Steven goes for a Döner

On By StevenIn Life In Germany

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the images of Regensburg that I share- it’s just a collection of snapshots, and it doesn’t really give you a good idea of what this town is really like. I had an idea that it might be fun to stick a camera on the handlebars of my bike, so that my family and friends back in the US can get a better idea of what this city really looks like.   I picked up a camera capable of doing this without adding a lot of weight or weirdness to my bike, and I gave it a try.   I learned a few things on this first outing-

  1. I’ve gotta find a better way to secure the camera to my handlebars.  I have a little bracket that consists of a plastic bit that goes around the handlebar and a stem that ends in a standard photo tripod type of mount.  It sort of does the job well, but it’s not tight enough to keep the camera from slipping, as you’ll see.
  2. I need to figure out if there’s a way to shock absorb the camera a little bit-  most of the time it’s not bad, but when I go over cobblestone, it really gets jumpy.
  3. I have never used iMovie ’11 before this week, but it’s super-intuitive.  It only took me 2-3 hours to put this movie together, and that includes the time that I spent learning how to use the software.

When it finally stops raining, I’ll have to make another little movie.  I think I could definitely have some fun with the occasional video showing what life is like here.  Here’s my first bike video:

Got any tips for video from a moving bike?  Is there anything I passed in this video that you want to see in greater detail? How’d I do on the soundtrack?

29 thoughts on “Steven goes for a Döner”

  1. I LOVE THIS! The first song was freaking me out though. It was a bit manic, so I kept thinking that at any moment somebody was gonna take you out, or you would hit a post or something.

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  3. Loved it. I have never been to Regensburg but looks worth a visit.

    The shaking was ok, only the cobblestone was a bit to much, like you said. Ever thought of mounting the cam to your body or your head. On a biker helmet, for example, that should improve the shaking a bit and we would see what you were looking at. Granted a little more work with cutting the movie would be necessary, but you could look at the things and then blend in some information about what we have just seen.

    The soundtrack was ok, but for me something more contemporary might be more fitting.

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        1. That’s what this one looked like also. Perhaps the Wiki article wasn’t the best example.

          I usually go for dürum, actually, because I prefer the “burrito” form factor to the “taco” form factor. It’s just a little bit easier to eat, in my opinion.

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          1. Actually, I wasn’t aware of different styles until now. Thanks for pointing out, I will check if our Döner-Buden provide more than the Berlin-Döner way.

            Eating Döner ends almost always in a mess.

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        1. Can you try a different browser? I’ve viewed it on three different computers and several other people have been able to view it successfully. Maybe it’s something specific to your Firefox settings?

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          1. Internet Explorer gives me an error: “objekt erforderlich”, but that may be because I NEVER use IE and it’s totally out of date. Maybe it’s a setting we have at work. Will try again from home tonight or tomorrow.

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  6. Michael Z.

    I liked the choice of music myself, though I initially thought (or, I suppose, hoped) it would be one of those German 1920s Schlager songs. You know, a bit like this:

    In any case, Regensburg looks like a lot of German cities I’ve been to or lived in. Another thing it seems to share with the rest of Germany is a distinct lack of bike helmets – still a bit of a culture shock to me after a decade in London, where every cyclist seems to be kitted out like a Tour de France contestant.

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    1. Michael Z.

      (Apologies for the huge video link, I didn’t realise simply typing the URL would embed it straightaway.)

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    2. People wear bike helmets here if they’re riding more than a short distance- I’ve seen them, but they’re not ubiquitous.

      Nice clip you posted; that’s a fun tune.

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      1. Michael Z.

        Yes, I think the tendency to wear bike helmets in London is mostly because many cyclists there do put some very long distances behind them, plus the lack of bicycle lanes mixed with aggressive/careless drivers makes cycling in London a VERY dangerous undertaking. Thankfully it’s not so bad in German towns and cities.

        Thanks, the Weimar Republic was generally a goldmine for tunes that are fun and (deliberately) whimsical. 🙂

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  8. gabrielle

    Aww, this makes me miss you. Wish I was there riding my bike with you!

    Helmet cam or chest cam will help with the bouncing around. Maybe.

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    1. This camera would work if I mounted it on a helmet, but I would feel really silly wearing the contraption. Hehehe. I’m glad you like the video, Gabi- I think you would love this town.

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  10. Loved it! Loved the soundtrack! But really- 11 or more minutes to get a döner? In Germany?? I´ve got to assume you were going to your favorite döner shop. Or, maybe Regensburg doesn´t have as many döner shops as Bamberg. I could be at any one of 5 in under 4 minutes.

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    1. You missed the text in the middle that said I was at my favorite in the city. I passed at least three other Döner stands to get to that one. 🙂

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  11. Amelie

    This is lovely! The second track was the best, I think. Also, you passed by a store that said “crazy” outside in bright, pink letter. I think it was around 2:30. What’s going on there? 😛

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    1. I think that’s a women’s clothing store. I don’t remember off the top of my head because I’ve never gone in.

      You like the second track the best? That’s Jailbreak by Dave Grusin, from the Jailbreak theme. Unless you mean the second section of Raymond Scott’s “Powerhouse.” Powerhouse is in three movements, so it kinda sounds like three separate songs.

      I would have thought you’d like the third song best. It’s from Amelie. 🙂

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