The Most Capable Cycling Camera for All Your Biking Adventures

If it’s your first time buying an action camera for your bike, then the whole process can be a little overwhelming at first. There are so many features to weigh up and so many cameras on offer that it can all get a bit confusing. Luckily, you’ve just stumbled upon a list specifically designed to help you bust all of the jargon and provide you with the perfect cycling camera for your needs.

First things first, you’ve got to know what to look for. While many action cams can work well as cycling cameras, there are a few specific features you’ll want to have. Image stabilization is a key one – if you’re riding bumpy trails or looking to record mountain bike races. Good electronic image stabilization (EIS) is a must for a smooth recording.

If you’re going to be riding for a long while, weight and battery life are very important. The lighter, the better if you’re mounting your camera on your helmet, and the bigger the battery life, the longer you can record for without having to swap batteries or recharge. Storage capacity is also pertinent when it comes to long rides – if you’re recording high-fidelity video, it’ll take up lots of memory. So you’ll be wanting a big SD card or a camera with plenty of internal storage.

Perhaps the most important factor of all is image quality. If you want a video that’ll really knock a viewer’s socks off, then high-quality footage is a must. 1080p has long been the accepted standard for video streaming, while 4K and 5K cameras are slowly coming down in price, making cinema-quality shots achievable for the everyman rider.

Beyond this, there are some helpful extra features to consider. If you’re riding in a rainy climate, a weatherproof camera is a must, while for those who like to analyze all of their footage, GPS, speed, and location sensors might be a nice addition. After the ride itself, you’ll need to access your footage somehow, so also think about whether you want wireless Bluetooth transfer compatibility or if you’d like to watch your videos back on your TV via HDMI.

WHERE TO MOUNT YOUR BIKE CAM

Most bike action cams can be mounted anywhere on your person or vehicle, and the different locations will give you a variety of different shot styles. The traditional POV perspective you’ve probably seen on YouTube comes from helmet-mounted cameras, while chest mounts are also a common elevated shot position.

To put your viewer right in action, you can always mount your camera on the handlebars so that they experience the speed of the ride first-hand. Seatpost mounting makes for some great shots of the bike in action and reveals topography rather well. And if you’re feeling confident in a race, a rear camera is always a good pick for watching your fellow riders eat your dust.

The DJJ Osmo is a fantastic cycling action camera thanks to a comprehensive suite of features that make it well-suited to bumpy roads and long rides alike. With stunning 4K recording quality and a 1080p 8X slo-mo option, this is a camera that prizes image fidelity above all. The fast 90-minute charge time is brilliantly efficient, especially considering the bumper 1300mAh battery it’s powering up, and dual screens, one on the front and one on the back, make the camera easy-peasy to configure even after it’s attached to your bike, helmet, or chest.

This underwater camcorder from Sony is one of the best cycling cameras you’ll find in terms of pure rugged waterproofing. Rain-resistant and waterproof up to 197 feet in-depth, it’s more than capable of surviving a heavy thunderstorm or two while you’re cycling. That’s not all, however. The camera also sports an adjustable FOV and three viewing angles, making it a versatile piece of kit for getting those action shots in the rain.

GoPro are some of the best in the game when it comes to action cameras, and the Hero9 makes for a brilliant cycling camera thanks to its high-fidelity build and fully-featured tech. GoPro’s famous HyperSmooth stabilization means your image will be silky smooth even if you’re recording rough trail slaloms, while the ability to live stream in 1080p is a very welcome addition. You won’t find many cameras able to record in 5K, so the Hero9 stands out as one of the best cycling video cameras.

Teentok’s biking camera is one of the best cycling safety cameras you can buy, thanks to its rear-facing view and LED lighting setup. This camera is designed to be used both as a recording device and a rear-light, with a reflective surface containing 5 LEDs that can toggle between 6 different light modes, including strobe and flash functions. The wide-angle lens is perfect for catching any motorists performing unsafe overtakes or driving too close, and the 1080p image quality means you can pick out license plates and rider details clearly, even at a distance.

The GoPro MAX is a great choice if the Hero9 appeals to you, but you fancy something more video-focused. This 180-degree video camera has stunning 5.6K image quality as well as a great suite of video recording features, including HyperSmooth image stabilization, a horizon-levelling HERO mode, and a TimeWarp timelapse function which can automatically create stabilized time-lapses while you ride. At just 5.43 oz in weight, it’s perfect for use as a helmet biking camera too.

AKASO brings a great budget cycling camera to the table with their V50 Pro. This waterproof camera is a great pick for those who don’t want to splash out on an expensive GoPro should their features be overkill for your specific needs. Despite its low price, the V50 is still a brilliant camera with 4K recording quality, onboard electronic stabilization, and an adjustable viewing angle for capturing high-speed narrow shots and wide landscape scenes. Built-in wi-fi and HDMI compatibility makes transferring your videos a breeze, and the whole thing is designed to work seamlessly with the AKASO GO app.

The Panasonic A1 is one of the best cycling helmet cameras you’ll find out there, with a super-rugged build designed to take on rain, mud, and wind, all without suffering any damage. Ultralight at just 1.6 oz, it’s the perfect camera for strapping to your helmet, and you’ll hardly notice the weight even after hours of riding. The A1 includes an IR lens for night-time rides and can even record 120fps at a reduced resolution.

Olympus’ TG-Tracker is a mid-sized, lightweight biking and handheld camera with a lot of tech packed inside its surprisingly compact shell. This camera is excellent for wide-angles specifically, with a 204-degree viewing angle for capturing stunning panoramas and omnidirectional shots. Wi-fi compatible and completely waterproof, this camera also includes a suite of 5 diagnostic sensors, including GPS, Compass, Accelerometer, Thermometer, and Barometer, allowing you to analyze your footage in-depth.

The cheap and cheerful Drift Ghost X may not be the most fully-featured camera on this list, but it is a brilliant little piece of kit for the price. At just $100, it’s a great entry-level action cam, with a fairly strong 5-hour battery life and 1080p recording quality. The rotating lens allows for wide-angle shots, while the wi-fi clone mode will enable you to string together multiple Ghost Xs to all record at once.

GoPro’s Hero7 is one step down from the Hero9, but don’t be fooled. This is still an amazing camera, with most of the Hero9’s features still intact. The major difference here is the recording quality, which sits at 4K rather than the Hero9’s 5K. This isn’t a major loss unless you’re going for absolutely premier image quality. At the same time, the other key difference is the screen – the front screen here is a black and white LCD blinker rather than an interactive colour screen, but again, this isn’t much of a loss for most users. All in all, the Hero7 is a good cost-cutting alternative to the Hero9.

Garmin’s VIRB Ultra 30 is another great cycling helmet camera, thanks to its low 3.2 oz weight and voice-operated controls. There’s a good sensor suite here, with GPS built-in as well as speed data, elevation, heart rate, and G-Force, making it an excellent pick for mountain bikers. The alternative fps modes are also great, with a 120fps 1080p option and a rare 240fps 720p mode too. As such, it’s the perfect pick for trail riding and mountain race videos.

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