drop, along the Jedi run, the BIG one before you exit and cross the sandy horse path, onto the last 2 x pretty steep bits (these are fine), before the end.

Its surprising how the conditions change things, I haven't been up there since Xmas, when I got absolutely coated in mud, had to stop 3/4 times to clear the mud from various places on the bike. Bearing in mind it isn't really wet at the moment, several places (like the one you mentioned) are still really boggy...!

Last time I couldn't ride the climb out of back wood, towards Woburn (BIG Muddy Mary on the rear!) no traction at all. Secretly Love going home really muddy, feel like I've been playing...! Not a fan of cleaning the bike/drive train afterwoods though...
jj

[anonymous-user]

That hole on the lower woods path always has a load of logs and rubbish chucked in it, and i have had one of these get skewered through my rear wheel! I can pop a small manual and clear it, but it should be possible to pop over the whole thing without even touching the water...............


Just ride the slope at the end of the twisty through-the-trees bit on the ROTJ track, once you have, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about! To start off with, keep left, avoiding the root that makes the RHS a bit steeper, but soon you'll just be diving off the top without even thinking about it (much like the "Moat" too!)


It's amazing how much the place has dried out, we had been avoiding the "back woods" almost competely over the winter, but now they are back to their fast flowing best ;-) (especially the "gully run" down from just behind the top of the golf course)

[jj.]

Max_Torque said:

(especially the "gully run" down from just behind the top of the golf course)

Yeah, that's nice, just wish that fallen tree (the one that must had been about 100 150 years old) wasn't over the run, slowing things down, the first part prior to this was much nicer. Could you imagine being out there when that came over, didn't look like it was felled by a ranger...?

I did a night run around there back in about Oct time (full moon - so helped a bit) - I had forgotten it had come down a couple of months previous, boy did I have to dive on the brakes when the lights illuminated it...! My one and only night time ride. Also caught the vents on my lid in a branch which also nearly took my head off...!
jj

[AbarthChris]

JJ - I've mounted my GoPro to get the same angle using the vented helmet strap. Use cable ties to stick it tightly to the frame and it will film without the blurring that you get.

Mine was filmed on a commencal meta, so i wrapped the mount round the downtube shock mount and it was fine

[jj.]

HHmmm didn't think that would hold it even as tightly as the roll bar mount...

I've had an idea today regarding some carbon fibre I've found lying around my garage... Might not get any time this weekend, but will let you know how it pans out.

If you hear from me again, then it went well, if not, then you know I have pieces of carbon fibre embedded into my shins...!
jj

[AbarthChris]

jj. said:

HHmmm didn't think that would hold it even as tightly as the roll bar mount...

I've had an idea today regarding some carbon fibre I've found lying around my garage... Might not get any time this weekend, but will let you know how it pans out.

If you hear from me again, then it went well, if not, then you know I have pieces of carbon fibre embedded into my shins...!
jj

It wouldnt, but its the 3 arms that you're using to extend it thats the problem. They flex, so you're getting the blurring. If you mount it directly to the roll mount, that will sort it.

Good luck!

[Dave 500]

Its all down to the mounts and how you use them.

Try and set up the camera as close to the mounting point as you can.

I know its not the same camera or mount but like this



Not this



I don't know what mounts you get with a GoPro but if you don't have any luck with the ones you have try some stronger metal ones from here

http://www.cameragrip.co.uk/acatalog/Mounting_Brac...

They have some metal bike/bar mounts near the bottom which would probably work.