I’m talking mountain bike videos, before you start.

I enjoy watching videos of people riding down stuff (seeing how they move on the bike etc). I’ll even watch people talking crap about bikes, but I just can’t see the point of POV videos. I get that they are easy. Any idiot can strap a camera to their helmet and make a video, but why would anyone want to watch it? It doesn’t give you the feeling of riding down the trail, you can’t see how the rider is reacting to the trail and you can’t really get any feel for the trail itself (which always looks flay). So, what’s the point?

Some are great, like the ones from the Red Bull Rampage – but not for serious study, more a vicarious “Oh s***, I’m going to die!” thrill.

they do nothing for me. best view is mounted facing backwards then the trail looks swoopy but we did helmet cam to death years ago. go pro has brought creativity to the masses so it will all move on to greater things

needs an interesting trail and other riders in shot, I gave up after about a minute of the soggy welly one on here 🙁

They are the only videos I actually like to see – be they mountain bike, skiing, surfing…

Because they are the only ones that make you feel like you’re actually riding the trail. And I actually like riding trails.

I did like the red bull rampage shots. One of the rare times it made the trail look even worse. Generally they are bit mleh. Better to get the camera a bit lower and mixed with other shots.

They were interesting when folk didn’t have the imagination or the motivation to show us something different now and again – POV combined with static camera on the ground, or even a drone cam which seems to be fairly common these days.

POV isn’t really any use even for showing the steepness or difficulty of the trail, unless the rider is following someone.

I don’t mind pro stuff – Rampage, Urban DH etc, but wobbling down a trail centre red route… Nah. Why would that be interesting unless it’s you in the vid?

I watched a few seconds of the BPW ones because I’m interested to go, but as a video it didn’t entertain me.

as usual interesting events and editing makes the difference 😉
[video]http://vimeo.com/120925282[/video]
and crashing

The DH course preview ones that giddy fella does are amazing!

Like any other video, it depends how well it’s made. Some are very good, many (most?) are a bit rubbish.

If the standard of riding and/or the track is extremely technical or fast then yes. Rampage or WCDH for example. Most of the time, absolutely not.

The only exception to that would be a friend or trail I know, but for the most part helmet pov is incredibly boring without editing. Even chest mounted or seat tube mounted is much more interesting if you can see the bars or see the forks working imo.

The only ones I’ve ever watched to the end (and again) are those by Alejandro Paz and Josh Bryceland’s Hafjell run from lat year.

I would’ve crashed about 20 times in the first few seconds

No. There where interesting initially for novelty value but the only ones which are really interesting are the ones taken off of the bike, even simply done ones with phones.

Not just me then 🙂 To be fair, they do have their place and can add something to a more varied film. The little bit of POV in The Ridge, for example, was excellent. The wider shots had already shown you the trail, the exposure and Danny riding so getting his view as he hopped it round a bend was great.

The DH course preview ones are great too, but that’s because of the commentary. Actually, I quite enjoy some the the amateur ones that have commentary. It’s just the wobbly shots of a flat looking trail set to some hideous song that do my head in.

I get motion sickness from watching them. So I much prefer a nicely shot film with lots of angles looking at the bike, not from it.

Redtube has a few, er, interesting ones… 😉

There’s lots of pov stuff that is only of interest to those that were there, I agree, and as previously stated another rider adds to the interest Levels as it provides perspective. Multiple angles and panning shots etc are fine but for many people myself included I am recording a ride/fun bit not making a film. Unfortunately often people can’t tell the difference and post unedited streams of seamingly flat and unchallenging terrain online. We dont have to watch.

That said bpw on Wednesday and my footage will go viral, but probably not unless I crash out horribly.

I like watching chest mount POV, you can really see the person working the bike, this also helps me learn, as I need to see it, to do it. I absolutely hate helmet footage, feels disconnected from the trail, you see the trail being all squiggly and the helmet plows through the middle and you miss what the rider is doing with the bike. I have been meaning to film from the helmet facing rear like Jedi has said, but waiting on a new helmet.

It also has to be edited well.

Can’t wait to get my hands on the Hexo+ for some off bike footage. 😉

I think they can be great. Especially if the camera-person is following a good rider. There was a Banshee rider following Danny Hart last week at Inners that looked good.
http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Lewis-Buchanan-chasing-down-Danny-Hart,28237/Lewisbuchanan,31455

Not too sure how Facebook video links work, but this one from a few days ago is pretty eye-opening.

Gee Atherton in Spain.

The team is out in Spain training and testing with FOX for a few days, check out a short run from today…GoPro #gopro

Posted by Gee Atherton on Sunday, February 22, 2015

If the rider is half-decent, and the edit is fairly short, it can be a good watch.

eg:

just saw this

Realises this is on the “bike” forum and backs away

😳

It’s an odd thing too because if you show your own pov to someone (even if they don’t ride) they start commenting on what you’ve done wrong or how they would do it. I was encouraging a roadie friend to get into MTB and sent him one of my pov videos to show him where we’d be riding. No problem he replied, doesn’t look hard, I reckon I could keep up with you there.
We get to the trail and he’s walking it.

Milkie – Member

I like watching chest mount POV …..
I absolutely hate helmet footage

+1, as long the chest mount has been adjusted properly to see the trail, not just the sky or top tube.
RP what your feeling on these? Just more of the same POV, or any good?
I don’t like one watching the trail they’ve just ridden, or those ones that watch the rider.. WTF is the point of those? Yes by all means throw in a shots like that on a ‘production’ vid, but everyday ppl riding… mleh…

I only watch them if I’m racing or travelling and intend to ride somewhere then, only then, can they be informative.

Other than that it’s all bit…

“I’ve just got a gopro, so I’m gonna bore the pants of anyone who’ll watch it, and if they don’t wanna sit down with me and watch it whilst I’m commentating on it, I’ll stick up on YouTube and bore the pants of the rest of the world”

Cant stand it either. I want to to see the rider, what theyre doing abd how theyre doing it with context to what theyre doing it on, like a bmx or skate video.

Shakey sketchy footage with no context is pretty pointless.

Feeling the same about the drone footage now popping up.

When I went to FOD uplift there were loads of guys with them on. Why? I dont care about some mediocre rider mincing down a trail, I can see myself doing that.

They’re probably the same ones who set up the 10 duplicate segments on Strava which make it a complete PITA trying to make sense of your runs as a result.

bigyinn – Member
When I went to FOD uplift there were loads of guys with them on. Why? I dont care about some mediocre rider mincing down a trail, I can see myself doing that.

Because they are having a day out, sometimes with mates. We had about 4 between 15 of us when a bunch of us were out, we got a crash (up there) and a bit of a vid of some of us riding some new trails. It’s a laugh, it there for the people who want to look at it. Over the time I’ve used them we have always had a chuckle at some of the footage after. It was nice to show some of my mates back here in Tassie what I was up to in the UK over christmas.

Erm… some are good – most are pretty rubbish but they’re handy if you want to get a feel for somewhere before going – I’ve been watching a lot of POV vid of Chamonix on YouTube.

Personally I’d guess 90% of GoPro et al videos are made purely for the persons on amusement, oh and to bore their OH and kids with – I know that’s why I’ve got mine 😉

Bought a new Hero and a Chest mount the other day actually, can’t wait to use it – but if it ends up on YouTube it’ll only be for the convenience of having somewhere to host it.

Completely uninteresting really, I don’t like watching them. In a video I made at the end of last year there was about 20 seconds of POV stuff in 5 minutes of film, and most of that with a rider in front. Watching an entire video of any trail, even ones I like, is dull.

they’re handy if you want to get a feel for somewhere before going

I like them for this reason. They do tend to flatten the trail out but if the quality is good then you can make out the trail surface. I enjoy them as part of looking forward to a trip.

timidwheeler – Member
they’re handy if you want to get a feel for somewhere before going
I like them for this reason. They do tend to flatten the trail out but if the quality is good then you can make out the trail surface. I enjoy them as part of looking forward to a trip

This.

If I’m going somewhere new I like to watch POV full runs (even did before the Mega) I understand the trail get flattened but it gives you an idea.

Generally though external are better, however you then only see the “best bits” of somewhere, at least a full run down something is honest.

I also do plenty myself, but they are as much from me/my friends. I’d like to do non POV but that really spoils the riding. With POV at least you just do your ride as normal rather than keep stopping, setting up a shot on a corner, session it, pack up move down the trail and repeat. You get bugger all riding done if your trying to get footage that way.

My vids are here if anyone wants a look and I dont really care if you do or don’t :p

https://www.youtube.com/user/smonkeysxoc/videos