I’ve been testing out a lot of cycling camera setups over the years, and I gotta say there are so many GREAT options these days. Some of it depends on what type of riding you are doing and how careful you are when riding. Mountain biking a ton and taking some tumbles? Stick to GoPro. City riding and want to capture everything going on around you? The Insta360 One X2 or X3 allows you to record basically in a sphere around you and then select your angle after. Very handy for terrible drivers, capturing your kids’ rides, and more.
Here are my top 3 cycling camera setups:
1. The Best Cycling Camera – Insta360 One X2
This is my go-to recommendation for most people riding in the city. Mount it on your handlebar with this mount which is much easier to take on and off and lower profile than the Insta360 handlebar mount. Another option is on your helmet to get the most unobstructed but you certainly look silly. Not sure what a 360º camera is? Check out this video.
Riding on gravel or mountain bike trails? I would recommend the GoPro below.
Insta360 One X2 handlebar mount pros – out of the way, less obvious. I have it plugged into a backup battery in my handlebar pouch.
Insta360 One X2 handlebar mount cons – your body blocks 1/3 of the view if you don’t have it sticking off the side of your handlebar.
Insta360 One X2 helmet mount pros – the best 360º view by far
Insta360 One X2 helmet mount cons – heavy on your head. Hard to check if it is still recording. I personally don’t like the point of view on top of me.
BUY the X3
Insta360 with affiliate links
Recommended MicroSD card – either 64 or 256
My favorite handlebar mount
My favorite helmet mount
2. The Most Durable Cycling Camera – GoPro Hero 11 or 10
If you want to just capture your ride and have the most durable option, it will be the GoPro Hero 11 or 10. It also provides the BEST footage possible out of an action cameras right now in my opinion.
The 11 has the best image and color options but I don’t think it is a requirement for most people. It also has the best audio setup using a windjammer foam cover. This is my “talk to camera” when biking 9 times out of 10, and what I use to capture something quickly and then put it back in my handlebar pouch.
Buy
GoPro Hero 10
GoPro Hero 11
GoPro WindMuff
GoPro Shorty Tripod
3. My Personal Goto Cycling Camera – Insta360 X3
I think for most people the X2 is going to be great. If you want the BEST footage out of a consumer 360 camera and a bigger screen then get the Insta360 X3.
I’ll work on an X2 vs X3 article/video so let me know what you want to be covered!
Buy the Insta360 X3 here
One Last Thought – Camera Memory Cards
All of these cameras use something called a MicroSD card. I have found that more times than not the problems of resetting or freezing are typically due to too small/slow MicroSD cards. I personally don’t use the ones that come with any camera in their “kits” because of this. Most of my cameras (other than drones) will be using a 256GB card so I have hours and hours of footage, my only limitation being my battery. For some folks, that is overkill. Just get a 32 or 64GB fast card. I personally have been using SanDisk for years.
Recommended MicroSD card – either 64 or 256
Last Thoughts
There are many reasons to use a camera these days. Document your bike rides and share them, document your kids, have it for safety if you ever are in a crash, document terrible infrastructure, and share/shame your city. Each one has slightly different needs but you should be able to find something that will work well for you out of the 3 options above!
Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links. If you purchase through them I made some $. Thanks for supporting the site!
