Have you ever wondered why your GoPro cycling videos don’t look as good and professional as the ones you come across on YouTube? Chances are that you need to adjust the settings on your GoPro to get the best cycling shots.

But, what are these settings?

In this article, you’ll learn about the best GoPro cycling settings in this post.

 

GoPro Settings for Quality Cycling Videos

Here are the GoPro settings that you need to tweak in order to get the best GoPro cycling videos:

Resolution & Frame Rate

Resolution refers to the number of pixels that make up an image. The more pixels, the sharper that image will appear. The best resolution that you get in most GoPro models is 4K. In the latest ones, including the GoPro Hero 12, 11, 10 and 9 Black, you also get resolutions as high as 6K Frame Rate, on the other hand, refers to the number of frames are displayed per second of the footage. As a standard, most videos look ‘cinematic’ when shot at around 24 to 30 frames per second (fps).

Now, from the definition of both the terms above, you must be thinking that the highest resolution and frame rates will offer you the best image. But, that’s not necessarily true. The thing is that high frames rates sometimes slow down the footage. So, in effect, it may look like you’re riding a lot slower than you actually are!

Therefore, the best resolution/frame rate setting for most GoPro models would be 4K at 30fps. But, if you intend to slow down the video in post-production, or would like to later grab a picture from one of the frames, shooting your cycling journey in 4K at 60fps would be more apt.

More tips on resolution’s setting here: What Resolution Should I Use for my GoPro? Resolutions Explained!

Field of View

Now, you need to set up the Field of View (FOV) on your GoPro, also known as GoPro lenses. A wide-angle is usually the best way to film your cycling video, especially when you’re trying to capture speed.

While many cyclists use the ‘SuperWide’ lens, I recommend using the standard ‘Wide’ view lens. That’s because the GoPro’s SuperWide setting causes the most distortion or ‘fisheye effect’ on the frame. This distortion is comparatively balanced in the Wide FOV.

So, experiment and see what works the best for you.

Learn more on FOV in the following article: What is GoPro Field of View (FOV)?

EV Comp

EV Comp, also known as Exposure Value Compensation, is a setting that lets you lower or increase the brightness of your video.

By default, GoPro’s EV Comp is set to Auto. I also recommend that you keep this setting at Auto for your cycling videos because it does a good enough job in most instances. However, in case you’re riding on a bright sunny day, I feel that GoPro can’t adjust quickly enough as you go from a shady spot to one of those bright patches.

Therefore, in such a situation (bright sunny day), I would recommend that you ‘under expose’ your videos by setting a negative EV Comp Value. It will also let you capture more detail in the shot, thus making it easier to color grade it later in post-production.

White Balance

White Balance is a setting that lets you adjust the Color Temperature based on the prevailing lighting conditions. Usually, there are three lighting conditions: outdoor light (that’s cooler and blue), indoor light (that’s warmer and red), or fluorescent light (that’s more green). GoPro White Balance is measured on a temperature chart from 1500 to 8000 degrees Kelvin, where 8000 is the coolest temperature and 1500 the warmest.

By default, GoPro White Balance is set to Auto. But, I feel that setting your White Balance manually just helps offers a considerably more consistent video of your cycling journey.

Color

GoPro’s Color setting lets you adjust the color profile of your shots. There are two modes in this setting: GoPro Color & Flat. The standard GoPro Color setting photos and videos with a color-saturated profile. It works fine in most instances, especially if you don’t want to edit the image in post-production.

Flat, on the other hand, gives a neutral color profile. In this setting, colors may appear washed off at first, but it offers more flexibility when it comes to post-production.

I recommend using the Flat color profile during your cycling adventures, especially when it’s bright out there. Although this setting may leave your initial video looking flat and dull, you’ll be able to fine-tune the coloring for the best video possible in post-production.

ISO Limit

ISO Limit refers to the range for your GoPro’s sensitivity to light and image ‘noise’ or the degree of graininess in the image. The ISO Minimum and Maximum values range from 100 to 6400. Higher ISO values result in brighter images, but with greater noise. Lower ISO values, on the other hand, result in darker images, but with less noise.

For great cycling videos, the ISO Minimum almost always stays at 100. But, while setting the ISO Maximum, you should aim to keep it at the lowest possible value while keeping the best image quality. The higher Max ISO settings are specifically for extremely low light situations (for example, nighttime), where you have limited light.

Sharpness

Sharpness lets you control the quality of details captured in your cycling video. There are three Sharpness options: High (default), Medium, and Low.

Just like some of the other settings, if you want your camera to set the sharpness for you, then keep it at the default High. However, if you plan on increasing sharpness during editing, then select Low.

 

My Best GoPro Settings for Cycling Videos

This section is divided into two parts. The first one has settings that I suggest you use if you want your cycling videos to be ready while you shoot them. The second part includes the best settings for you if you plan to do post-production editing.

Best For Ready-to-Use GoPro Cycling Videos

  • Resolution: 4K
  • FPS: 30 FPS
  • Field of View: Wide
  • HyperSmooth: On
  • ProTune: On
  • Shutter: Auto
  • EV Comp: 0
  • White Balance: Auto
  • Color: GoPro Color
  • ISO Limit: 100/1600
  • Sharpness: High

Best For Post-Production

  • Resolution: 4K
  • FPS: 30 FPS
  • Field of View: SuperWide
  • HyperSmooth: On
  • ProTune: On
  • Shutter: Auto
  • EV Comp: -1.0
  • White Balance: 5500k to 6500
  • Color: Flat
  • ISO Limit: 100/400
  • Sharpness: Low

To discover additional recommendations on camera settings, check out this article: A Comprehensive Guide to the 5 Best GoPro Settings for Sports, Action, and Travel.

 

If you use the best GoPro settings (as mentioned above) for shooting your cycling journey, you’ll always get some amazing shots. So, make sure to read this guide carefully to have a clear idea of what works best for your scenario.

Use these suggested settings, and I bet you’ll get some beautiful, professional-looking cycling shots with your action camera.

Do not forget to buy yourself on fo the 7 GoPro Mountain Bike Mounts for INCREDIBLE Videos!

 

 

Thanks for reading!

I hope this guide helped you learn about my best GoPro settings for some amazing cycling videos 🙂

 

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