biking with m's

[bill hart]

I'm going to take a bike tour of Tuscany late spring. I want to

carry 2m's, 15, 24,35,50 and 75mm as I ride. Does anyone have any

experience carrying cameras while riding or suggestions? Thanks,

bill

[SCL]

That seems like a lot of duplicative equipment. If it was me I would cut it down to 1 body & 3 lenses-maximum. Don't shoot from the bike...and use high shutter speeds...you're exercising heartrate will reduce normally rock-solid steadiness and cause blurry pictures otherwise. Have a great trip. Enjoy the wonderful food and vistas.

[michael_kastner]

I can't help you much as I always use and recommend the belt bag or waist bag Lowepro Orion Mini. IMO great for 1 M and 3 lenses etc. Check out the company's stuff, as (again IMO) stable, rugged, light-weight, good belt, good zipper, good padding separators, good shockproofness, good waterproofness, good looks (unnoticeable), good price (low).

[janne1]

I often in summers shoot pics while bicycling, it can make

some interesting stuff. But i am too scared to do it in winter

because of all the ice etc :)

Leica is slightlt difficult to hold with one hand, due to weight.

My old plastic eos was great for this type of stuff, heh

[wmwhee]

A bag that fits snugly to your body, for your own sake and not the sake of the camera. There's nothing more annoying on a bicycle than bags and other things that swing and knock against your body.

[david-m]

Hey William

 

I have some experience carrying M6 TTLs on my bicycle. I normally take 2 bodies and 2

lenses (either a 28 and 50 or 28 and 90) or very occassionally a third lens. I always carry

the gear in a bar bag (like an Ortlieb- superbly made and waterproof) padded out with the

cut-up inside bits of a cheap

photo bag, and the odd bit of sock or handkerchief stuffed here and there if the road is

bad. To be honest, you'll have no problems with the smooth roads of France (ooh the

cheese, wine and women). Last year in Chile, on some cruel, corrugated and rough roads, I

put one body inside my clothes inside a rear pannier, to protect it from the dreadful

banging up and down - but to be honest after a couple of weeks of having to try to

change lenses on one body with dust flying all over, I just risked the camera in my front

bag.

 

In about 7 years of long distance cycling with the cameras I have not had any damage or

problems at all even though I guess I have cycled about 25,000 kms with them through

places like Bolivia, Argentina, India, Pakistan, Iceland, China. Laos, Madagascar plus a few

other places.

 

I would perhaps cut down on the lenses, though. The 24 could easily replace the 15 and

35 (the 24 is a fantastic lens, though I got fed up with the external finder and bought a 28

instead). You have to think of the weight of 2 extra lenses and the extra time needed to

decide which one to use. That is why I like just 2 lenses on 2 bodies - dead easy to take

one of each. Oh and I always use a tiny sekonic metre.

 

As far as taking a shot whilst riding - well I have done this a few times but always nearly

dropped the thing!

 

Have a look at my flickr website where I have quite a few photos of cycling trips, all taken

with the Leicas.

 

And have great fun!

 

www.flickr.com/photos/doxid

 

David

[EricM]

Incredible David, thanks for posting, love Provia too!

[stric]

I ride my bike almost daily around Minneapolis in all seasons. And for most part I carry my Voigtlaender Bessa R2 with 35mm Ultron lens. Since most of my biking is really urban, short-mediun distance I use my shoulder/messenger bag for the camera, lens film and clenaing equipment. I try to keep it light but you never know how much equipment you may need. In short, keep it simple and light. Try to protect the equipment, and if you carry it on bike mounted packs/panniers, make sure it's well fastened. And of course, it has to stay dry. Zip bags are nice for some humid arsas.

[ronald_moravec1]

Pick 3 lenses to keep around the waist and the other go padded with your clothing.

 

Low-Pro FX5 has a shoulder strap and a waist strap provision. I would use the belt and suspenders approach for biking.

[michael s.]

Eric is correct. David M has an excellent eye ... and evidently an iron butt as well.<p>

 

Definitely have a look at <a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/doxid>David's cycling photos</a>.

[erudolph]

I bike to work on rough city streets south of Market Street in San Francisco. At first I

carried my M4 in a small LowePro bag. Let me add, that at the time I had a bike with an

aluminum frame that transmitted every bit of road shock. It was a rough ride. One day,

up in a skyscraper, I found that my recently CLAed camera was not focusing at infinity; in

fact, it was way off. I switched camera bags to a Domke with insert and extra bubble wrap

around the insides. I also switched bikes to a steel frame bike.

[david-m]

Hi again William,

 

Really, a bar bag (mounted on the front handlebars) with a padded insert will be 100% fine.

The fact that the bag is attached to the handlebar by a bracket that is made of tough but

flexible nylon plastic stuff will mean that it gentle adsorbes any road shock so that the

cameras will be well protected. Take a look at the Ortlieb website (they make the only gear

that expedition cyclists use) if you are unsure what I mean.

 

Not that I am poo pooing the bumbag idea from Ronald - it just gets a bit hot and sweaty

wearing all

that weight around your body all day long. One of the wonderful things about cycle

touring is the feeling of feedom, and I always think that any weight on the body, decreases

that feeling.

 

Hey guys, and thanks for the nice comments about my photos, they are a huge part of any

trip I take.

[ronald_moravec1]

You are right about feeling confined, but somehow I don`t trust anything but my body or heavy padding to absorb vibration.

 

Maybe panniers or however they are spelled, using lots of padding. Keep the cameras on top for easy access.

[Bill Blackwell Images]

"I want to carry 2m's, 15, 24, 35, 50 and 75mm as I ride."

 

You forgot the microwave and the kitchen sink.

 

IMO on a trip like this you'll want to keep it light. Carry one M body and one lens (perhaps a Tri-Elmar) and that's it.

 

You will be happier in the long run and (if you do it) you will be surprised how limiting yourself expands your creativity.

[jerry_lehrer]

William,

 

If the bike you will be riding is a Harley, great! Have at it with all your gear. Italians love Harleys. Really!

[roger_hicks1]

Dear William,

 

Pedal or motorcycle? Can help with latter (Europe/mctie.com, India, USA), not former.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

[david-m]

Doh! just realised that I read 'Tuscany' and somehow thought of France; can't begin to

apologise for my stupidity. Must be all this fine German Chianti I've been drinking this

evening.

[bill hart]

Thanks all....I've gotten the impression I might be planning to carry too much equipment. Guess I'll pick 3 lenses (24,50,75)and check out the bar bag (Thanks David). I'll catch up with the rest of my gear at night for shots in the towns. Thanks again for you help. Bill

[roger_hicks1]

Dear David,

 

What? Can't get Welsh Chianti in your neck of the woods?

 

I blame it all on devolution...

 

Cheers

 

Roger

[frank uhlig]

Calculate one bad fall into your vacation (you are not an experienced bike rider, it seems, since you have not used a bag to carry camera etc on a bike). And buy a third M plus 5 lenses just in case you bang those two cameras and 5 lenses up to smithereenes. You stay healthy, though!

[robert_clark]

My experience is the same as David's - I've used an Ortlieb bar bag (large) to carry two M's and 4 lenses on many rough cycle trips. Through Vietnam, in India and even long distances off road in the Alps on the worst of paths and sometimes no path at all downhill - and NO problems - this includes rangefinder alignment remaining perfect.

 

I made my own padding and dividers out of closed cell foam (a camping mat) and the thing sits with its own internal suspension on suspended handlebars. I've regularly dropped the bike and nothing has happenned.

 

It's easy to click off, so no need to be lazy and leave it on to be stolen, and it makes a good carry around bag, and of course it's totally waterproof.

[brambor]

If you like DIY solutions I have one that works perfect for me.

 

Patagonia Chestpack, 2 Carabiners and a backpack.

 

You will most likely use a backpack on your trip. My backpacks have loops on the front of the shoulder straps. Attach one karabiner to the left loop and on carabiner to the right strap. Put on the backpack and attach the Patagonia chestpack to the shoulder straps via the carabiner. The chestpack has two loopw on top of each side. This way the chestpack doubles up as a sternum strap and its contents are instantly available without having to you. I use it this way mostly while hiking. Every time I stop to take a breather I can take the camera out, shoot a few frames and put it back without having to take off my backpack.

[john15]

The biggest tires that will fit the bike and then put less air into them than what is suggested. A dedicated touring bike can usually fit 700x35 tires. A old mountain bike tricked out for touring will take even bigger tires.

[jimsimmons]

In the summer of '77 I rode an aluminum Viscount 10-speed across the US, carrying just a Leica CL with 40mm Summi. I put the camera in a small outside pocket of the back right pannier, easily reachable from the straddled bike. Nothing vibrated loose, the camera stayed dry and worked flawlessly. Had lots of room left over for a zillion rolls of Tri-X. I like your conclusion of a 24-50-75 kit, although I'd consider the 21-35-75 combo myself, 'cause I'd use the 35 most of the time. You might consider the cute little Gitzo table top tripod with their small ball head also, especially for the 75.