Cycling and photography

[simonankor]

Okay... we all love our rangefinders 'cause they're so small and light!

Soooooo since they're so easy to carry... who rides a bike when they're out shooting? How often? More importantly... how do you carry your gear?

At the moment I only have one camera that I take everywhere (but I'm getting the second one soon). I ride a cheap - but good - Avanti hybrid, and everything goes in a backpack. No camera bag for me - I just wrap the Bessa up in something soft and chuck it in.

I'm planning to upgrade to a recumbent touring bike later in the year and I'm heading up to the Snowies to do some touring. That'll involve panniers and probably a better set up for the cameras.

 

[NoTx]

Interesting question. Now I really need to think. What to carry with me on my hard tail... how to carry is a good question.

 

[FrankS]

Does a motorcycle count? My gear is carried in a tank bag cushioned with foam to absorb vibration.

 

[jon_flanders]

I think I mentioned in another thread that I have some saddlebags across the back of my bike. I put the camera bag with whatever camera I happen to be using for the moment in one side.

I try to make a couple of trips every week. My goal is to have a large number of Troy photographs for a web gallery next winter, when I can't be out riding.

 

[hoot]

Hey. When I ride my bike, I either have the XA attached to my wrist, and shoot while riding, or I attach a clamp-pod to my handlebars if I want to use a bigger camera.

 

[Kin Lau]

My wife and I visit a nature preserve where no cars are allowed, so we take our bicycles, and I'm carrying a Canon 300D with a 170-500mm zoom (total weight about 5-6lbs). Half the time, I don't even put the camera back into the backpack but just left it hang off my side with the camera strap across the chest. I'll also usually have a waistpack with a RF loaded w/ b&w also.

 

[sockeyed]

When I've bike toured, I've had a point and shoot or digican velcroed to my stem, so I can take snaps as I'm riding. My good gear I've kept in a front pannier in easy reach.

When I'm mountain biking, I keep my digicam in my camelbak. I rarely carry a rangefinder with me because I'm worried about crashing on it (although this summer I'll probably take my Bessa L out with me a few times). Although the quality of the digicam shots can't compare, they have captured some good moments. I've attached a few.

(the most important touring accessory is featured in the 3rd shot - in St-Emilion, France)

 

[Heath]

Nice shots Sockeyed. I usually carry my 300D in a Lowepro waist bag with my 80-200, 35-80 and 50mm lenses when I am out riding my bike. On the subject of bikes, mine is a '91 Giant Warp DS-2 dual suspension mountain bike. This is a great bike. I don't usually carry a rangefinder when I am riding. I like the speed and ease of use of the 300D, add to it the fact I ahve over 1,5 gig worth of CF cards I can virtually shoot all day. A few weks ago I shot a charity bike ride here in Sydney with the 300D and I had a ball.

Heath

 

[Laika]

I've been thinking of using one of my more beat up FED2's and collapsible lens as my MTB camera but I haven’t figured a decent way of carrying it, in my camelbak is a pain to get at. I was thinking of making or adapting some sort of lightly padded holster thing that could be attached to the frame of my Giant VT.

 

[richiedcruz]

I live in Alameda, CA, which is a really bike friendly town (flat, lots of bike lanes, not too hot or too windy) and go cycling almost every day. I never leave home without a camera. Right now, that means either my Hi-matic 9 or Argus C3.

My two current rides are a vintage, all original '57 red Schwinn Tornado that I got off of E B** (and added a set of paperboy sideracks to), and a really nice early eighties Raleigh Super Grand Prix that I fished out of someone's trash; and I do mean nice, full Suntour gruppo, right down to some really slick barend shifters, plus it came with a really nice set of Dia Compe Grand Compe brakes with the early style quick release brake levers.

And I have all sorts of other bikes that I need to put together or start restoring, like a rare handbuilt French touring bike that someone else had put in their trash. You'd be surprised at what sorts of cool things get thrown out come spring-time in this town.

In case you could not tell, bikes are my other hobby 😀
Richie

 

[cbass]

Ahh, yes...cycling and photography! Enough GAS attacks between them to keep me in the poor house forever. Nice to see so many fellow cyclists populating the forum.

When riding, my take-along camera is always my Oly XA2. Because it is so small I bring it even when I do solo road rides. I carry it either in my jersey pocket in a plastic bag or in my Camelbak (or panniers). My other cycling camera is a Canon A-40 digital which is a bit bulkier but can shoot all day with one 256 MB CF card.

My "musts":

-- must be able to fit into a jersey pocket
-- must be idiot-proof (for when I hand-off to another rider)
-- must have a self-timer
-- must use a common battery
-- must have integrated lens cover

 

[Richard Black]

I ride a Giant cross bike, as opposed to cross dressing bike, (sorry about that). I have been in a bit of a quandry regarding which camera to take and how to carry it. Thanks for some ideas! Has anyone tried those bags that attach to the cross bar and the seat post. Sort of like a triangle under the seat facing forward. The GSN seems to large and I would like an XA but that is a bit out of reach for now. My wife had an XA2 for years but, alas, it died. Bikes and cameras, a tirp to the poor house!

 

[bobofish]

I lived in Vienna for a couple of years, and since it is a bike friendly city, and I could not possibly have afforded a car over there, I went everywhere with one of those razor scooters that used to be so popular...(I owned the first one ever sold in Austria, back when they were made in Switzerland!)

Anyway, I'd sling the ol' Canon Elan over one shoulder, and scoot around to my heart's content...lots of fun.

Plus, the scooter allowed me to make quick getaways!

 

[Andy K]

I ride every day on my Dawes Republic (hybrid) and without fail I have a camera with me, usually my Voigtlander Vito CLR or my OM10. I use a handlebar bag as they are less susceptible to vibration and also because it is thermally insulated and therefore keeps my camera and film cool.

 

[l.mar]

Ah --- what a great thread --- two of my favorite obsessions! I usually carry the camera in a waist pack, having had some bad experiences carrying the camera in panniers or seat bags or rack bags... As for cameras, I have used a Minox 35 EL to an Olympus Stylus Epic (great for on-the-fly shots during centuries), all the way to 120 folders. I remember seeing a great turn-of-the-century ad describing a front rack for a plate-film camera --- apparently, the development of the bicycle and the camera at the end of the nineteenth/early twentieth century occupied the minds of many engineers/designers. Here's a shot taken while trail riding on my old Bridgestone MB3, taken with a Zeiss Ikonta "C" folder.

 

[laptoprob]

Hi, important subject!
I took my M2 and CLE with 15/4,5, 35/2,5, 50/2 and 90/4 coll. in a handlebar-bag to the Hebrides. Street sycling, with the other gear too heavy for off road stuff. About 6kg. of camera, worked fine.
Next time maybe the Bessa T instead of the Leica. Saves a little weight, and my upcoming 135 will have to join!

Rob.

 

[denishr]

I think I was more excited when I got my new bike a couple of months ago than when I got my first Leica 🙂
I've been riding my old Chinese mountain/city bike for full 10 years... The bike is my primary means of transport around town, and that old Chinese donkey was getting tired. I got a nice new Fuji (low-end Thunder model), but it's miles ahead of what I had before...
Didn't want any of the more flashy and more expensive (and admittedly better) models, because they tend to get stolen rather quickly. Since I often leave the bike parked and locked, and unattended for a while, I'd rather not do that with a very expensive model that draws too much attention. And for me it's not practical to have a bicycle you can't leave outside when you go for a drink 🙂

As for cameras, I always have one in my backpack - not very practical or fast if you need to take a shot quickly, but I don't find it too much of a hassle to take the backpack off and open it to get the camera.
I've also tried using my Safrotto bag (Domke clone) on a bike, but it's not really meant for a bicycle, I guess, since it doesn't stay put 🙂 So, it's usually a smallish backpack on a bicycle, and the Safrotto bag if I need more than 1 camera (rarely) or when I'm off on a car trip with the family.

Denis

 

[l.mar]

"Next time maybe the Bessa T instead of the Leica."

Rob.

I agree, the Bessa-T is an excellent camera for cycling. Here's a shot taken with one while cycling along the river. Lens is a 3.5 cm Summaron at f/11-16, at about 1/60th sec., C-41 "B &W" film.

 

[laptoprob]

Summaron?

Summaron?

"Next time maybe the Bessa T instead of the Leica."

Rob.

I agree, the Bessa-T is an excellent camera for cycling. Here's a shot taken with one while cycling along the river. Lens is a 3.5 cm Summaron at f/11-16, at about 1/60th sec., C-41 "B &W" film.

How do you like the Summaron? I have a Color Skopar 35mm now but I find the contrast too much. How sharp is the Summaron? In comparison to...

thanks, Rob.

 

[phototone]

For bicycling I put either my Olympus XA, or my Minox 35EL, or Kiev 35A into my pants pocket, along with my cell phone and my house keys. (Separate pockets). That is my whole kit.

For motorcycle rides, I take lots, such as M4-2, IIIc, lots of lenses, flashlight, etc. as I have hard side bags that hold a lot. I even take a small tripod.