Candid Camera

Helmet cams have always stirred mixed emotions in me. For the most part positive-the quest to document rides in their full 1080HD glory. GO PRO’s various generations have become pretty much the standard by which all are judged and I was really impressed by the Hero2 a couple of years back. 

However, choppy financial waters precluded purchase and last year’s end of line Delkin Wingman indulgence proved false economy.

Thirteen months hence and I’m eager to avoid throwing good money after bad, yet enticed by a sub £100 Geonaute boasting 1080HD, 5mpxl stills and user-friendly design... 

Now, direct comparisons with GO-Pro’s Hero series are perhaps inevitable, although misleading-rather akin to comparing entry level and enthusiast CSC cameras. Image quality is very good, though not in giant killing territory, colours aren’t quite so accurate and vignetting’s apparent in certain lights. Build seems reassuringly sturdy- I’d rather pay extra for a bolt-on LCD playback screen and protective casing than see corners cut structurally.  

Minoura Le Korde proved a delightful handlebar host for dry weather reportage but the G-Eye escape’s centre mounted lens is incompatible with Hero and Wingman polycarbonate shells alike, so you’ll need to invest in a model specific unit.

Supposedly water resistant to 60metres, it seals completely tight, precluding attachment to mini bar pods…Experimenting with some redundant (though complete) blinky brackets came close, yet ultimately unsatisfactory thus I resigned myself to shelling out a further (and final!) £20 on this nicely machined K-edge “Go big” aluminium unit.

Much better than watching my new companion expire in a series of R2D2 esque bleeps come the first hint of drizzle or exploding on contact with terra firma. Alas, I must confess these optical investments were borne from a series of near misses and “Punishment Passes” yet I’m hopeful engaging reportage stuff will prove its staple diet. Knog are due to launch an LED lighting companion for nocturnal filmmaking this autumn-something I was quick to register interest in-hopefully I’ll get chance to put one through its paces very soon.  

To the uninitiated, “punishment passing” is an act of intimidation used by some drivers to communicate their contempt for cyclists. This takes several forms, though usually involves overtaking with, or swinging back prematurely, leaving inches, sometimes less to spare.

The latest encounter involved a long wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter van emblazoned with tarmac supplier’s livery passing a hairs’ breadth from my handlebars (along a series of tight bends no less). Happy to give them and others some free publicity here; or via you-tube.  

Staying with commercial vehicles a moment, I found myself equally confounded by a communication informing me that a “global logistics company” who regularly drive by and occasionally deliver to my house, cannot find me and need directions! Hmm, no-one else, let alone the larger, established firms have any trouble whatsoever. While generally a constructive, pragmatic soul, I won’t entertain incompetence-especially on a professional level. 

Summer doesn’t officially end until October 31^st, yet it’s beginning to feel peri autumnal here; temperatures and daylight dip quite suddenly past 20.00, turning one’s mind to lighting. I recently completed a long term test of this One23 Extreme bright 1000 for a new publication and it’s yet another illustration of how competent, yet affordable contemporary high power systems are.

Once burdened with hefty, temperature sensitive lead acid cells that returned 2, maybe 3hrs from a full eight hour mains charge. These days £80 buys bijous li-ons capable of fuelling 1000 lumen lamps for nigh on four hours and 15 in the lower, which is capable enough for speedy semi-rural navigation, let alone cross town commuting.

Cheaper lens and reflector components mean some compromises where beam purity’s concerned and a few £150 plus 650 lumen models produce higher quality light, thus it wouldn’t be my first choice off-road. However, there’s ample clout for spooky unlit lanes to around 28mph.

Some will argue this is relatively expensive in the global age. Yes, you can get lucky, acquiring outwardly identical designs for considerably less. However, quality of output varies and electricals/charging equipment won’t necessarily meet domestic standards either. Official imports are easily replaced or repaired under warrantee and provided you’ve proof of purchase, competent local bike shops/distributors will handle any warrantee woes.

Attending the capital to watch one of Kate Bush’s live theatrical masterpieces persuaded me to bring my less desirable travel compact along. This was remarkably liberating since it still takes decent images yet is old and (relatively) inexpensive not to instil the same theft anxiety associated with CSCs. 

Alas, the enigmatic performer stipulated no unofficial image-taking (stills or otherwise) I was still able to sneak eighty odd photographs of well and poorly laden/ secured machines within an hour to illustrate further, forthcoming features. 

Coming Together

The kind folks at Ison distribution www.ison-distribution.com generously dropped me two of these lovely Genetic (Campag homage) seat post binder bolts yesterday (19 and 22mm just in case). Seizing the moment, I gently manipulated the frame’s ears, applied some composite friendly grease to bolt and post before introducing said components at their correct nm. Some folk still regard torque wrenches as a new-fangled luxury but in my book, lying prone in A&E while an overworked and undervalued nurse plucks shards from one’s buttocks is extremely undignified and totally unnecessary. Emblazoning my moniker along its top tube, fiddly bits are finished and with freshly herded goodies, my ferrous friend can resume secure hibernation until spring while I address pressing business matters and chart long, slippery outings aboard suitably dressed Ilpompino and Univega.

The deskilling debate has been hotly contested in many quarters with equally compelling contradiction. Traditionally this has referred to the labour market, primarily in relation to automation and manual labour. However, it appears increasingly prevalent in other spheres. I was somewhat gobsmacked to hear a police (traffic) officer remark that once someone has successfully passed their driving test; they are by default competent and capable users of the public highway (!) This contradicts widespread driving instructor/examiner conviction that such assessments are simply to ascertain someone is safe to be allowed to operate said vehicle(s) unaccompanied.

London’s seamier districts have always been awash with the unlicensed/uninsured and otherwise illegal drivers. However, toward the end of my twelve years spent navigating the capital on two-wheels, standards of PSV (Public Service Vehicles) operation had become obviously dilute to counteract declining numbers. This new breed of operator often substituted skill and courtesy with a deadly cocktail of elephantine ignorance and aggression toward smaller craft. I even recall the story of one, high on cocaine and deciding his passengers would benefit from a more scenic commute through suburban Kingston-Upon Thames (!)

Far from engaging “Victim” mode, I’m advocating for the re-establishment of “Road craft” whereby we have a collective responsibility to adopt a sense of greater humility, while continuously developing our skills and shedding this corrosive them/us tribalism. Aside from the (very real) fear of their driveway resembling a motorcycle salvage yard, my parents weren’t the least bit hysterical about a strange and irrational interest in middleweight motorcycles running in parallel with that of lightweight bicycles. Rather, they preferred to stress the importance of having a car licence-if for no other reason than to appreciate driver perspective and therefore, perceive potential hazards before they arose. Bottom line, I’m pro cycles but only have a pronounced allergy to stupid/ignorant/myopic humans, whether they be commanding car/van/bus/truck/horse/yak or indeed motor/cycle.

Against this backdrop, I am slightly perturbed by the notion of the UK’s sixteen year olds being able to drive unaccompanied on public roads, albeit behind the wheel of a heavily restricted vehicle. Now (before I’m mown down by an entourage of irate parents defending the civil liberties of their offspring) this has always been possible here under P class-trikes powered by engines no larger than 50cc. I can also appreciate why these micro-vehicles would seem preferable to little darlings terrorising commuter towns/estates astride sports mopeds, bereft of exhaust baffles (in the misguided notion such unleashes extra dobbins!) However, these do teach observation/road craft, contributing to an elevation of driver standards.

The Netherlands and to a lesser extent, Denmark are hailed as pinnacles of achievement when it comes to systems of integrated transport but in common with other social phenomenon, notions of being able to prune and re-pot in the UK is extremely naïve, failing to recognise the pronounced differences in public psyche.

Now, time I was charging some high power commuter lights and replenishing tired AAA cells, lest I fall foul of the fuzz, or worse still, become a statistic on tonight’s moonlit meander.