Seriously thinking of a bike camera to protect myself

Masala

Had a close one today.... Had some Cnut spit at me from a passing car. Felt some of it but by reaction was to look away as it flew thru the air. So no chance to get a Reg Number ... Just a a model and colour

Is there a camera that I can get just for the handlebars that will have a 15 minute cycle that will keep recording over itself etc. not looking to record scenery, mates chatting etc.... Just what happened in front of me if there is an incident???

Any recommendations?????

LpPepper

Masala wrote: »

Had a close one today.... Had some Cnut spit at me from a passing car. Felt some of it but by reaction was to look away as it flew thru the air. So no chance to get a Reg Number ... Just a a model and colour

Is there a camera that I can get just for the handlebars that will have a 15 minute cycle that will keep recording over itself etc. not looking to record scenery, mates chatting etc.... Just what happened in front of me if there is an incident???

Any recommendations?????

You could get a GoPro copy from Amazon for about €60/€70. Then you would need an aluminium bar mount - there's ones on Amazon again about €6/7 that are decent. The official ones are k-edge but are €30 plus.

Entry level GoPro hero is about €130.

In saying that, Gardaí probably can't/won't do an awful lot based on my experience.

StevieGriff

Consider a rear camera? Fly6 cameras are fierce handy, less clutter, awesome light and a decent camera rolled into one package. Well capable of capturing license plates.

07Lapierre

Fly6 on the rear, GoPro session on the front.

Wishbone Ash

Re you title - no camera will protect you. It may allow you to gather evidence etc. but it won't stop aggressive behaviour from other road users.

Masala

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Re you title - no camera will protect you. It may allow you to gather evidence etc. but it won't stop aggressive behaviour from other road users.

I agree... But just want to have evidence if I want to follow it up legally.

Lumen

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Re you title - no camera will protect you. It may allow you to gather evidence etc. but it won't stop aggressive behaviour from other road users.

As as Nibali would say "the mother of cretins is always pregnant". :pac:

Alanstrainor

LpPepper wrote: »

You could get a GoPro copy from Amazon for about €60/€70. Then you would need an aluminium bar mount - there's ones on Amazon again about €6/7 that are decent. The official ones are k-edge but are €30 plus.

Entry level GoPro hero is about €130.

In saying that, Gardaí probably can't/won't do an awful lot based on my experience.

The entry level go pro, doesn't do loop recording. So it can be a bit of a pain having to clear the card every week or so. And I'd agree that the Gardai wont do much unless someone actually hit you.

Masala

Weepsie wrote: »

Gardai in station mightn't, but traffic watch gardai would take it seriously I'd think

Even the fact that I go to Guards and file a complaint ... Something will have to be done. Even if it's a call around to the driver house for a few words ... It might save someone life down the line and give the driver a good lesson. I would expect that a complaint will be auctioned....

LpPepper

Alanstrainor wrote: »

The entry level go pro, doesn't do loop recording. So it can be a bit of a pain having to clear the card every week or so. And I'd agree that the Gardai wont do much unless someone actually hit you.

It will save 4.5hrs of footage on a 32gb SD card. You can format it in literally 5 seconds on the GoPro itself

barneystinson

Masala wrote: »

Even the fact that I go to Guards and file a complaint ... Something will have to be done. Even if it's a call around to the driver house for a few words ... It might save someone life down the line and give the driver a good lesson. I would expect that a complaint will be auctioned....

Are you saying the driver spat at you? Unless it was a left hand drive car, or you were cycling on the wrong side of the road, it's probably a medal they should be getting for managing not to gob all over the passenger side of their car...

How exactly would you think it's likely to save anyone's life, genuine question?

terrydel

How will the camera protect you? Does it have a forcefield that envelopes you?

The Sidewards Man

Did you get the reg op, disgusting attitude to us cyclists.

fat bloke

barneystinson wrote: »

Are you saying the driver spat at you? Unless it was a left hand drive car, or you were cycling on the wrong side of the road, it's probably a medal they should be getting for managing not to gob all over the passenger side of their car...

How exactly would you think it's likely to save anyone's life, genuine question?

I can't decide which I find more irritating. Drive by spittings or the above post.

CramCycle

Masala wrote: »

Had some Cnut spit at me from a passing car.

barneystinson wrote: »

Are you saying the driver spat at you? Unless it was a left hand drive car, or you were cycling on the wrong side of the road, it's probably a medal they should be getting for managing not to gob all over the passenger side of their car...

I don't think you read the OP fully, someone spat. General experience over the years is that it is the front passenger who tends to throw, hurl spit stuff at you, just facilitated by the drivers skimming you.

barneystinson

fat bloke wrote: »

I can't decide which I find more irritating. Drive by spittings or the above post.

Well excuuuuuuuuse me for the audacity to ask questions!

Maybe I underestimate the ease of spitting out the passenger window of a moving car while driving?! Maybe I should try it on my way to work tomorrow..! (Not at a cyclist of course!!)

Den_M

barneystinson wrote: »

Are you saying the driver spat at you? Unless it was a left hand drive car, or you were cycling on the wrong side of the road, it's probably a medal they should be getting for managing not to gob all over the passenger side of their car...

How exactly would you think it's likely to save anyone's life, genuine question?

Replies like this are the worst thing about boards and similar sites

barneystinson

CramCycle wrote: »

I don't think you read the OP fully, someone spat. General experience over the years is that it is the front passenger who tends to throw, hurl spit stuff at you, just facilitated by the drivers skimming you.

Oh I read it alright, I suppose the point I'm getting at is that there's no point taking the driver's registration then is there, since it's the clown in the passenger seat who spat - the guards calling to the driver's house are going to do/say what, exactly?

The Sidewards Man

Hurling a humdinger at a fellow road user may also have serious health issues.

barneystinson

Den_M wrote: »

Replies like this are the worst thing about boards and similar sites

Replies like yours are actually far worse, at least I'm engaging in conversation; you're just doing the internet equivalent of raising a disapproving eyebrow over your glasses and tutting loudly.

I'm so glad I wandered in here as a non-cyclist, to facilitate you guys in closing ranks and tut-tutting!

Wishbone Ash

Masala wrote: »

.. Something will have to be done. Even if it's a call around to the driver house for a few words ...

In my experience that seems to be at the discretion of the individual Garda. Some are great, others just consider cyclists a nuisance.

(On one occasion when I reported a pass at night where the vehicle actually made physical contact with me, the Garda on desk duty said that I shouldn't be cycling at night as it was dangerous).

CramCycle

barneystinson wrote: »

Oh I read it alright, I suppose the point I'm getting at is that there's no point taking the driver's registration then is there, since it's the clown in the passenger seat who spat - the guards calling to the driver's house are going to do/say what, exactly?

It's technically assault, the gardai can call around, inform them that evidence has been provided, that the other road user is not persuing but to cop the F on going forward as the behaviour is now recordeded on Pulse. The Gardai are often (not always), very good at this sort of common sense, quick resolution policing.

Depending on the response, the Gardai may contact the OP, say the driver seems to have understood, or if the driver was a prat to the Garda, ring the OP and ask themm would they be willing to testidy to assault.

The latter is rare.

Also while driving a car, you are responsible to a degree for the behaviour of your passengers, if the video could show that the driver clearly and intentionally facilitated the maneuvre, clear swinging in, then it would not be hard for the Gardai to add that in.

Den_M

barneystinson wrote: »

Replies like yours are actually far worse, at least I'm engaging in conversation; you're just doing the internet equivalent of raising a disapproving eyebrow over your glasses and tutting loudly.

I'm so glad I wandered in here as a non-cyclist, to facilitate you guys in closing ranks and tut-tutting!

Some poor bugger gets spat on by an ignorant prick in a passing car, is obviously upset about it. comes on here to talk about what could done to help in some, any, way in the future and they get the likes of you questioning if it even happened or if they were somehow at fault without a single helpful word

I'm not a cyclist either and never post in this section but a bit of empathy goes s long way

CramCycle

barneystinson wrote: »

Replies like yours are actually far worse, at least I'm engaging in conversation; you're just doing the internet equivalent of raising a disapproving eyebrow over your glasses and tutting loudly.

I'm so glad I wandered in here as a non-cyclist, to facilitate you guys in closing ranks and tut-tutting!

You swung in to dismiss assault, while minor and in the long run, of no real harm. As if somehow in civilised society, scumbag behaviour is grand if no one dies.

My response would have been the same had it been a pedestrian being spat at, or maybe a pedestrian or cyclist spitting in the window of a car.

Nothing to do with closing ranks, more to do with an expected minimum level of decency.

barneystinson

Den_M wrote: »

Some poor bugger gets spat on by an ignorant prick in a passing car, is obviously upset about it. comes on here to talk about what could done to help in some, any, way in the future and they get the likes of you questioning if it even happened or if they were somehow at fault without a single helpful word

I'm not a cyclist either and never post in this section but a bit of empathy goes s long way

Where did I question if it happened? I've no doubt it happened, and the fact that I'm not offering him a back rub and sweet tea doesn't mean that I don't empathise. This isn't Facebook where you have to say, THAT'S TERRIBLE HUN XXX...

The questions I asked were to clarify that it must have been the passenger that spat, and that being the case to pose what I think is a perfectly reasonable question as a consequence of that fact, as to how exactly sending the gardai to the driver's house is likely to have any effect.

Maybe it will, but considering the type of moron who'd do something like that, I doubt it TBH, they'd probably laugh at a Garda warning.

barneystinson

CramCycle wrote: »

You swung in to dismiss assault, while minor and in the long run, of no real harm. As if somehow in civilised society, scumbag behaviour is grand if no one dies.

My response would have been the same had it been a pedestrian being spat at, or maybe a pedestrian or cyclist spitting in the window of a car.

Nothing to do with closing ranks, more to do with an expected minimum level of decency.

Where did I "dismiss assault"? I simply expressed the view that if it's the passenger spitting, the likelihood that reporting it to the gardai will have any meaningful effect to the extent of saving a life, is fairly remote. It's got nothing to do with dismissing or excusing the toerags that did it, simply recognising the practical reality of the situation.

If it was me and I had the reg I'm sure I'd report it too, but just wouldn't have my hopes up about any meaningful satisfaction resulting.

conkennedy

Deedsie wrote: »

Can the evidence gathered using a GoPro be used in legal proceedings? Insurance cases?

Yes

Masala

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Did you get the reg op, disgusting attitude to us cyclists.

No... Didn't get the Reg. All happened so fast...and I was concentrating on stopping and wiping myself clean as a priority.

ted1

In fairness I've seen several cyclist spit to the right and many occasions have missed people as they pass them

cjt156

Sympathies OP, unfortunately the world is full of a$$holes; some of them have even found their way into this thread...

Johnnio13

If the Gardai don't take the camera footage as evidence what would be the point. I had similiar craic yesterday on Dunbro lane out by the airport. Idiot in 08 black beamer decides to overtake 6 cars together coming towards me at serious speed. Missed me by about a foot. And no hard shoulder to use. I was shakin after that.