Winter Meetups and Mid-Ride GoPro Fixes: A Motovlog Ride Story

If you follow along with the WaltInPA motovlog ride content, you already know that this channel is about more than just miles on the road. It is about the friendships built around motorcycles, the little disasters that happen along the way, and the honest, unscripted moments that make this hobby so worth it. This episode had all three. We kicked things off with a long overdue winter lunch with the Discord crew, and then I managed to make things a little more interesting with a GoPro that decided it was done riding for the day.

Keeping the Crew Together When the Bikes Are Parked

A few years back, one of the guys in our riding group, Jeff, came up with a pretty simple idea. He said something along the lines of, why don’t we get together once during the winter, when nobody is riding, just to keep things going? And honestly, it was one of the better ideas the crew has had.

So we started doing it. Once a year, right in the dead of winter, we pick a spot and grab a table. This year that spot was Trappe Tavern, which was a step up from the local diners we have hit the last couple of years. It fit the vibe well, actually, since it is the kind of place we would stop at on a summer ride anyway.

The turnout was solid. Jeff brought his wife, Pat brought his wife, Goofy was there with his wife, and my wife came along too. Trekkie Moto was there as well. Nine people around a table, good food, and a lot of catching up. It is one of those things that sounds small but it genuinely helps keep those friendships strong through the months when everyone goes their separate ways.

And yeah, in the last video I rattled off a bunch of names and apparently just called these guys “the Discord crew” this time around, which they were not going to let me hear the end of over lunch. So to be clear: Jeff, Pat, Goofy, Trekkie Moto. You know who you are. Thanks for busting my chops about it.

When Your GoPro Decides to Take Its Own Motovlog Ride

Now, after lunch I drove home and hopped on my bike. That is where the second part of this episode starts. I was rolling down the road when my camera came off the helmet. Not a great moment. The mic wire was the only thing keeping it from hitting the pavement, which is not exactly a mounting solution I would recommend.

I pulled over, stuffed the camera into my jacket, and thought about just heading home. But there was a hardware store nearby, so I figured it was worth a shot. I walked in and grabbed two things: a roll of 30 lb Gorilla double-sided tape and a Milwaukee folding utility knife. Total damage was about $25.

Right there on the side of the road, I cleaned up the mount, cut fresh tape, and got the GoPro remounted back on the helmet. Not the most glamorous repair job, but it worked well enough to finish the ride.

What I Learned About Mounting Tape (The Hard Way)

Here is the thing. I had remounted this camera the week before using 3M double-sided tape. I thought it was solid stuff, but when I peeled the old tape off the mount it basically fell right off. Did not stick to the helmet at all. Really disappointing for what I assumed was decent quality tape.

My normal method when remounting is to clamp the mount to the helmet with a spring clamp and leave it overnight. That extra bond time is what I think gives the tape its real holding strength. I didn’t have time for that on the side of the road, so I just pressed hard and crossed my fingers.

So when I got home I put a clamp on it and let it sit. Fingers crossed the Gorilla tape does its job. The last thing anyone on a motovlog ride wants to see is their GoPro bouncing down the road. That is a bad day all around.

Quick Tips If This Happens to You Mid-Ride

If you shoot motovlog content and have not had a camera mount fail yet, consider this your heads-up that it will probably happen at some point. A few things that might save you:

Use heavy-duty double-sided tape rated for outdoor or automotive use. Basic 3M tape is fine for a lot of things, but a camera on a helmet takes vibration all day. You need tape rated extreme (30 pounds is ideal but 15 would probably work fine).

Always clamp the mount and let it cure overnight before you ride. A basic spring clamp from the garage makes a big difference in bond strength.

Check your mount before every ride. It only takes a few seconds to make sure nothing has shifted or started to peel, and it is a lot better than finding out at speed – like I did.

Wrapping Up

All in all it was a good day. The winter lunch with the crew is always worth it, and the camera situation added a little unplanned adventure to what would have otherwise been a pretty straightforward motovlog ride. If you want to see how the repair held up and catch the full story as it played out, the video is up above. Drop a comment and let me know if you have ever had a mount fail mid-ride and how you handled it.