Friday 5 October 2012

New Toy

When I first started out on this challenge to ride all of the 100 greatest cycling climbs I had two little video cameras. One mounts on my helmet and the other used to be attached to the seat pack on my bike. Sadly the rearward facing camera that I knew as Ass Cam TM was a cheap Chinese knock off of a well known design and a few rides in the poor little thing fried itself whilst charging up. I was upset by this; firstly because it represented 30 quid down the toilet and secondly because it made my poorly edited videos slightly more interesting. Multiple camera angles are always a good thing and a rearward facing camera is good for showing the gradient on the steeper climbs.

After much searching I have found a suitable replacement. It is actually the offical version of the camera the makers of Ass Cam ripped off. It has a much more solid feel to it and hopefully a battery that won't commit hari kari when being changed. Even better it came with a funky water proof case so it looks like a Go Pro that has shrunk in the wash.


Coming soon to a windswept hillside near you


The new camera gets its first airing this weekend when I return to Wales. When I get more used to it and figure out a suitable mounting I'm hoping to experiment with a range of different camera angles. Initial tests show it has better picture quality to the camera it is replacing although it isn't HD quality. Better still it comes with a manual that was written by somebody who actually understands English and the microscopic buttons have labels.

Hopefully by the end of this weekend I'll have some interesting footage to post.
Posted by at

2 comments:

  1. Steve Benton6 October 2012 at 10:29

    Hi David - looking forward to seeing the new cam footage (especially the rearward facing shots). Enjoyed catching up on your recent posts & exploits! I think the change of bike spec and rationale behind it is a good one and you've clearly thought about it. The improved grip is a biggy on the wheelslip front (even when it's not raining) and the brake upgrade is wise. There are some tricky descents to come - especially in Yorkshire and Lake District - and tiredness becomes an issue after a while, not least because of the closer proximity of the climbs. It bears repeating that the toughest aspect of the 100 Climbs challenge can be the multiple repeats of car journey/climb/car journey/climb etc. Even 3-4 short ones in a day leaves a dent as you've found out. Good luck with the next phase!

    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  2. David7 October 2012 at 17:15

    Thanks Steve,

    Obsessing about bike set up is one thing I can do very well and I'm pleased to say the new bike appears to be working well. I say 'appears' as every time I've ridden it in anger I've been decidedly below par. Wales has not been kind to me and has certainly left a dent both in my form and confidence. Hopefully things will pick up for the rest of my Autumn campaign.

    David

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)