DIY GoPro Mounting Options |
| By taking one strap off the otherwise relatively-useless-for-biking headband mount you can turn the headband mount into a nice mount for use with full-face helmets. The beauty of this mount is that the camera is now lower on your body and you can easily get the handlebars and front wheel in the video. However, you still retain the ability to turn your head towards whatever you're trying to film. This gets you the best of the chest mount with the best of the helmet mount. |
GoPro's popularity means there are now quite a few people who've come up with creative ways to mount the camera on bike and body. I'll show you some ideas of mine and many ideas from other people. The beauty of these different angles is that it gives you an easy way to mix things up in video. Instead of just the same old video of trail in front of you, you can mix up different points of view. Your limit is your imagination.
These mounts can be built or used by purchasing accessory mounts from GoPro; for example:
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Vented helmet mount - comes with the HD Helmet Hero so you might already have it ($14.99)
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Grab-bag of mounts - bunch of doodads to let you expand mounting options ($19.99)
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Roll-bar mount some arms, lets you attach the GoPro to round tubes ($19.99)
... and sometimes it's just a matter of using tape, zip ties and some faith!
I think this video angle is really good. Here's a video shot using that angle (unfortunately it's the SD older Hero Wide, but you get the idea).
Bootleg Canyon from Bryan on Vimeo.
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| Using the Vented Helmet Mount and some miscellaneous GoPro bits from their Grab Bag of mounts gives you various frame mounting options - picture from Gramslightbikes |
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| This mount is the Roll Bar Mount. Realistically it can only be used on open trails; in tight trails you'll hit the camera with the handlebar. It'll only worked with bikes with top tubes that let you push the GoPro forward enough that your knees won't hit the camera. Of course, don't tighten the mount too much so if you do hit something you won't shatter the plastic mounts |
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| Roll Bar Mount (could as easily be Vented Helmet Mount or ziptied GoPro. Very cool if you're riding skinnies |
Here's an example of some of those creative angles I was talking about. Josh mixes up different angles beautifully to capture the trail; you really get a sense of the flow - right up to the moment when he eats it and knocks himself out - ugh!
This short video shows some GoPro angles. The footage is just for the purpose of showing examples of what these mounts produce. Segment 1 - headband mount on a full-face; Segment 2 - rollbar mount on toptube looking back; Segment 3 - rollbar mount on downtube looking down.
Narwhal CamThis next mount is so cool and potentially so maiming that I thought it deserved its own section. It just goes to show how creative you can get. Other people have done this, but no-one else has explained it so well or done it in such a budget ghetto fashion (I mean this as a compliment). The video is self-explanatory:
Unicorns and Narwhals on Teton Pass...Vain Cam! from Andrew Whiteford on Vimeo.
>Andrew's explanation on how he did this:
I took an older 150cm ski pole, cut off the basket end and took off the grip. Bent the grip side end of the pole to match the curve of my helmet, and screwed it into my helmet with some hose clamp type mounts. Increasing the diameter of the camera end of the pole with duct tape, I used GoPro's handlebar mount with the cam hanging upside down, facing back. Finally, added an L bracket off the back of my helmet to add a counterweight- in this case I used two Princeton Tec bike light batteries.  |
| Yeah this looks dangerous. But we're biking, not basket-weaving. |
Swiveling 360 cam and follow camHere's another mount that is incredibly original.
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT ISN'T MY IDEA - read the notes below if you have questions. It probably won't work in areas with tight trees, but it showcases creativity, determination and crafty implementation In fact, take some time to watch the entire video, it has frame mounts, follow-cams, swiveling 360 head mount cams, chest cams, helmet cam; it's an incredibly well done package:
Kodiak Alaska mountain biking mashup from Philip Tschersich on Vimeo.
In Phillip's words
this is how the mount is made - click there to read how he achieved all the various filming points of view.
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| The swiveling 360 helmet mount - courtesy Phillip Tschersich |
Looking to pick up a Go Pro of your own -
Buy one here!
Who else has cool ideas or interesting angles? The more duct-tape and zip ties the better! Share them with the rest of the world by putting your creations down below!
and that vain cam os class, I want one,
