The Best Camera Strap for Cycling
A pound and a half doesn’t sound like much, but when it’s sliding around your back, banging into your elbows and knees, it feels like 10 pounds.
That’s how much my Sony a6000 camera and lens weighs and until I found the PSBagworks Rider Strap it was a real struggle to ride with my camera and keep it in place.
At first I used a simple cord strap that I found on Amazon. It was okay but I quickly realized I would need to find something much more secure if I was going to enjoy riding with my camera.
my first camera strap was a simple cord style that would slide around
Enter PSBagworks
Started by business/life partners Peter and Sonia, Minneapolis-based PSBagworks designs their products for themselves and their own adventures. This means lots of testing and refinement, combined with quality, comfort, and function - exactly what I was looking for.
The Rider Strap immediately caught my eye. Constructed from military-grade 17337 webbing, the main strap is paired with a removable stabilizer strap to keep the camera secure on the rider's back. The removable strap features a quick-release magnetic buckle to make sliding the camera around for a photo and resecuring it a breeze.
Considering how much use I would get out of this strap, plus the fact that it’s handmade in the US made the $50 price tag worth it.
Each product is made to order so there’s a bit of a lead time, which is noted at the top of the site. While I assumed as much, it was helpful to have a reminder that not everything will be arriving the next day as we've come to expect.
Initial Setup
My new strap arrived a few short weeks later. Accompanying the strap was a handwritten thank you note from the PSBagworks team, which was a nice touch. I could feel the quality as soon as I started unpacking and adjusting the straps. Some minor adjustments to the length and positioning and I was out the door for a ride.
To say this strap is one of the best purchases I’ve made in recent memory would be an understatement - this thing rocked!
Riding with the Rider Strap
Since I started riding with my new strap I've logged thousands of miles and taken nearly as many photos.
These are the three main features I've come to love:
1 The stabilizer strap is a key part of this setup but the magnetic closure is the real hero. It quickly and easily snaps in and out, allowing me to release the camera to get a photo or secure it before standing out of the saddle. I can even do this while wearing gloves with no issue.
2. All of the connections are strong and functional. I went with the OpTech attachment style and the two buckles snap in tight to secure the sides of the camera. A tripod anchor screw threads into the bottom of the camera where the stabilizer strap's swivel hook attaches. This enables the camera to move and adjust, laying flat against my back for a comfortable ride.
3. After many hours riding with this strap, including some intense rides with steep climbs and hard efforts, it's incredibly comfortable and stable. Both straps lay flat against my body and don't get tangled up or twisted. I'm also impressed with how the strap resists odor. I've put in some long rides in the heat, sweating like a pig, yet the strap doesn't stink. A quick rinse with water removes the salt stains and it looks as good as new.
Overall I can’t say enough great things about this strap. If you ride with a camera, do yourself a favor and get the PSBagWorks Rider Strap. You'll be glad you did.
Action 📸 courtesy of Dylan.
