Bike, camera, action! How to film your cycling adventures
Making videos on mobile devices has become part of everyday life – cycling included. Modern phones and action cameras can capture great footage, making it easy to start your own YouTube channel or share memories with friends, family and followers on social media.
Before hitting the red button, it’s worth asking yourself why you’re doing it. What are you trying to achieve? You don’t want to compromise your ride or tour only to create something that’s barely watchable. Consider, too, how much time you want to put into the project.
A snappy Instagram Reel for family viewing is much easier to make than a 15-minute YouTube video of your LEJOG trip, which will need time, thought and editing work.
Having a justification and a story for any video is important, even if it will only be a minute long. Yet it’s something that’s often overlooked. While it’s best to decide a plan in advance, things may fall into place when you’re out on the road. You can even figure it out when editing, so that the clips come together in an interesting format.
Few people watch videos with long, single takes, unless they’re of something dramatic like point-of-view footage of an epic mountain bike descent. Short clips lasting 5-10 seconds and edited together neatly are preferred.
Vary scenes and camera angles, and add non-cycling clips to longer videos. These could be a close-up pan shot of the sweet treats in a café, an epic stormy sky, sheep frolicking in a field or simply your muddy shoes.
Video settings
It’s not essential to shoot video in 4K resolution (UHD). Many TV broadcasters and leading YouTubers use 1080p (HD). The file sizes are smaller than with 4K, which makes processing, editing and backing up a lot easier. While 4K does offer a crisper and more detailed look, the vast majority of videos are viewed on small screens, not on big 4K monitors.
Social media platforms are optimised for 1080p. For vertical videos (portrait format) I’d suggest shooting in 1080p in any case. For horizontal videos (landscape format) of well-lit scenes, 1080p phone footage is still usually good enough, even for YouTube.
If you’re shooting something that’s important, dimly lit or employs a stabilised camera, your video may benefit from being 4K.
The same resolution numbers on different devices don’t mean the video quality will be the same. Phones and action cameras have small sensors and can’t produce the same quality 1080p or 4K footage as a high-end mirrorless camera. When phones and action cameras are stabilised, the frame is often clipped into.
Most digital platforms are optimised for 30 frames per second (fps). This frame rate is common for news and sports broadcasting, while 24 or 25fps is associated with movies. A low frame rate allows for more motion blur when combined with a slow shutter speed (see below).
Higher frame rates, such as 120fps, can be used for slow motion later. I prefer to shoot in 24fps although, when viewed on a phone screen, the differences in fps aren’t obvious. Shutter speed is more important when it comes to motion blur.
To add more motion blur in daylight, you’ll need a variable neutral density filter (VND) to reduce the light entering the camera, thus allowing for a slower shutter speed.
A good budget VND option for phones is a clip-on like the Zomei 37mm ND Circular Filter ND2−ND400, which can be found on online shopping sites. But for most cycling footage, I find clip-on filters too fiddly.
Camera apps & settings
The camera apps pre-installed on phones work reasonably well, and are quicker and easier to use than the dedicated but better camera apps such as Filmic Pro, Moment Camera and Blackmagic Camera.
Although I use auto settings for impromptu shots, the key thing is to go to the camera/video settings and select the frame rate and resolution first. Avoid HDR mode for moving subjects.
Use ‘most compatible (file) format’. Set a high bit rate. Turn on stabilisation if your camera has the option. And turn on ‘lock camera’ to avoid any orientation shift if you move the device.
On the camera screen, I turn off auto white balance and select it manually (about 5600K in bright daylight) to avoid colour temperature shifts. Tap the screen to bring up the focus and exposure lock. I dial exposure down to around -3 to avoid blown-out highlights.
With dedicated camera apps, you do have far more manual control. The controls take time to master and set up, so I only use them for on-foot shooting and when I have time. Simple is sometimes best.
Sound matters
Sound is just as important as the video footage – apart from for Instagram Reels and TikTok shorts, which many watch with the sound off. For these, I generally choose an appropriate classic tune from Instagram when posting.
If you’ll be shooting and talking while riding, wind noise will be an issue. Although you can buy small wind muffs for your phone’s microphone, you’re better off using an external lavalier mic that clips to clothing. For off-bike shots, a small shotgun mic that attaches to the phone works well.
I haven’t had great results on the bike with cheaper wireless mics; the best are the options from DJI and Røde. If you’re on a tighter budget, Boyamic wireless mics are worth a look.
Editing
There are plenty of decent, free mobile editing apps. For vertical-format video, I use the Instagram Edits app. For everything else I use the Adobe Premier app – the free version, which is available on both on iOS and Android. It’s very powerful and easy to use.
When editing, the key thing is to try to use numerous short clips rather than one long take. Start with something bold, then add variation as you get into your story. Think about sound before you do this. If you’re going to do a voiceover, add this in at the end.
It’s important to match your shot frame rate to the same rate when exporting the edit. For horizontal-format videos, I export at the highest bit rate and resolution available.
Backups
Getting footage off your phone and backing up files is vital, as is deleting files from editing apps when you’re done. I usually AirDrop files to my MacBook laptop and then back up that to a regular external drive.
When I’m out and about, I use a physically small, 500GB SanDisk SSD, which is hooked up to the phone via an Apple camera dongle.
The phone needs to be powered by either a powerbank or mains electric to run the SSD. I prefer this setup, but cloud backups are an option if you have enough cloud storage and a good internet connection.
Learn as you go
Phones and action cameras can seem overwhelmingly technical when you start recording video for the first time. The trick, as with many things, is to learn by doing. Pick up your phone or action camera and start experimenting.
The more you do it, the more you’ll learn about settings, workarounds, lighting and so on. While your first attempts will not be perfect, you’ll soon find out that you can easily make satisfying short cycling films on the fly – with only the tools you already have at hand.
Once you get comfortable with the basic process, there are some great resources for learning more online – mostly in the form of YouTube channels. I recommend the following:
Video chats
Steve Thomas
Journalist and photographer
I’ve been using Insta360 cameras for years now, and they are my go-to for capturing POVs and on-bike selfie shots. There is a learning curve with them, but in my opinion their versatility outstrips regular action cameras.
I also own Canon DSLRs and Fuji mirrorless cameras, which are kept for regular photography. My two older DJI drones are almost never used. For cycling videos, I prefer the simplicity of my iPhone 12 Mini and an Insta360 X4 Air, editing the footage on the phone.
For sound, I use a small Røde VideoMic, a Boya wired lavalier mic and an Ulanzi wireless mic. For self-filming, a small tripod (such as a Gorillapod) is best. To trigger the shutter, I use a tiny and very cheap Bluetooth remote.
Lessons I’ve learned along the way include:
- Always carry a small lens cloth and clean your lens before shooting.
- Use the main, rear phone camera wherever possible as it’s usually better quality.
- Avoid digital zoom as it mostly crops into the frame, which lowers the resolution.
- Soft evening and morning light, with the sun behind or to the side, is best. Try to avoid very dark and low light scenes; phones (and action cams) struggle here.
- For off-bike shots, get your breath first and stay steady, with the phone in both hands for horizontal video. Use the screen grid overlay to keep things level, and work with the photographer’s rule of thirds if you can. Look for leading lines, such as trails and roads, to draw the viewer in.
- If you stop and set up shots, capture a few different clips. Review them before moving on.
- While many people capture on-bike shots holding a camera, I don’t recommend it.
Susanna Thornton
Brompton tourer
- GoPro Hero 9 Black, with ball mount
- 15cm tripod (unbranded)
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Epidemic Sound
I started making videos because non-cycling family, friends and colleagues thought that what I do is hard and that I must be brave.
“I’m not,” I’d splutter. “Cycling is a joy! And it’s not hard. Not the way I do it.”
But they didn’t believe me. So I bought a camera and started to make films.
Before I set off each time, I have a shot list in mind, aiming for a good variety of close-ups and wide shots and so on, to tell the story of the ride.
On the road, I actively look for things to convey the character of a place, and what it’s like to be there - gulls following a tractor, leaves thrashing in a March gale, wild grass lit by low sun. Filming a ride makes me look harder. It’s interesting.
I shoot with a GoPro action camera. I tried adding a selfie stick and sound recorder, but it was more stuff to carry around and think about, so I went back to just my GoPro. When I first started, I concentrated on visuals.
These days I’m trying to use natural sound better too, to convey how lovely it is to pedal through a hubbub of voices and cathedral bells, or past summer hedgerows alive with birdsong.
I plan my adventures carefully, but if I do get in a pickle – held up by the odd puncture, lost or just tired – I often forget to film. The trick is to try to keep shooting even then; it makes the story more interesting and relatable.
My films are also for me. When I can’t get out, I watch my own films to relive the rides and smile.
David Brennan
Commuting cyclist
- DJI Osmo Action 6 (helmet camera)
- Insta360 X5 360 degree camera (bike mounted)
- Amazear Protective Cage for X5 camera
- Insta360 Studio (editing software)
- VLC Media Player
I run a standard-format helmet camera, along with a 360-degree camera attached to my bike’s seatpost just under the saddle.
The helmet camera provides footage of what I see, and the rear 360-degree camera provides footage that I can adjust after a ride to provide the most appropriate view. Sometimes that is rear footage; sometimes it’s forward-facing footage that provides some perspective on how close a pass is to me.
I did try mounting my 360 camera on a selfie stick on the back of the bike as this provided excellent views looking forward. Unfortunately, I discovered that this setup didn’t last long on Glasgow’s potholed roads.
In the past I posted many incidents online to highlight the issues I faced on my commute. Now, with many other cyclists posting footage, I mainly focus on reporting serious incidents to the police.
Unfortunately, there is no online reporting system in Scotland: the police need to visit you to see any footage before they will consider charging a driver. Thus, I only report the most serious incidents due to the significant time required for each report.
My cameras aren’t cheap, but because I ride all year round and in all conditions, I want cameras that are able to provide good-quality footage in low light.
If you can afford the top-tier cameras, video quality in low light has improved significantly over the last couple of years. I now find that my setup can often pick out car registrations using only my bike lights on completely unlit roads.
Joshua Gill
Bikepacker and Cycling UK Media Relations Manager
- GoPro Hero 12 (previously used a Hero 8)
- Google Pixel 6a
- Occasionally, I use a mirrorless camera (Sony Alpha ZV-E10) depending on the weather, route and length of the trip. Often, I use it to show the process of getting ready for an adventure at home
- GoPro chest mount
- Fidlock PINCLIP action-cam mount
- Mini Gorillapod tripod
- Filmora editing software
Videographers and YouTubers often buy gear to meet a specific style. Whether it’s a video blog, POV film or more of a documentary, they are ultimately aiming to make filming easier and more intuitive for their visual look.
The main reason I record my bikepacking trips is to immortalise the experience. To capture forever what it felt like to slowly climb a mountain, ride a technical trail or manoeuvre through torrential rain and mud.
With that in mind, I aimed to build a setup that limited the amount of time I thought about shots or scenes so that I could enjoy the adventure and be more in the present. I landed on a point-of-view style of filming, using a small GoPro, a chest mount and the Fidlock system to quickly remove the camera should I need to.
At this point, it’s almost second nature to press record when I see a dramatic view or a challenge coming up. Each time I aim for a 15-30 second clip to make editing more manageable, and I’ve been fortunate to capture some great stuff on film.
While it’s been a bit of learning curve, I couldn’t be more grateful to have a visual catalogue of some of my best memories. To be able to look back and recognise how far you’ve come is something very special.
I love being able to see the sum of my passion for cycling whenever I want, and to be able to share that with others.
