My Camera Gear, Audio Equipment, and Bicycle Accessories. Last updated August 2024.

Explore the vibrant world of cycling in Japan with my Cycling Japan blog, where I share in-depth reviews and updates on the gear and bike setup I use for my adventures. From the historic Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine in Kamakura to the scenic shores of Enoshima, home of the Tokyo Olympic sailing events, and the bustling Ginza high street in Tokyo, my videos capture the essence of Japan’s most iconic locations.

My current setup includes an Insta360 X2 for immersive video and a Zoom H1n for crisp audio. Previously, I used a forward-facing GoPro, which provided excellent image quality but lacked the rider's perspective I now focus on. If you spot any tech or locations in my videos that you'd like me to review or revisit, drop a comment—I’m always looking to enhance your experience.

 

Last Updated: August 6, 2024

 

www.youtube.com/@TMCCyclingInJapan

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Bike mounted gear - Camera

• Insta360 Camera X2. (Amazon | Short).I have yet to be convinced the X4 would be a worthy upgrade beyond 60fps.
• Insta360 bicycle front mount. (Amazon | Short). My only gripe is that despite appearances it is not possible to fit a GoPro to the GoPro like mount. Rather than use the carbon fibre rod I use an invisible stick to give me more recording angle options on and off the bike.
• Third person view bike tail mount. (Insta360  | Short) Still new for me. Please return in a month for a review. 
• SanDisk Extreme Pro 256GB MicroSD. (Amazon). I can record a whole days ride without the need to change or manage cards. 
• Insta360 GPS Action Remote Control. (Amazon  | Short). Bought out of necessity and frustration. The latest Insta360 doe snot work with the X2. I use it to add gps data to insta360 video, although I've yet to get it to display correctly in the app Telemetry Overlay. A big plus however is that I do not need to have my phone one while the X2 is recording.
• Portable Storage Case for Insta360. (Amazon),. Bought specifically as it will protect the camera without having to unscrew the invisible stick
• GORIX (B14) Top Tube Bag. (Amazon), For camera and iphone batteries. Nice seperate slot for cash too.

 

Bike mounted gear - Audio

• Microphone Windscreen (Amazon  | Short). Compatible with ZOOM H1N. Also known as a dead-cat. This is a recent purchase. Please revisit in 1 month for a review,
• Zoom H1n Handy Recorder (Amazon  | Short). Newer version was available but couldn't see the appeal. This item still new for me so please revsit this page for a review later.

 

Home Studio Gear

• Sennheiser HD 25 Headphones. (Amazon). Deliciously comfortable to wear and sound wonderful during editing.
• SanDisk SSD, External 4 TB. (Amazon). I record up to 250GB of cycle video which I edit in Final Cut. Project files get large quickly and file management gets to be a pain and out grows my iMac hard drive. I simply use this external SSD drive for speed, then back up to a regular external drive later.
• Desktop Coffee Mug Holder (Review | Amazon). Bought three more of these as gifts for friends. A mug of always hot coffee always on your desk during editing. Essential!

 

Software

• Final Cut Pro (Apple). Fantastic power for the price. Just had to instal "Adjust layer" as it an pia to apply effects without one.
• Insta360 Studio (Insta360). The phenominal features of the mobile app are not available on the desk top version. Why not is beyond me.
• Epidemic Sound Library (Link). All the music and sound effects I use are from here. All audio is cleared for use in YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Also you only need to pay for one month at a time, not 12-months. Search is straight forward and once you find a track in a genre / tempo you want it will then suggest others like it. This is really useful if I have an hour long video to do.

 

Bike Mounted Gear - Accessories

• TOPEAK Modular Cage Black (Review | Amazon) Bought specifically to hold Japanese vending machine water bottles. As I recently increased my mileage I now have three of these - 2 on the frame plus 1 on the handlebars. Periodically check the tightening wingnut has not vibrated loose.
• TOYMYTOY Bottle Cage Mount (Amazon). So the bottel cage can be attached to the handlbars. Fits a great vareity of bar diameters.
• SCHWALBE PRO ONE tire (Amazon). Here's hoping they are in the Prime sale. Love these. Feels like the bike is on rails in summer and winter.
• RAVEMEN FR160 Front Light (Amazon). My third try at buying a front light. Delighted with this one as it happily flashes for an entire days ride. This is my see-me light. Bonus points for the name too. Also, it fits under my Wahoo computer. The computer mounts on top of this unit so I didn't need to attach yet another bracket to my handlebars.
• ENFITNIX Bicycle Tail Light (Review | Amazon) Awesome. Am on my second one of these as I didn't clip the first one on securely enough. Super smart and flashes all day. Has built in motion detector
• Favero Assioma DUO Black. (Review | Amazon). Dual power meter pedals. Took me a long time to buying power meters and I wish I had done so before. Two main benefits. 1) I use to look at time over regular routes as a way of seeing improvement. However, one really windy day will result in a low time which is disheartening. With these meters irrespective of weather I can see improvement. 2) They stop me going off too fast at the beginning of a ride. I am now more confident that I can make it home. Likewise if I'm not trying hard enough read out on my Wahoo Elemnt will tell me.
• Wahoo Cadence Meters. (Amazon). I made an intentional decision last year to increase my cadence. These were essential for that. 
• Wahoo Elemnt (Amazon). I don't use the map functions at all. I've either learned the route or use my iPhone. I principally use it to display all my bike data as I'm riding: Power, average power, heartrate, cadence, top speed, average speed. 
• GORIX (B14) Top Tube Bag (Amazon). For camera and iphone batteries.
• Hunt 4454 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc Wheelset (Hunt Website). Noisy as fuck lol, but in a good way. Really very useful on the canal paths and city streets I ride to let people know I am coming.
• Schwalbe Pro One TLS Addix Race 700x28 (Amazon). 60km/h down hill with an unexpected tight turn on an icey road. Fantastic. Felt like I was on rails. Naturally I bought these the same time as the Hunt Wheels.

 

 

BikeTools

• Park Tool Chain Tool (Amazon). There are cheaper alternatives available but check the shipping times as month long waits for knock-offs seem to be a thing.
• Bike Hand Bicycle Chain Cutter Tool (Amazon). Very robust. Worked great.
• CXWXC Bicycle Maintenance Stand (Amazon). Should have bought one years ago. Brings all those hard to fix or clean parts to any easy to reach height.
• Showa Gloves, Oil Resistant. (Amazon). Not cycling kit at all so are very reasonably priced. Really great protection for your skin while you clean your bike.
• MUC-OFF Silicone Shine (Amazon). I should use this more often. Puts a lovely finish over my clean bike and I swear smells mildly of strawberries. Not recommended for saddles. Not that aI slipped right off it or anything.
• Muc-Off Bicycle Cleaner (Amazon). I blast this all over the bike except for the chain and cassette.
• A1-003 Bicycle Chain Degreaser (Amazon). Not sure if this is Japan only brand but does a great job. 

 

Health

• Coppertone Tanning Water (Amazon). Here as a reminder that the sun is intense here in Japan during the summer. I typically leave the house at dawn. It was 29° and 82% humidity by 7:30, when I recorded the video above. Try and avoid cycling between 10am-4pm. It's like soup! Also note that I have three water bottle mounts on my bike. I'm looking to drink 2-3 bottles per hour. Don't bother with Bidons as there is always a vending machine within site in urban areas. In the mountain maybe half an hour away at most.