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OVERVIEW OF THE TOP CYCLING CAMERAS IN 2023
Over the years, I have tested out dozens of bike action cameras. Everything from the original GoPro action cameras to 360º cameras, small point and shoot cameras, and even trying to outfit my bike with large cameras on gimbals (I personally don’t recommend this!) The ultimate goal was always to capture a story, or show a bike ride to inspire others to try riding or improve the biking around me.
In 2023, it is easier than ever to capture great cycling video and photo content without having to have a degree in film. There are several amazing choices to pick from and even some that are years old like the GoPro Hero 8 action camera from 2019 that you can now get on a good deal ($249 at the time of writing this!)
Best Biking Action Cameras
The best camera to capture everything around you with the 360º action camera styling.
Still the most reliable and widely trusted. I always have this on me.
The best camera to capture everything around you with the 360º action camera styling.
The smallest action camera there is with major updates like a screen and a better charging setup.
HOW I USE BIKE ACTION CAMERAS
Everyone’s use of action cameras will be different. I use my biking cameras in 3 main ways:
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- To share bike ride experiences and adventures with my family. This includes mostly handheld videoing where I take it out, hit record, document, talking to the camera, and then put it away.
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- Documenting bike rides to show people the good and bad of biking in an area. This style of content creation is really a “set it and forget it” with the camera setup like a dash camera on my handlebars. I have a fully charged battery, a very large microSD card, and I just let it record.
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- Recording for safety with a handlebar or seatpost mounted ” bike dash cam”. This is to capture footage if something goes wrong on a ride, sad to say. There are many dedicated cycling dash cameras out there. I personally don’t prefer any of them over the action cameras I recommend, but maybe with time their user interfaces and video resolution will catch up with action cameras.
Depending on what use case you have then your requirements of what type of camera you want will change. I can say that the 3 I recommend below will do any of the above very, very well. You could pick any of them and get epic video footage and tell amazing stories to your friends or YouTube channel.
My recommendations are based on what type of riding you are doing, what you are capturing, and how you want to edit the footage. Depending 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.
MY REQUIREMENTS FOR BIKE CAMERAS
You’ll notice that some popular bike cameras and action cameras aren’t listed. It doesn’t mean they aren’t good, or good for you, but they don’t meet my requirements for daily use as a full time content creator.
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- Removable battery – I have had too many small action cameras and Cycliq bike dash cameras completely fail on me because the internal battery can not be replaced, or isn’t worth the money to replace. This removes several popular cameras from my list like the Cycliq Fly cameras, the Insta360 Go small camera, and the DJI Action 2 cameras.
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- Removable memory card – the same idea as above, I want to be able to easily pull my footage from a camera. Cameras like the Insta360 Go don’t allow this.
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- Waterproof – I sweat and I get caught in the rain, and in 2023 I no longer need to sacrifice a good action camera because it isn’t waterproof.
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- Easy to find parts – One of the reasons I always have a GoPro with me is that I can easily find replacement parts, batteries, and accessories at stores across the world. If a battery goes bad, or I forget a tripod then I can quickly find one at the local big box store.
THE MOST POPULAR ACTION CAMERAS
The most popular companies dominating the cycling camera and action camera space are GoPro, Insta360, and DJI. Each company has 2-3 camera options with different pros and cons depending on what you are looking to capture and what type of biking you do. Some make smaller size cameras, some have better image quality, stabilization, mounting options, and so forth.
Why are 360º Action Cameras Included for Biking?
2 of the 3 cycling cameras I’m recommending are technically “360 action cameras.” This means they capture 360º around the camera and allow you to reframe after. It takes a bit more work but gives you so much more freedom when riding to not think about your camera or where it is pointed!
THE BEST CYCLING CAMERA – INSTA360 ONE X2
The Insta360 One X2 360 camera is my go-to bike camera recommendation for most people riding in the city or wanting something to capture family bike rides.
You can mount it on your handlebar with this bike handlebar 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.
Insta360 One X2 Action Camera for Cycling Pros
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- Amazing stabilization
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- You are recording all around you in a 360º way which allows you to decide after what direction you want to use and “reframe”
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- Less to think about when riding
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- Really unique and awesome biking shots
Insta360 One X2 Action Camera for Cycling Cons
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- The footage and resolution are not as good as the GoPro Hero 10 or Hero 11
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- It requires special video editing software and extra time to reframe all the directions of footage
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- It takes more time to make a video with 360º cameras
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- They are more expensive
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- They are much more fragile due to the two fish eye lenses poking out each side. If you scratch one then you’ll need to send it back to Insta360 for repair
Mounting Positions of the Insta360 One X2 on a Bike
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- 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 handlebar mount pros – out of the way, less obvious. I have it plugged into a backup battery in my handlebar pouch.
- 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.
- Insta360 One X2 helmet mount pros – the best 360º view by far
Favorite Insta360 X2 Biking Accessories
The Best Photo and Video Quality Biking 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 action cameras right now in my opinion.
The 11 has the best image resolution 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.
GoPro Hero 11 and 10 Pros as a Biking Camera
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- Great stabilization. Not as good as the Insta360 X2 or X3 but it is very good
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- The natural and flat color options really allow you to dial in colors on such a small camera
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- Durable and the lens cover can be replaced at home
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- Tons of accessories and easily replaced in the field. Every Target and Walmart has batteries and replacements if I need them!
GoPro Hero 11 and 10 Cons as a Cycling Camera
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- The stabilization is not as good as a 360 camera
- The cameras still sometimes glitch out more than the DJI Osmo or Insta360 cameras
- No easy microphone in option without the media mod
If you want the very best color, and the new 5.3k square footage that will allow you to crop for vertical or horizontal videos easier then get the GoPro Hero 11. It also comes with the upgraded Enduro battery which performs better in extreme temps and from my experience it doesn’t overheat the GoPro as easily on hot days.
Favorite GoPro Biking Camera Accessories
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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.
MEMORY CARDS FOR YOUR BIKE CAMERAS
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 64-GB fast card. As for brands, I personally have been using SanDisk for years and have had no problems.
My Recommended MicroSD card
I personally use either a 64GB or 256GB so I don’t run out of room.
CONCLUSION
There are many reasons to use a cycling camera these days. 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! What is your goto biking camera? Let us know in the comments!
1 comment
From my experience, I pretty much agree with everything you’ve outlined in this article. I’ve used a couple of Sony Action cameras over the years (HDR-AS200, and then the FDR-X3000). The last 3 or 4 years, I’ve used a GoPro. First the Hero 5 Session, and now the Hero 9. Beginning with the Sony X3000, switching to 4k, made a huge difference. I like the GoPros now, and they are super reliable and durable.
A few years ago, the Sony’s were easier to use, because the phone app connected more reliably and faster than GoPro’s app. This was important for a camera attached to a helmet that might need to be aimed at the beginning of a ride. GoPro’s app is much better now, and GoPro is my first choice.
I found the stabilization on the X3000 and the two GoPros to be excellent, and absolutely required for mounting to a bicycle. Early action cameras had to apply stabilization in post, and your video was “jelly” without it. Today, I never find I have an issue with video I captured that was a result of stabilization.
These days, I attach my GoPro to the handlebars with a K-Edge mount. I do use the GoPros for capturing video, but more often than not, I use them to capture image “snapshots” from the video – which works great for posting images captured on rides to Instagram, etc.