Hi all,

Been commuting now for nearly 3 months and was loving it. 2 days ago someone tried to beat me to a junction to turn left but I was going straight on. He had to slam the brakes on and caused me to via to the left.
Today I was avoiding the crumbling tarmac around the drains in the curb when a van overtook me to beat on coming traffic and then causing me to break when he swerved back into lane.

I haven’t got Gopro money but I just need a little descreet camera to basically get 25mins of commute to work. Using my phone is not an option due to it being to exspensive and big but also don’t want to loose it especially if I forget to take it off when I get to work.

All a camera will do in your situation is add to road debris.

Change your commute route. Avoid that road(s).

Often far less stressful to take 5 minutes longer and avoid bad stretches of road, if it is possible.

Why the camera? If you want your relatives to be able to write “He had right of way, he was in Primary!” on your headstone, it will certainly provide that evidence. If it’s for retribution, a D lock against a car panel is quicker and more effective, but no matter how big and fast you are, there will always be an annoyed driver around who’s bigger, faster, angrier and stupider. You could of course use a camera to analyse your riding to see how to avoid these comings together.

all the above +1. Camera achieves nothing.

**** all wrong with my riding. I keep 8 inches away from drains.

How about a bracket on the frame for my WEBLEY TYPHOON 22 AIR PISTOL.

Yep. Nothing makes drivers stay back like a good old WEBLEY TYPHOON 22 AIR PISTOL.

Is that going to be mounted next to the speaker? 😉

Mobius Action Cam

Yep and air horn and sat nav.

bearnecessities – Member
Is that going to be mounted next to the speaker?

Looking back at people’s history. **** Sado.

Thanks. Muke. First nice reply. Cheers.

Plan ahead to avoid it it in the first place. Don’t get stressed if something does happen. Control the space around you. It can be quite subtle but effective. I mix up the slow cycling wobble and cyclecraft etiquette depending where I am.

Go mental if justified though.

**** all wrong with my riding. I keep 8 inches away from drains.

Difficult to say without seeing the road but is taking primary position an option? Certainly sounds like it would have helped with case 2. It’s something I do all the time when there’s oncoming traffic and I think someone is likely to try to do a dangerous overtake. Occasionally you get a frustrated beep but this just confirms to me I did the right thing as they were definitely going to try the overtake otherwise.

Change your commute route. Avoid that road(s).

+1
I have done this in the past in areas where I’ve experienced a lot of **** driving/near misses. The extra travel time is worth it for the decrease in stress/increase in safety.

Camera achieves nothing.

I don’t think cameras are pointless – there are posts on here all the time where people have actually been hit but been denied or had to fight for an acceptable insurance payout which a camera would simplify. But will they make you safer? As above, no.

The insurance company folded immediately when shown the footage of the car swerving across the cyclist in a thread elsewhere on this forum.
My wife got me a Cateye device for Xmas, not good.
Mobius mentioned earlier in the week.

At last sensible replies.

Surely cameras do help if you are knocked off and handed to police.

Depends if you are being handed to police in a bin liner.

But yes, helpful for compo claims I imagine if it’s a decent picture, so avoid anything too cheap and rubbish.

SJ4000

I disagree with the suggestion to avoid “bad” roads. We have all the cycling infrastructure we need. The problem is there are some real knob heads using it in/on everything from lorries to push bikes.

The police won’t responded to a complaint unless there’s evidence. Unless something is done, conditions for us out there will just continue to decline. I’m currently feeling like I’ve been backed into a state where a camera is a must have.

Looking back at people’s history. **** Sado.

No young Sir, I remembered you username. I also stood up for you in that thread.

It’s known as ribbing, it’s good for morale you know.

I use a camera, and it helps with road positioning, filming new cycle routes etc, etc, and you also see what a complete fool some drivers are.

Get a copy of Road craft and sign up to a free cycling training scheme, most councils pay for them, video your route before and after training, and stay away from the kerb, be assertive on the road with signals and be aware of whats in front and behind you.

Lots of cheap bullet cams ebay and also frlom Staples the office equipment place of all shops.

I use a Contour Roam 2. One charge lasts for about 4 home/back commutes (~20 mins each way). Good image quality but no good in low light conditions.

Oh, was he the speaker kid?
😆

You could of course use a camera to analyse your riding to see how to avoid these comings together.

Be careful, I got royally attacked for making an equivalent suggestion only last week…

IME and IMO no point been dead right.

Jacob, i am in precisely the same mindset as you. The bike is the only way for me to get to work, in the past week i have had too many near misses. I do not think any of these could have been avoided by myself: two were cars pulling out from a side road (on the right hand side of the road) – i have a front light on blink even on day time commutes, the road is straight, visibility clear. The last time i was following traffic going about 20mph, i left a 4m gap between me and the car in front and maintained primary position on the road, car behind wanted my position overtook and forced me into the gutter, i was tapping on the side of the car to try and alert them. They ignored me and forced there position and once in front kept tapping the brakes to try and force me to crash. The first two occasions i can accept, the drivers stopped, apologised and i think the incidents gave them hell of a shock. The last incident, the women should not be on the road. A camera would have recorded and supported a case against her should the cps wanted to pursue it.
Most importantly to me is my wife and two children. If/when i am hit, i want to ensure that any compo is given as quickly as possible to reduce the impact on my family (assuming i am not dead). I do everything in my power to ride safe, be seen, i obey traffic laws, i defend my position. Bit as we see and hear everyday, insurance companies and drivers will not admit guilt unless presented with un refutable evidence, which i hope video footage will be (or at least support).

SJ4000 seems to be one of the best reviewed budget action cameras. Love mine for the 60 quid it cost 😀