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.
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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

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  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

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