This is a sponsored article, brought to you in association with TomTom.
From pros to weekend warriors, these days we’re all filming our riding antics to post online. But cutting down hours of footage into an ‘all killer, no filler’ video takes time and patience. If only you could ride, film and edit a clip all within two hours…
This was the challenge that was set to test the capabilities of the TomTom Bandit action cam. We gave one camera to Joe from BikeRadar, who’s a filming and editing pro, and another to MBUK Staff Writer Ed, who’s got plenty of riding experience but has barely touched a camera. Who was going to come out with the best edit?
No contest, you might say. Well, not necessarily... The flagship function of the TomTom Bandit is its ability to edit video easily and on the move. Install the Bandit app on your smartphone, connect the camera via Wi-Fi, shake your phone and within seconds you should have a ready-made compilation of all the best action from your ride.
Find out who made the best edit of their ride
Ed was going to use this function, so he had much longer out on the trails and the chance to bag more clips, while Joe was going to use a laptop and conventional editing software, so had to limit his riding time.
Both Ed and Joe were armed with various camera mounts: helmet, chest, bars, seatpost and more and were given free reign to be as creative with the video as they liked.
Once installed, the stopwatch started rolling and both were set loose at the Cannop Cycle Centre trails in The Forest of Dean. As a location with a wide variety of terrain and features all within easy access of the trailhead, it makes for an ideal testing ground.
When the time was up, both Joe and Ed had to present their finished videos. Conscious of the time-consuming need to edit, Joe had stayed closer to the car park and divided his time in favour of sitting behind the laptop. Ed, on the other hand, had ridden for nearly the whole two hours and left himself with only around 15 minutes to shake his edit into shape.
How the shake-to-edit function works
While you’re filming, the camera uses its built-in GPS receiver and motion sensor to pick out the parts of your ride with the greatest speed, altitude changes and G-forces for use in the highlights reel. You can also press a button to tag your own favourite moments.
To edit, you choose the length of video you want to make, shake the phone and the app does the rest for you. It’s intuitive and straightforward to use, even for a first time user like Ed, so making an edit is a pain-free process and saves you trawling through extensive raw footage.
All the clips are read from the camera’s memory card so your phone isn’t filled up with large video files. Once the app has created a video you can reorder the clips, trim or extend them, add other highlights and create a soundtrack using music on your phone. There are other effects you can add, too, like overlays such as a speedometer or heart rate and altitude trackers.
Once you’re happy with the results, simply click to save the video or upload it direct to social media. Ed did all this in about 10 minutes, a process that took Joe nearly an hour.
But what you probably want to know though is who produced the best edit? In the video above, Ed and Joe discuss the challenge and how they feel it went as well as showcasing their edits.
Give it a watch and and have your say in the comment. Are you keen to give the 'shake to edit' a go?
