Watching the Ladies Triathlon today, I was impressed at how steady the rider was at very low speeds during the running. Makes me wonder why they don't use MP3s, it would be far less tiring. And on the TdF, they could fit scythes like Boadicea had on her chariot. That would give the cyclists a bit more space on the steep climbs.

The cameramen on the back are a brave lot, and when going down hill in the mountains a cycle takes some keeping
ahead of, It's not without it's dangers, I once saw a rider very badly injured maybe fatally in what was then the Milk race
were a car pulled out right after the cyclists on another occasion one of the camera bikes snapped his ariel off on a lamp
post wile cornering how the camera mans head missed the post is a mystery.
Not for the faint hearted.

They must be pretty fit and agile as well, the angles they get themselves in. We watched the Volta ao Algarve once and around a dozen Press bikes turned up at the restaurant where we had lunch.

I guess technology helps the steadiness of the camera pictures - not a tech expert, but don't some mobile phones have tech to improve the steadiness of the picture? If not mobiles, certainly some compact hand held cameras do - let alone the kit used by professionals.
I presume the full steadycam kit wouldn't be practical on a two wheeler??
I'm not sure that camera bike pilots would be too keen on trying to keep up with the cyclists on a TdF mountain descent on an MP3! There again, I remember when the MP3 first came out, they were used by the travelling officials on the Giro - for some reason that looked very silly!

I have a Canon XF100 that has powered IS and it's almost rock-steady handheld on 10x zoom. I must try it on the Paris-Roubaix.

If it can sort Paris-Roubaix. out and not fall to bit's it must be a good bit of kit.

Nice camcorder Ray, I must start using my Nikon D5200 for video as its very good quality.