cycling with camera kit

david1701

david1701

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how do you do it well, as a test today I brought a fairly minimal load (5D2 17-35L, 24-70L, 580EXII, bike pump, tyre leavers/repair kit and laptop/charger) in my bag lowepro one strap backpack thing and had my tripod (055) strapped along the top bar of the frame, bike is a smallish mtb

the bike is a bit of a bitch to pedal anyway (I may have had it when I was 15 and I usually ride my sisters bike but the front tyre is irreperable and the bike shop man is on holiday :bang:

anyway my plan is to do a lot more riding with kit to shoot some funky as landscapes at godawful hours as part of both my fitness and my intention to improve my landscape compositional skills

Who here carries kit and how do you do it?
 
Just for information, the olde-skool way was to use a handlebar bag, which has a rod frame which loops under the stem and over the bars, with its two prongs pointing forward and fitting in sleeves either side of the bag. The camera is easily accessible and isolated somewhat from vibrations, but it's not the place to carry much weight.

Carrying a tripod is a booger. A "boot" to hold the feet, located near a rear dropout, could be an option with a derailleur guard forming part of the solution. Keep the tripod vertical and lash it to the top rod of a decent pannier carrier. Cut up an old welly to avoid metal-to-metal contact.
 
I haven't carried kit on a bike for years, mainly because I haven't been on a bike for years. However I used to use a bar bag with T-90, 28mm, 50mm and 200mm lenses so nowhere near as heavy as your kit. The most stable place to carry kit is low down near the front wheel hubs using low-rider bags and mounts, the only drawback for camera gear would be the vibration/shocks. I put this photo up on another thread but it illustrates my set up:

cycletour.jpg
 
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kk

I feel communicating with the man in the shop when he gets back, buying a S/H tourer with paniers at the back and then getting a bar bag

I can put the tripod at the back, camera in the bar bag and laptop on my back in a lighter bag? or in the other panier at the back to give some balance

I know you can get hard shell camera bags so I could pair kit over the wheels and not worry, but they're bloody dear
 
oh and to make you chuckle, cycling back to the shop after buying some lunch the handlbars wen't upside down, I don't think the weight of 10 slices of ham in a carrier did it but now I need to find an allen key to get home :D
 
I have backpack with camera and lens in and a basket at the front for everything else :)
 
Lowepro Trekker backpack for camera + lenses + lunch etc

Redsnapper Tripod, legs put through the backpacks carrying handle, a bit of velcro around the feet to keep the tripod steady

Job Done

Tried Bungeeing tripod to bike made it heavy and unstable
 
I don't have any problems I load up the camera and kit grab the mountain bike and put it in the back of the pick up and off I go,don't know why I take a bike :shrug:
 
its a decent enough bike, will get you around quicker than walking, no indication of price but claud butlers tend to be a bit dated (imho).

ive heard of a few horrors on ebay when it comes to 2nd hand bikes, so be aware
 
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