Mobius test 3

The previous Mobius test were run with the default settings.  A bit of searching on the web suggested that better results were possible by modifying the settings.  This video was shot with the following:

• Lens A - it's the one I actually have
• Mode 1
• Video/sound MP4
• Video time stamp On
• Video data rate Standard
• Video Clip Length 10 minutes - should help editing
• Wide Dynamic Range On
• Field of View Wide
• Video Resolution 1920x1080 (1080p)
• Video Frame Rate 30
• Time lapse Off
• Mode 2 - Like mode 1 with the following changes
• Video resolution 1280x720 (720p)
• Advanced Image Settings
• Sharpness 50
• Exposure 0
• Contrast 50
• Saturation 10
• Color options normal
• White Balance Custom 1
• Red 301
• Green 256
• Blue 367
• Others nominal

I made 2 test.  The first is mode 1 (1080p).  The second is mode 2 (720p).

Mobius Test 3 

These videos are definitely sharper though that may just be the light.  They are over blue so I'll adjust the white balance and test again.

Mobius test 2 - helmet mount & pole with foam mount

I tested the Mobius helmet mounted as below:

Then tested again mounted on a pole with foam to dampen some vibration as below:

Here is the video result:

Either mount works OK but I'm somewhat inclined to the helmet mount since

• it is steadier than I expected
• it sees what I see

I still have some experimenting to do as the video is still somewhat shaky but it looks like the helmet mount is the better alternative.

Ridewithgps - Nice site. App not so much.

I tested the ridewithgps app on a Samsung Note 4.  This screen capture says it all!

Ouch.  I was riding on the street.  Really I was.  I started and stopped from my house.  Really I did.  My speed never got anywhere near 40kph!

I'm not sure if the issue is with the app or the phone but clearly this is a non starter when it comes to recording rides.  I'll need to look into other smart phone apps or write my own.

Update 2015 08 27

I did a second test with the phone in the car on the seat.  The results were generally better though there were still areas where the track had no relation to the road and where I was.  It appears that there may be an issue with the phone's GPS not tracking well.  I'll need to do additional testing.

Testing the Mobius Action Camera mounted on the trike.

I bought a Mobius Action Camera to record bike rides.  It's small, takes memory cards that will hold something like 8 hours of video, and relatively inexpensive ($89 compared to GoPro $200+++).

Mobius Action Camera

There are a couple of choices for mounting:

• Helmet - Positives: the camera sees what I see.  Negatives: Head motion while riding means the video jumps around a fair bit.
• Chest/shoulder - Positives: The camera is on me.  If I get off the bike and move about the camera follows along.  Negatives: video jumps.  Less than helmet mount but still a bit.
• Bike - Positives: No jumping videos.  Negatives: only sees to the front.

For the moment I'm exploring the bike mount with a view to purchasing a second camera for the "what I see" shots.

I tried mounting the camera on the steering arm.  It works well enough but my legs and feet dominate the image.  Not good.

I've mounted a PVC pole to the trike and mounted the camera on the pole like this:

Here is a video from this arrangement:

On the whole this seems to work reasonably well but I'll need to make the following changes:

• raise the camera a bit to reduce the helmet presence
• damp the camera mount a bit to reduce the ripple/jello vibration in the video
• shield the audio to reduce wind noise

New bike

Bought a Steintrike Wildone!

• Blue with black suspension components.  
• 20" wheels all around so only need one size tube/tire.  
• Marathon+ 1.75 tires for smooth ride.  
• Mesh seat
• Folding boom
• Rear touring rack
• Fenders all around
• Centara gripshifts
• 11-32 9 speed casette with a 30-39-50 Tiagra triple
• Avid BB5 for the rear parking brake, with Avid BB7's for the front brakes.

I've ridden it around the neighborhood a bit to get a sense of what it's like to ride.  Good fun.

I'll need to add

• headrest - DIY version here seems worth a try.  A number of other DIY solutions also online. Others from a variety of manufacturers but they tend to be $$$.
• safety flag/lights - DIY here with links to many other DIYs.
• light & flasher
• mirror
• bracket for cell phone etc.
• basket/bags for groceries etc.
• security locator tag -  several blue tooth tags are available 
• velcro cinch straps to secure stuff - Home depot should have them.
• proper tool set
• pump

I'll also need to make a few small changes:

• quick release to secure seat to frame
• more space for fenders

Recumbent Trike Canopy

Some riders add a canopy to their trike to shield from the sun/rain/etc.  Here's one from Lognotch:

Lognotch has a youtube channel with many of his videos several of which show his canopies.  He sells but I'm not sure where.  I suppose he can be messaged via his youtube channel.  At any event he published a lengthy video (Recumbent Trike Canopy Assembly 2015-01-25 Catrike, ICE, TerraTrike - YouTube:) that shows his canopies in detail.

There are other commercial canopies.  Velotop looks interesting but at $400+ is rather expensive.

They seem to be rather simple with a number of DIY versions.

• http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=112021

I'm not sure if I want one but it's worth a thought.