Riders may want to buy action cameras for their motorbike for various reasons, such as recording exciting rides to share with friends or other bikers on social media. They may also consider equipping their bike with a camera for insurance purposes in the unfortunate event of an accident. Bike cameras are also called helmet cameras, adventure cameras, or action cameras. They are exceptionally designed to capture high-definition footage without the equipment feeling too heavy or cumbersome. A bike camera can also be connected with Wi-Fi from EyeNet to allow for live sharing of the ride and for relay of footage to a remote storage.
Factors to consider when buying action cameras
Picture quality
You should go for a camera that can deliver high-quality pictures.
Battery life
The key consideration is how long you need to record footage. You could be better off recording segments of the ride to avoid overwriting old footage and save on editing time.
Usability
Factor the ergonomics – ease of handling, pressing the buttons, and exchanging batteries.
Also consider the user friendliness of the on-device menu navigation, compatibility of the software with other useful apps or software like for editing, and ease of attaching to your preferred mount.
Value for money
This is perhaps the most crucial factor of all. You need to consider if you need all the features that will cost you more, and if the high price you pay matches the quality.
Here is a selection of some of the best bike action cameras:
GoPro HERO5 bike and helmet camera
In line with the tradition of GoPro’s production which has given us some of the best action cameras in the market, GoPro Hero5 I is just following in its predecessors’ footsteps. It is an all-encompassing camera. Hero5 is a good small size to fit in your palm and light at 117g. It includes a waterproof case. When factoring in the 4k shooting quality, you’ll find you have a valuable camera that can shoot almost anything and anywhere. It can be mounted in a variety of places – on the helmet, the handlebars, and on the chest using a harness. GoPro also have their variety of mounts. GoPro Hero quick facts:
- Battery life: one hour while at 4k.
- Video quality: 4k, 2.7k 4:3, 2.7k, 1440p, 1080p, 960p, 720p, 480p
- Photo quality: 12MP (Can capture in JPEG and RAW)
- Size: 62 x 44 x 24mm
- Weight: 117g
Garmin Virb Ultra 30
After dominating the cycle computer market, Garmin ventured into bike cameras and gave us this awesome piece. One difference that stands while compared with GoPro is the inclusion of a GPS tracker with which you can add some interesting things to your cycling video. You can adjust settings to show the speed in your video. It will also highlight certain high targets like breaking the 60km barrier. Using ANT+ or Bluetooth connectivity, you can connect your heart rate meter and power meter to give a more detailed video. This camera is compatible with GoPro mounts, thus as its user, you have a wide variety of mounts to choose from. A quick check on this camera’s features:
- Battery life: 1.15 hours (at 4k)
- Video quality: 4k, 2.7k, 1080p, 720p, 480p
- Photo quality: 12MP, 8MP
- Size: 57.5 x 45.9 x 31.3 mm
- Weight: 88g
YI 4K camera
This is a fairly unknown brand, unlike Garmin and GoPro, but that should not be a deterrent to giving it a try. In addition to its 4k recording capabilities, it has the potential to take 12MP pictures. You can connect it to your phone via WI-FI and live stream. Its 2.19-inch touch screen enables smooth working, making fiddly buttons unnecessary. The YI 4K shape is not friendly for mounting on a helmet. The YI camera company designs its camera to be compatible with GoPro mounts. However, Y1 4K lacks easily available mounts which means that you might have to search around a bit to find a suitable mount. Y1 4K features are:
- Battery life: 2 hours
- Video quality: 4k, 4k ultra, 2.7k, 2.7k ultra, 1440p, 1080p, 960p, 720p, 480p
- Photo quality: 12MP, 8MP, 7MP, 5MP
- Size: 65 x 42 x 30mm
- Weight: 95g
Cycliq Fly6 rear light camera
This is a dependable device when you need to document events on the road. The camera records what happens behind a rider and saves footage in the event of a crash. It records continuously. When out of space, it overwrites the previous footage. However, in the event of an accident, it saves that part, preventing filming over it. By employing inbuilt gyroscopic sensors, the camera detects a severe change in speed or direction, as is the case in a crash. The camera comes with heavy-duty rubber mounting for attaching to any seat without getting it get scratched or falling off. The features of Cycliq Fly6 are:
- Battery life: 6 hours
- Video quality: 720p
- Photo quality: N/A
- Size: 73mm x 58.4mm x 22.8mm
- Weight: 123g
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