In a statement received by us from the governing body, the UCI said:
"After in-depth examination, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced today that onboard cameras on helmets shall be mounted solely on detachable visors/peaks that have been provided by the helmet manufacturer for use with the helmet in question.
This provisional authorisation will stand until tests currently being carried out by helmet manufacturers satisfy them that the onboard cameras in no way interfere with the functionality of the helmets.
The provisional authorisation applies to competitions and training sessions for the mountain bike and BMX disciplines at UCI-registered events. With regards to the UCI World Cups, it will enter into force at Fort William, (Great Britain) for the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup presented by Shimano and at Angelholm (Sweden) for the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup."
This application of camera mounting will continue to be banned at UCI Downhill and BMX events.
www.uci.ch
Helmets can't handle landing on a flimsy piece of plastic and yet can be rammed into pointy rocks at high speed? lol
This whole camera idiocy was caused by one reporter making a random guess about shumacher's death. He never spoke to any experts or anyone with knowledge of the crash. It was one random statement and he later recanted his speculation. And yet it got repeated in the media so much that the UCI fell victim to the nonsense.
Seriously, it is complete bullshit. Helmets are designed to withstand crashing into rocks and can absolutely handle crashing into a gopro.
It's safer for the rider and therefor a fair call by the UCI. We all know how influential sponsors are, if UCI allowed it to be used at own risk, sponsors could force it on riders.
"shall be mounted solely on detachable visors/peaks that have been provided by the helmet manufacturer for use with the helmet in question."
The pessimist in me sees this as a way for UCI to control the video content of their events. Eventually it will turn into something like, "you have to use OUR cameras on OUR mounts. . . .and we own the footage"
So now you have helmet cams, which can potentially compromise the safety that said helmets provide. Doesn't it make sense to not allow them if they compromise the safety of the helmets which everyone agrees and necessary? I know for most people anything the UCI does is evil and bad, but there is an issue of safety here it would seem.
And for the record I wear a camera mounted to my helmet all the time.
American Way: Allow everything until something happens and than sue the s**t out of the first best person you can find.
Euro Way: officially ban everything if there is the slightest doubt but do it anyway and if something goes wrong consider yourself an unlucky idiot.
I like the Euo way...
It's a fairly easy thing to test for and I don't see any reason why they should allow it without some data saying it's safe.
& if they do that doesn't it negate the whole point that the uci are aiming for?
I cannot see that a chest mount camera is going to compromise the safety of a helmet.
As per usual the UCI are making black and white changes which don't help the sport.
images.singletracks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/0jpg-750x500.jpg
www.aliexpress.com/store/product/For-Gopro-Accessary-UV-Lens-Cover-Optical-Glass-Lens-Cover-for-GoPro-Hero-4-3-3/1016181_32283209121.html
Perhaps helmet cameras can lead to serious head injuries, but really? Banning cameras, because of a freak, life threatening injury in a different sport? Are tens of people getting brain damaged because of helmet cameras?
Why not just ban downhill, freeride and dangerous mountain biking all together? The top riders are are consistently getting injured and although this is a harsh thing to say, it is only a matter of time until someone dies as the sport progresses. This is not a nice thing to think about, but is likely to happen go pro or not, with the fest series, bigger slopestyle courses, rebull rampage and the speed the WC DH guys go.
Contour camera on a Bell Super helmet. I can still spell words and make complete sentences. DH helmets are a bit more burly than my enduro-esque helmet, too.
As much as I'd like to believe the UCI is concerned for rider's safety, I can't help but think there's underlying control issues at work. It should be up to that rider to wear at their own risk...have them sign waivers.
Considering how little track-time they got at Lourdes, for example, the helmet-cams are essential for riders to better understand the track with the limited time they got to spend on it.
I could understand wanting to 'investigate' if the camera mounts were made by 3-party companies, but when you buy the helmet and it COMES with the fricken mount(s), doesn't that mean that the helmet manufacturer has already 'Certified' its use with said helmet?
I'm glad they're taking their time as there's been a ton of close calls reported by pilots of passenger planes...especially around airports. Gna be great for jobs tho(robotics et al)!
Companies like 'next vr' have already proven live 3d works. Gopro has a 3d drone soon
I fail to see how removing a helmet cam/mount is going to significantly improve/reduce risk of injury. Meanwhile, putting it on the breakaway visor just made the helmet more front heavy and makes the visor more dangerous.
This is nothing to do with safety but all to do with commercial rights to the footage. UCI & National bodies don't give a shit about Mountain Biking, we should go it alone as EWS have and let the UCI & National bodies carry on blowing sunshine up their road & track cyclists and stick to their anal velominati rules.
Why do people get so worked up about something that literally has zero effect on them personally.
So DH racing and smashing your head on rocks is only one side of the story. There are other disciplines that have equal risk that I haven't heard in any of the current arguments.
Thoughts?
The main problem isn't with the camera. The main problem is with the mounting device which normally, if not all the time, is made from a material/polymer harder than the helmet.
As consequence you get a stress concentrator on the interface between the helmet and the mounting device. So, the energy/force to crack the helmet on that point will be lower.