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On the bike
Only on the most casual of rides might I feel
comfortable with the camera slung behind me.
Two things help – a properly non-slip strap, and
getting the length right. (If the strap doesn’t have
enough adjustment, get a new strap.)
The waist-belt of a holster is always either too
slack to stay put, or digs in uncomfortably. For
some years I defaulted to carrying
it on a chest-harness instead,
or clipped to rucksack straps
with a bungees and mini-
karabiners. This is still
the best system when
needing quick access
to the camera, which
can be particularly
critical in bike
shoots. It does
have limitations
though – banging
on the thighs if
you get into an
aero tuck on the
road, shifting
disconcertingly
during technical
mtb descents. It’s
not a cheap solution
and doesn’t work for
everyone; Felicity
Martin found
that a chest-
harness created
problems with
nerves in her
back.
For road riding,
I’ve often used a handlebar-bag,
which means I can grab the camera
and shoot without dismounting (on
occasions without even stopping!).
However any on-bike system
transmits road-buzz and other
vibration, so extra padding is
needed, and most bar-bags
then aren’t big enough for a
full-frame DSLR and lens.
And I discovered another
problem when using
a bar-bag during the
‘Liverpool Roubaix’
sportive. Let’s just
say I was extremely
glad I’d backed
up the KlikFit
mount with
zipties.
continued
Is this a sensible place
to have the camera on a
neck strap? (That strap
looks over-long to me,
too). Somewhere near the
Jungfraujoch.
Using a handlebar bag. There was extra padding, though it doesn’t
show in the pic. This bag was too small for a DSLR but fi ne for the
smallish mirrorless camera seen here.
summer 2019 | Outdoor focus 9