Drones are one of, if not the best and most visually interesting ways to document your eMTB rides. Whether you’re looking to share your videos on social media or use them to analyse and improve your technique, a drone is a great addition to your eMTB kit.
Let us walk you through what you should look for when buying a drone for eMTB use, as well as some other considerations to keep in mind.
Drones will have a variety of features, but there are a few key ones that will be important to filming your mountain biking adventures. We’ll cover the main attributes that you’ll want to look for when shopping for a drone and explain their significance to electric mountain bike usage.
To capture the best footage possible of your eMTB adventures, you’ll want to find a drone with a high-quality camera. This will ensure that the videos you get will be clear, as well as making sure that they look good if you choose to upload your videos to social media.
Alongside camera quality, a large sensor, preferably over one inch, will get good video even in low light. For the best results, look for drones that capture video in at least 4k.
Another important spec to look at when shopping for a drone is flight time. The longer the flight time your drone has, the better. You won’t want to be constantly charging your drone when out on the trails and depending on where you’re filming, you may not be able to.
Most drones have a flight time of between 10 to 45 minutes, so keep your average ride time in mind when drone shopping.
Subject tracking is especially important if you’re looking to capture eMTB footage with a drone.
Getting a drone with a good tracking system, such as DJI’s FocusTrack, is key to making sure that your drone always keeps you in the centre of the frame. Good tracking also means that your drone will be able to follow you easily, no matter the terrain.
To ensure that your footage is watchable, you’ll want a drone with a stabilising technology. This will ensure that your videos are smooth, even if the trails you’ll be riding aren’t.
Last but certainly not least is object avoidance. This is a big one for capturing eMTB footage as you don’t have to avoid wooded trails, so your drone doesn’t crash into the trees.
Look for drones with 360° object avoidance and multiple sensors, so that you can get on with riding without having to worry about your drone.
As with all cycling technology, there are several categories of drone that are suitable for eMTB use. The main ones that you’ll encounter are entry-level, compact or foldable and professional-grade drones.
Read on to learn about the pros and cons of each type as well as some recommendations for the best drones to use for your eMTB rides.
As the name suggests, entry level drones are designed for beginners who are new to using drones and are typically simpler with a more attainable price point.
Compact or foldable drones are good for riders who are looking to keep their equipment light – a major concern if you’re bikepacking, for instance – and not have to worry about lugging a large drone around with them.
Finally, professional grade drones are designed for capturing professional grade footage, and will typically have more features than their entry-level counterparts, though they will also have a higher price point.
When you first get your drone, in order to capture the best possible eMTB footage, it’s a good idea to do a few test runs first on an easy MTB trail, so that you can iron out any issues and select the settings that work best for you.
Once you’ve done a few test runs, you can set your drone on follow mode, so that it can follow along, without you having to worry about steering it.
For those of you who are filming more professional footage, having a second camera to film POV footage can enhance your videos to make them more interesting for the audience. This will mix things up and break up the following shots, which can get monotonous.
Though drones are a fantastic way to film your eMTB adventures, there are limitations to what they can do.
Depending on the obstacle avoidance capabilities of your drone, you may want to stick to trails that are more open, to limit the chances of your drone running into trees. Some drones may also struggle with the low lighting conditions of wooded trails, resulting in your drone failing to follow you while in these areas.
Lastly, check the speed limit of your drone before setting out. When filming faster riding footage, an action camera may be the way to go.
The Amflow PL electric mountain bike offers 105 N·m of max continuous torque in an ultra-light build.
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