How To Mount A Camera On A Bike: Full Guide

by StableCameraAdmin | Action Cameras, Camera Gear

Mounting a camera on your bike is a great way to capture the open road and your surroundings while you’re on a ride.

However, it can be difficult to get good shots if you don’t have the right equipment or know how to use it.

In this post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about mounting a camera on your bike and taking great videos while riding.

Why Mount A Camera To A Bicycle?

There are a few reasons why you may be interested in mounting a camera to your bicycle.

For filmmakers, this is an excellent method of capturing interesting moving footage.

For urban cycling and mountain bike enthusiasts, a camera mounted to your bike is a great way to film your bicycle adventures.

Just check out this video from Wonder World that shows off some of the awesome footage that’s only possible with a bike-mounted GoPro.

What Kind Of Camera Should You Use?

First, you will obviously require a camera. But what kind of camera should you use?

Any digital camera that is weather-sealed and has a fast lens can work.

While you could use a DSLR or mirrorless camera system, as they both offer great image quality and are easy to operate while riding, we recommend using an action camera instead.

Action cameras are designed specifically for capturing extreme sports footage.

We recommend something like the GoPro HERO10.

There are also plenty of accessories on the market designed to mount GoPros, making it easy to find a suitable mount.

Types Of Mounts

When it comes to mounting a camera on your bicycle, the two most versatile options are clamp mounts and bracket mounts.

These types of mounts are designed to attach to circular shafts, making them perfect for mounting on a standard-sized bicycle.

That said, other more specialized mounting systems do exist, such as seat mounts.

Below we’ll cover the clamp mounts, bracket mounts, and seat mounts.

Clamp Mounts

Clamp mounts are the more popular choice as they offer a wide range of adjustability and can be easily installed.

These mounts are designed to wrap around a circular shaft and tighten into place.

Clamp mounts are typically longer than bracket mounts and sometimes feature a bendable arm which can assist in getting the best angle for your footage.

Bracket Mounts

Bracket mounts are designed to wrap completely around a circular shaft and tighten it into place — often using screws.

These mounts typically lack the bendable arm that some clamp mounts feature. However, bracket mounts have several benefits that their clamp counterparts lack.

First, they provide a cleaner look, as they are often smaller and less bulky in design.

Second, they’re more aerodynamic, which can be helpful if speed is something that matters to you.

Finally, bracket mounts are typically more secure, as it’s more difficult for vibrations to loosen them.

Seat Mounts

While clamp and bracket mounts will be useful in the majority of mounting scenarios, there are also a number of specialty mounts designed to attach to specific areas of your bike.

The most popular of these is the seat mount.

A seat camera mount for a bicycle is a device that allows you to securely mount a camera to the seat of your bicycle.

This can be extremely useful for getting shots of the road behind you as you ride.

These mounts typically attach to the underside of your seat and shouldn’t get in your way while you ride.

What About Helmet Mounts?

Mounting a GoPro to your helmet instead of your bike might seem appealing.

After all, this will give you awesome POV footage, right?

While there are plenty of accessories out there that allow you to easily mount your GoPro, these shots actually tend to look far more bring than bike-mounted footage.

This is because the footage lacks any context!

Simply put, the camera becomes shaky and looks like it floating in the air.

When you attach your camera to your bike, the footage becomes much smoother while showing viewers that you were in fact riding a bike.

Where To Attach Your Camera On Your Bike

When considering camera mount placement, it is very important to avoid areas that are flimsy or in your way.

Here are some of our recommended mounting spots.

Handlebars

Mounting your camera to this section of your bike will allow you to face your camera forwards or backwards toward yourself for a POV-style shot.

Depending on the type of bike you own, you may find this spot will obscure your view or it may allow for a relatively unobstructed view of the road ahead.

A handlebar-mounted camera can also be swivelled to the side to capture the scenery to your left or right as you ride by.

Bike Frame

The frame of your bike is another great spot for mounting thanks to its sturdy, out-of-the-way location.

Thanks to the versatility of both clamp and bracket mounts, you can get really creative when mounting a camera to your frame.

For example, mounting a GoPro to your seat post could let you capture footage of your back wheel and shock as you bounce around on a dirt trail

Seat

As previously mentioned, a seat mount will allow you to mount a camera under your seat so your camera is facing backwards.

This camera location can be great thanks to its out-of-the-way placement.

However, a seat-mounted camera can really only face backward.

This can be a good method for filming a friend as they ride behind.

Keeping Your Camera Steady

If you plan to ride on some rough terrain, then you may experience some shakey camera footage.

While this should be less of an issue for urban riders, mountain bikers are likely to run into this problem.

Camera stabilization is an important topic. We recommend checking out our article Stabilize Mountain Bike Footage: Tips & Tricks for a full guide on stabilizing your bike footage.

Steps For Mounting A Camera On Your Bike

Choose the right mount. The first step in mounting a camera on your bike is to choose the right mount. There are a variety of mounts available, so it’s important to choose one that is compatible with your camera and will fit securely on your bike.
Attach the mount to your bike. Once you have chosen the right mount, the next step is to attach it to your bike. Most mounts will attach to either the handlebars or the seat post. It’s important to make sure that the mount is securely attached before proceeding.
Attach the camera to the mount. The next step is to attach your camera to the mount. Again, it’s important to make sure that the camera is securely attached before proceeding. Once the camera is attached, you can adjust it as needed to get the perfect shot. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if your GoPro placement will look good. Try using the GoPro app to see what the camera sees while you install your mount.
Go for a test ride. Before heading out on your real ride, it’s a good idea to go for a test ride with your new setup. This will help you to make sure that everything is secure and that you’re getting the shots that you want.
Have fun! Once you’ve got everything set up, it’s time to hit the road and start having some fun! Remember to keep an eye on your camera while you’re riding, and be sure to stop and take some pictures when you see something worth capturing.