With the number of vehicular accidents involving cyclists, and increasing levels of aggressive behavior from drivers, they say that it’s now recommended to cycle with a video camera of some sort. I have a GoPro but I rarely use it. Considering a recent altercation I had with a driver with road rage, the visibility of the GoPro would have been a good thwart to any potential threat — or at least record something tangible as evidence to local authorities.

Do I really to record my rides? Where do I mount the camera? Should it face the front or the back? The Tikit has no rear rack. The Brompton’s rear rack gets folded underneath when parked. I was thinking to put it on a helmet, but there are lights attached already. Rear triangle? How about the seatpost?

Here’s how Joeel mounts his on a Dahon. The base plate is zip tied to the racks. Inspiration! Perhaps I should just wear mine like a backpack.

I recently read an article that describes the cameras as “black boxes” for cyclists. This section struck me:

“It’s a fact of life that on American roads that you get punked, cut off purposely, harassed, not once but on a regular basis,” said Bob Mionske, a former Olympic cyclist who is now a lawyer representing bicyclists in Portland, Ore. “If motorists start to hear about bikes having cameras, they’re going to think twice about running you off the road.”

Hmmm. It looks like I might install mine soon.

Read the rest of the article in the New York Times here.