GoPro HD video camera review for cyclists

When I was a child, I had a plastic toy camera, pilfered from a Weet-Bix box. It didn�t take photos, of course. It was free junk, a few centimetres of cubic plastic, painted in the design of a Kodak. I played with it for a few minutes before correctly deciding a football and the backyard offered more enjoyment.

Now, as a middle-aged man, I�m susceptible to buying gadgets like the GoPro Hero2 HD video camera that mounts on the handlebars of my bicycle or helmet. This camera is no bigger than the cereal plastic toy of the sixties, only it offers hours of enjoyment... and befuddlement. But, more of that later.

I�m not a tech-head. If you want the detailed specifications, go to the GoPro web-site. After two weeks of Hero2 ownership, these are my initial impressions.

Yes, it�s tiny. And relatively easy to operate. There are only two buttons to click, for recording video and taking pictures and for adjusting the settings. It comes with a waterproof housing, great for rainy days on the bike, or if you can afford a diving trip to the Great Barrier Reef. The Outdoor edition has numerous mounts, including head, helmet and stick-on mounts for the car dashboard and anywhere else I want to chance it. I also purchased the roll-bar mount which allows me to fit it to my handlebars and seatpost - both ways for front and rear view filming. I�d really like to figure out a way to attach it to my chainstay for the leaning-into-the-corner shot, but the mount is too big for such a delicate position. And seeing a middle-aged man pretending to be Cadel Evans before toppling over is perhaps not prime-time viewing.

The main drawback with the Hero is that there�s no immediate playback system. You can purchase an extra attachment to watch playback, but that�s more stuff to carry around.

And perhaps that�s my major objection with the Hero2 version - the need to buy extra gear. Hero1 could be purchased in a �Naked� edition. After buying Hero1, you buy only the add-ons you require. With Hero2, you�re forced to either purchase the Outdoor, the MotorSports, or the WaterSports edition.

For we cyclists, it means paying extra for add-ons we may never use. At this early stage, all I need is the camera and the roll-bar mount. I certainly don�t need the head attachment as I have no plans to go into a cave anytime soon. And while the helmet mount appears suitable, I�m not sure anyone would want to be seen wearing it. Aren�t we cyclists enough of a moving target without this monstrosity? And despite its light weight, the helmet position is unwieldly. So, one camera and one mount, please GoPro. I like Naked. Who doesn�t like Naked?

That said, it�s time to test the gear. The mounts fit simply and securely to my bike and are unobstrusive when riding. Unlike the Hero1, this version has four (top, front, side) LED lights to alert the user the camera is recording. It�s also got beeps and flashes to alert for operating issues (on, off, recording, about to explode...).

After filming a few rides, I can report the GoPro likes sunny days and downhills, much like we cyclists. Riding through a recently burnt-out section of the Blue Mountains National Park, the greens and blacks of the landscape against the blue sky were brilliantly realised on film.

The GoPro is not entirely happy on gloomy days, but this can be easily rectified on most editing programs. Certainly, my iMovie does it quickly and easily. There�s liquid you can purchase to prevent beading on the waterproof case during rain. Failing that, GoPro helpfully recommend licking the case!

You can�t avoid wind noise, of course. Some enthusasists like the whooshing sound to accompany their video. It seems as if they�re going even faster than the blurred trees indicate. Me, I want to add voiceover, or a music track to accompany my video, so the less interference the better. I placed a slice of gaffer tape over the microphone. It didn�t remove all noise, but it did muffle the high notes. The rest can be removed in the studio.

Perhaps my favourite mount is the roll-bar mount on the handlebars. It allows quick stop/start and presents a wide angle recording of where I�ve ridden. Included in the frame is my Garmin (the viewer can see what speed I�m travelling) and, on a road bike, both hoods. My gear-changes look decidedly clunky on film!

Finally, we come to the dreaded fish-eye. It�s the price we pay for such a wide angle lens, I guess. Again, this can be removed, to some extent, on iMovie.

At $369 (Australian $) for the Outdoor Edition and $40 for the roll-bar mount, it�s a remarkably professional kit. However, as I said earlier, I�d still prefer the option to buy a Naked Hero2 and build from the base up. A minor quibble.

I have recently published my first eBook, about my bicycle journey across France, including a number of Tour de France mountain climbs.

baguettes and bicycles is a travel adventure, a restaurant safari and a guidebook for those who enjoy slow food, easy cycling... and fast descents!

To purchase this book for $2.99, go to my Amazon page, here.

For test footage of the camera on all the mounts, click here.