In my adventures in trying to dress up as Lala from the Teletubbies I’ve found the ATC Mini Helmet Camera to be an irreplaceable accessory.

Teletubby impersonations aside, what does the ATC Mini Helmet Camera by Oregon Scientific offer cyclists?

High quality HD video

In tests with the ATC Mini helmet camera for cyclists, I’ve found the video quality to be excellent. The camera doesn’t suffer from curved recording edges, you can see licence plates and there haven’t been any issues where the recording has been too dark. Although, it’s not quite the level of the more expensive HD Hero helmet camera, it should be enough for most uses.

However, there is a downside to this high quality of video. For every one minute of video you are looking at around a 100mb file. On a 25 minute commute, you’d therefore have 2.5 gigs of data. You can buy 32GB Micro SD cards which costs around £30 and that should prevent you from running out of juice. The battery lasts for approximately 1.5 hours.

There is one further consideration. If you’ve got an older laptop then it may struggle to edit the HD video. You’ll find that converting the video to MP4 format will dramatically reduce the file size while maintaining the quality.

Wide Range of mounting options

The ATC Mini Helmet Camera has an excellent range of mounting options. Especially, when coupled with the ATC Mini Handlebar Mount. Thanks to the low weight of the unit it shouldn’t be a problem to place it on the helmet. I found the helmet mount provides the most clear angle for bike rides.

What really stood in my review of the ATC Mini is that you can make some excellent micro adjustments to get the recording angle just right. This is thanks to the design of the mount. Out of all the helmet cameras I’ve tested, I’ve found the mounting system in the ATC Mini the most useful.

Despite the lack of an LCD monitor it wasn’t too hard to guess where the camera was pointed. I found that from the first ride my guesses were pretty accurate.

(The video at the end of this post demonstrates the benefit of multiple mounting angles)

Easy to use

The ATC Mini helmet camera is designed to make life simple:

• To upload video you just plug it in to your computer without needing any additional software.
• There are just three buttons on the unit (On/Off, Camera, Video) all of them easy to press even with gloves
• Mounting is quick and painless (just don’t forget to tighten the screw that holds the camera in place!)

Waterproof

With water resistance of up to 20 metres you’ll have to seek out a pretty deep pothole to be in any difficulty. It’s great that this is something included straight out of the box with the ATC Mini, rather than having to invest in additional accessories.

Video Review

Review of the ATC Mini Helmet Camera

Overall, there’s a lot to love about the Oregon Scientific ATC Mini. Waterproof, competitively priced, high quality video and excellent mounting. Any let downs? 1.5 hour battery life may not offer enough juice for all purposes and when mounted to your helmet you do look a little silly!

Three months ago Times Reporter Mary Bowers was hit by a lorry as she made her way to her office. She remains in critical condition in hospital. Today, her colleagues have launched a campaign to call for safer measures to be put in place to protect cyclists.

The campaign has a front page position in the Times newspaper and is calling for people to visit this page to pledge their support:

http://thetim.es/cyclecampaign

Additionally, people on Twitter are asked to use the #cyclesafe to see if it can become a trending topic.

The times is calling for the below measures:

1. Trucks entering a city centre should be required by law to fit sensors, audible truck-turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels.
2. The 500 most dangerous road junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors that allow lorry drivers to see cyclists on their near-side.
3. A national audit of cycling to find out how many people cycle in Britain and how cyclists are killed or injured should be held to underpin effective cycle safety.
4. Two per cent of the Highways Agency budget should be earmarked for next generation cycle routes, providing £100 million a year towards world-class cycling infrastructure. Each year cities should be graded on the quality of cycling provision.
5. The training of cyclists and drivers must improve and cycle safety should become a core part of the driving test.
6. 20mph should become the default speed limit in residential areas where there are no cycle lanes.
7. Businesses should be invited to sponsor cycleways and cycling super-highways, mirroring the Barclays-backed bicycle hire scheme in London.
8. Every city, even those without an elected mayor, should appoint a cycling commissioner to push home reforms.

It’s good to see a big newspaper getting behind the campaign for safer cycling conditions. A front page feature helps get the message across to an audience that perhaps is less aware of the issues. Hopefully they’ll be a few copies of the Times floating around parliament today.

If you’ve ever stood, ridden or driven through Euston Circus you’ll know it is a nightmare. An area infested with fumes, ear piercing screeches of buses coming to a halt and sirens every 20 seconds. This is a part of London that you can’t wait to get away from as soon as possible. Yet, in one of the worst examples of urban planning, lies the greatest potential for improvement. In amongst this chaos also exists one of my favourite cycling facilities in London that I use on an almost daily basis.

TfL’s 11m makeover plans for Euston Circus

TfL today announced their 11m makeover plan that they are currently accepting public consultation on.

In their press release they recognise that this is “a traffic dominated area which acts as a significant barrier for pedestrians and cyclists.”

The new design has been a collaboration between TfL, Camden Council, Design for London and British Land. It aims to make things a lot easier for pedestrians with fewer crossings and more pavement space.

TfL also state that it provides a safer journey for cyclists with plans to enhance the contraflow (against traffic) cycle lane along the Euston Road.

Camden Cyclists plans for Euston Circus

Whilst the design upgrades look set to improve things for pedestrians with wider pavements, trees and easier crossings, the improvements for cyclists appear severely limited.

Here’s an example of a typical ride currently using the contraflow lane:

The video shows how there is plenty of room from improvement through re-allocation of under used space. However, I see little in the plans that would serve cyclists better.

Instead, cyclists will now have to take a less direct route and will continue to face many of the difficulties shown in the video above.

The main point of contention, is that once again, cyclists are having to mix with heavy moving traffic. Whilst it is something that experienced cyclists are able to grin and bear, new cyclists will continue to be put off switching to a more effective mode of transport.

However, there is an alternative. The below is the proposal by Camden Cyclists:

The proposals make it far easier for cyclists to travel from Camden and the Euston Road down towards central London through a contraflow cycle lane. The space does exist to make this happen. This is a facility I would personally use on an almost daily basis.

They also call for phased traffic signals, similar to the ones that will be installed at Bow Roundabout. This would give cyclists time to move across multiple lanes of traffic without having to battle for road space. The plans do not compromise on the amount of road space available for vehicular traffic.

If the original TfL plans go ahead unchanged, then it is unlikely they’ll be any further major improvements for another 10 years.

Information on the public consultation can be found here.

However, the idea stuck with me. I couldn’t help thinking that I’d been a little too quick to judge and actually they would be pretty useful. In particular, if you need to tap your iPhone or mobile phone screen when it is in a bike mount. As I often do when I’m following a new route somewhere.

I looked around at a couple of different companies that sell these types of gloves and came across the eGlove eXtreme (it’s all about capital letters in strange places). I was impressed by the quality and the price seemed about right so I’ve added them to our London Cyclist eShop.

With the cold weather we are mid way through at the moment I thought it would be a good time to announce their addition.

If you are looking for a pair then have a look at the size chart at the bottom of this page because they are designed to have a very snug fit (time to ask around for a tape measure or ruler!) I’ll end this post with this random fact: I have a 19cm hand.

Question: Is it legal or technically illegal to “scoot” your bike on a pavement? Scooting is what you can see the adorable granny doing in the video above (thanks @yvessalmon for sharing!)

• Totally fine! I do it all the time
• Illegal! I know I may be fined for this

This was the question posed to me by Cas via email. Cas was stopped by two PCSO’s after scooting through Smithfield Market.

It was time to refer to my wonderful Twitterers for answers.

They pointed me to the ultimate website for answers to the questions that begin with “Is it legal to….” – the UK Cycle Rules blog.

Inside the blog was this post on riding on footpaths which says:

“freewheeling or standing on one pedal still counts as riding. (DPP v Selby [1994] RTR 157, 162; Crank v Brooks [1980] RTR 441, 442-3)”

The judgement stated:

"In my judgment a person who is walking across a pedestrian crossing pushing a bicycle, having started on the pavement on one side on her feet and not on the bicycle, and going across pushing the bicycle with both feet on the ground so to speak is clearly a ‘foot passenger’. If for example she had been using it as a scooter by having one foot on the pedal and pushing herself along, she would not have been a ‘foot passenger’. But the fact that she had the bicycle in her hand and was walking does not create any difference from a case where she is walking without a bicycle in her hand. I regard it as unarguable the finding that she was not a foot passenger "

A couple of readers also talked about friends who had received a fine.

Definitely illegal then. I imagine however, you’d have to be caught by a fairly grumpy or “by the book” policeman to receive the fine.

See also:

• Ever been doored? It is actually illegal
• What cyclists can be fined for

Just when you think you’ve seen everything in the big wide world of bicycle accessories, along come the folding mudguards.

Full Windsor QuickFix Folding Mudguard review

This British Made Full Windsor Folding Mudguard is a lazy (wo)mans mudguard. As there’s not actually that many days of the year that we are caught cycling in the rain it can be a useful accessory to have to hand. Especially as installation takes seconds as shown in the dodgy home made movie below:

My awful pre-conception of the mudguard would be that it would be flimsy and a pain to install. I was very much proven wrong.

The Full Windsor QuickFix comes in two editions. You can have the zip tie edition or the clip edition. I much preferred the clip edition which makes things quicker and easier to install and remove, and doesn’t waste precious zip ties.

You also have a choice of colours. For testing I was sent the white and yellow edition but I’d probably prefer the slightly less conspicuous black edition. Although, whichever edition you choose, you are going to stand out a little. If that’s in a good way or a bad way I leave to your own sense of reality to decide.

On my test ride in yesterdays petrol soaked London roads I was impressed. The folding mudguard kept my back dry and free of horrible road spray.

When we arrived at the destination (Lock Tavern!) I was a little confused as to whether I should be taking the mudguards off or leaving them on. I chose to leave them on and they were there when we returned after 5 pints a quick non-alcoholic beverage. However, priced at £14.99 on Wiggle I probably wouldn’t leave them on the bike for an extended period. This creates the problem of folding them up and putting them in your bag. Something that isn’t too desirable when they are covered in road muck.

I really like these origami style mudguards. I think they are a clever idea that has been well designed and manufactured. If you always ride your bike with mudguards then you really don’t have any use for them. However, if you want a mudguard that can be installed and removed in seconds for rain related emergencies then these get the big thumbs up from me!

Around this time of the year, it’s unavoidable to take a look at your belly, reminisce about the many big, delicious meals and think about how you are going to lose that Christmas weight.

The answer is of course cycling! However, take a look at the window and you’ll soon have those gloomy January feelings.

Fortunately – we know better weather conditions for cycling are to come! So here’s a great event to add to your cycling calendar.

The 2012 Breakthrough Breast Cancer London to Cambridge Bike Ride. The ride involves 5,000 cyclists sweating their way along the 96km route to Cambridge. It’s a gorgeous ride that quite a few of my friends have done in the past. You’ll cover beautiful Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire with rest stops on the way. Which are good for catching up with friends and meeting fellow cyclists.

The event takes place on Sunday the 22nd of July and sets off from Pickets Lock in North East London. Registration is only £19.50 per person or if you go as a team of 6 or more then £18.50 per person. This registration cost goes to cover the cost of the event, and so Breakthrough asks that each cyclist aims to raise £100 to support Breakthrough’s life-saving breast cancer work. Which shouldn’t have you pestering too many people at work!

Click here to visit the ride website for more details and get registered

This morning I took a ride to see the Trafalgar Sun. Other than providing a nice bit of publicity for Tropicana, I thought it would also be a good chance to test out to ATC-Mini Helmet Camera.

The ATC-Mini Helmet camera costs £123. Which is a bit of bargain considering the high video quality. However, the price does hop up a little when you throw in the handlebar mount at £25 and a £5 micro SD memory card.

What immediately does stand out is the quality of the mount. This gives a good range of mounting options and allows you to adjust the position to perfection. It is also very easy to use, although you can’t really make adjustments while you are riding.

On first inspection the 720p video is clear enough to see licence plates and doesn’t suffer too much from road vibrations. This should make the camera great for recording mountain bike rides as well as for safety during commutes.

The video below shows the ATC-Mini Helmet camera during the night and daytime. I’ll have a full review on London Cyclist in the next few weeks.

Also, if you are interested in the Trafalgar Sun then I’ve upload some pictures to the London Cyclist Flickr. If you’d like to go and see it for yourself, then it should be there until the end of today.

Here are 7 of my favourite tips from last weeks Zalando Competition where people submitted their tips for new cyclists. I’ve included the winning entry at the end.

Ben Broomfield

Don’t ride without protection! Always carry a puncture repair kit and pump.

- I was wondering how this post was going to end and I was pleased with a great and simple suggestion that is so often ignored.

mick allan

It feels counter-intuitive at first but spinning the pedals fast in a low gear promotes excellent cardiovascular health, reduces strain on your joints and on your bike, allows you to accelerate quicker and you get quicker gear changes. But the bottom line really is a bottom line, spinning gives you a well defined rear-end and lovely lean legs.

- Love this suggestion by Mick! An excellent entry – who doesn’t like having a well defined rear – a great side benefit of cycling.

ramblor

Scope out your cycle route when it’s quiet, say on a Sunday afternoon. This way you’re not navigating around unfamiliar junctions in rush hour. And also don’t always look for the gap – I see so many cyclists who seem oblivious of danger because they’ve seen a gap they can cycle through. If you’re unsure just slow down and assess your options in exactly the same way as if you were driving.

- I’ve given this tip many a time after I’ve my bad first experience of commuting into work. A great tip!

Lizzy

My tip is to take a cycle training course, regardless of how good you already think you are! A lot of local councils will offer free training, so make the most of it! I took level 2 and 3 Bikeability (just a hour or two each) and learnt things I would never have thought of, including many of the tips people have already given here.

- A few people recommended cycle training and I couldn’t agree more about how useful it is. Yet, still most people will read this and keep riding without ever contacting them!

Hannah

My advice would be – persist! It’s bloomin’ cold out today, your bum will hurt for the first week or so (mine hurt the week before last just after having not ridden for a few weeks over Christmas) and you will forget your towel/a change of pants/your shirt [delete as appropriate] a few times. I have worn a hot pink sports bra under a white blouse for a complete working day, so I feel your pain.

Soon the bum pain will be in the past, you will have a finely-tuned routine and will be thankful you persisted. You will get to work for free, get your exercise for free and in otherwise-redundant time you would spend commuting anyway. Plus you will see and get to know so much more of the city by cycling.

Persist!!

- Well summed up! I’m sure many new cyclists go through the exact same experience.

Jon

Keep £20 in your bike bag. If you get a flat at night, in the cold, in the dark, when late or in somewhere unsafe, black taxis are surprisingly friendly about picking up cyclists in distress.

Learn to change flats at a time and place of your choosing. And if you get kevlar belts in your tyres, you may not even get a flat.

- I’ve heard lots of great stories of black cabs stopping for cyclists and allowing them to put their bike in the taxi. Keep that emergency £20 with you!

Our winning entry

I loved all the tips but Julie’s stood out for me:

Julie

Hold a confident, consistent line in traffic. I got back on my bike to start cycling to work last year through Central London traffic, and that was the thing that made the biggest difference to me. My instinct had been to hug the curb, or dip back into spaces where there weren’t any parked cars, but holding a firm line a sensible distance out from the curb, and staying out if there’s anything less than a good long gap in parked cars, makes it much easier for other traffic to see you and to know what you’re going to do next. Oh, and enjoy it! Even if it’s chilly or windy or drizzly, it’s still better than being stuck on public transport.

Thanks everyone and keep your eyes open for future competitions!

See also: 10 lessons learned from cycle commuting for a year

I’ve only ever met one “celebrity” in my life. The guy from Maroon 5. If I ever mention this to someone I normally shrug nonchalantly. However, if I met the author behind the popular Bike Snob NYC blog, things would be a little different.

Embarrassingly different.

You see, I’m a bit of a fan boy of his dry humour. The likes of which you mostly find in British comedy.

As such, I’d probably gush out far too much praise and come across as quite creepy.

Fortunately, the odds of bumping into each other are slim and thus I can deliver a more dignified review of his new book via my blog now.

“Omg!! It’s so unbelievably awesome!! Most hilarious thing I’ve read in my life!!”

I’m pretty sure that was dignified.

The Enlightened Cyclist is one of the best introductions to cycling culture you can read. Which is quite a statement, considering the sheer number of books released recently vying for the attention of cyclists.

It starts off with a brilliant description of a short bike ride around New York. The experience will have all cyclists nodding along, as we recognise everything described. For example, the race by car drivers to overtake you, only to catch up with them at the next set of red lights. The beauty of the authors writing, is in capturing these often mundane daily cycling experience and turning them into writing that will have you sniggering to yourself every few pages. I believe anyone that has the ability to do that, is worthy of your attention.

However, the authors hilarious writing is only half of what I’m enjoying so much about this book. The light hearted writing is also interweaved with interesting insights into how things got to where they are today. There’s plenty in The Enlightened Cyclist that makes you stop and think for a moment. An example of this, is the personal story of the authors experiences of 9/11. Also, an interesting take on why drivers have such anger for cyclists.

Whilst I’m thoroughly enjoying the book (I’m 70% of the way through by my book estimation skills), not everything is gripping me and I have found myself skipping a paragraph here and there. However, I’m an impatient reader and I generally read to unwind at the end of the day, so my concentration levels are not the best.

If you are looking for a light hearted read on the sheer hilarity of cycle commuting and the culture around it then I’d recommend picking up a copy when it lands in the UK. You can also pre-order from Amazon now.

Once you’ve read it – leave a comment with any parts of the book that stood out for you below! (Think of it as a mini book club).

If you are the type of person who likes to read things then I’d also recommend our list of cycling books for the kindle and 10 books for a cyclist at Christmas.