Bike camera recommendation?

[Crickey7]

Don’t cheap out. You need rugged if you’re going to wear it every day, and what is the point if you’re not?

I have a GoPro, don’t know about other brands. I’ve dropped it, crashed with it, taken it snorkeling and paddle boarding, and it is still working fine about 4 years of daily abuse.

[Dewey]

I thought this was a good UK article explaining what to look for, resolution & frame rate, etc. https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/255982-how-choose-right-bike-camera

[Judd]

I have the Cycliq Fly 12 and Fly 6 latest models and like both of them. I chose them because of the long battery life. Both can use a larger SD card than Cycliq states. I also like that both serve as back up lights in the case of light failures. It has the ability to lock files with the push of a button to prevent overwriting. It also will lock files when it detects a crash. The drawback is the price.

I have a GoPro 4 that I don’t like for commuting. The resolution is better but the battery life is far too short at around 1.5 to 2 hours.

You may also want to look into prices on eBay for used cameras. Older models tend to have similar resolution capabilities but with less bells and whistles.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LhasaCM]

I also have the Cycliq Fly12 and Fly 6 cameras, and like them – but cannot recommend them at this time, especially for someone looking for a “not-too expensive” camera. In addition to price, quality control/reliability is a bit of an issue.

From the previous generation: my Fly 6 was rock solid, but it took me three tries to find a Fly 12 that lasted more than a couple of months.

For the current generation (launched January 2018): the Fly 12 CE is still running strong but I’m on my fourth Fly 6. The first one apparently wasn’t quite on the mount correctly so flew off when I hit a pothole, cracking the lens. The second one fell two feet off of a table, and then refused to turn on. Neither were covered under warranty though they did give me a 40% “crash discount” to buy a replacement. The third one just randomly stopped mid-ride one time; I could still connect it to a computer as a card reader, but it wouldn’t charge/record. That was replaced under warranty – but only after 3 months of painfully slow support responses.

It’s that lack of support combined with the QC/reliability issues that gives me pause in suggesting that others make a similar purchase now. MSRP is $279 for the Fly12 and $179 for the Fly6. While they frequently have various sales/offers available, at that price point, I think it’s reasonable to expect a product to just work (or be well supported if it doesn’t).

[EasyRider]

@LhasaCM 193766 wrote:

I also have the Cycliq Fly12 and Fly 6 cameras, and like them – but cannot recommend them at this time, especially for someone looking for a “not-too expensive” camera. In addition to price, quality control/reliability is a bit of an issue. From the previous generation: my Fly 6 was rock solid, but it took me three tries to find a Fly 12 that lasted more than a couple of months. For the current generation (launched January 2018): the Fly 12 CE is still running strong but I’m on my fourth Fly 6. The first one apparently wasn’t quite on the mount correctly so flew off when I hit a pothole, cracking the lens. The second one fell two feet off of a table, and then refused to turn on. Neither were covered under warranty though they did give me a 40% “crash discount” to buy a replacement. The third one just randomly stopped mid-ride one time; I could still connect it to a computer as a card reader, but it wouldn’t charge/record. That was replaced under warranty – but only after 3 months of painfully slow support responses.

It’s that lack of support combined with the QC/reliability issues that gives me pause in suggesting that others make a similar purchase now. MSRP is $279 for the Fly12 and $179 for the Fly6. While they frequently have various sales/offers available, at that price point, I think it’s reasonable to expect a product to just work (or be well supported if it doesn’t).

Thanks for the advice everyone. I’m a bike person so I’m willing to drop $300 on a weatherproof cam that takes looping footage, but only if it’s dependable, since I would be using it every day. I’ve used a cheapo one before but it was something of a novelty item, it was obtrusive, and the battery would give out almost immediately in cold weather. It seems odd to me that there isn’t a durable no frills $100 camera, but I guess there just isn’t a big enough market for it yet. I’ll look again in a year.

[rcannon100]

Funny, my experience has been the opposite. I bought the newest generation Fly12 and Fly 6. They are NOT the same construction. My Fly12 is solid and waterproof. The card/port door clicks into place and is water resistant. My Fly6 was a joke. The port door was one of those plastic covers

---

that never stays in place. My Fly6 lasted a couple of weeks. My Fly12 is solid. I care more about front facing than re facing. So I just said whatever.

But then this could be reflective of a greater Cycliq quality control. I dont know.

[Hancockbs]

@EasyRider 193771 wrote:

Thanks for the advice everyone. I’m a bike person so I’m willing to drop $300 on a weatherproof cam that takes looping footage, but only if it’s dependable, since I would be using it every day. I’ve used a cheapo one before but it was something of a novelty item, it was obtrusive, and the battery would give out almost immediately in cold weather. It seems odd to me that there isn’t a durable no frills $100 camera, but I guess there just isn’t a big enough market for it yet. I’ll look again in a year.

Consider a used GoPro Hero 5 if you want interchangable batteries, or an original Session if 2 hours run time is sufficent and you want a smaller package. Both offer looping. I have both and use them on and off the bike. Be careful that not all GoPros offer looping, including the Hero 6 and some versions of the Hero 7. I think, but am not sure that all of the Sessions have looping. For my use, I like the Hero 5 for looping, ease of use with the touch display, and the ability to carry and swap batteries for a longer outing. GoPro accessroies are also easy to come by to get a mount (or multiple) that suit your needs.

[dbehrend]

I’ve been using an older version of the Fly6 for over two years and the latest version of the Fly12 CE for just shy of a year. They’ve been used on my daily commute and some recreational rides, year-round, in all kinds of weather.

They’ve both worked great. I may be lucky, but I haven’t run into the quality issues other users have reported here and on other forums. There are design elements that could be improved (I think some of the features I like least about the Fly6, like the velcro strap and video quality, were improved on the Fly6 CE). They are expensive. However, the design lends itself well to bike commuting. They would work well as the Russian dashcam you’re looking for.

I used a GoPro Session 5 before getting the Fly12. It had slightly better video quality, and was more compact, but the battery life meant I needed to charge it at least one time a day. I still use it regularly, just not for my daily commute.

[secstate]

Am I correct to say that the rechargeable batteries on the Fly units are not easily replaced? I’m reluctant to own yet another set of gadgets that will need to be tossed out after their batteries go bad.

[Mario20136]

On the contrary, the Fly6 battery can be easily replaced. The required skill set is patience and steady hands. Please see URL http://www.dragonflydiy.com/2017/04/easy-repair-cycliq-fly6-battery.html and/or https://medium.com/@bikebot/fly-6-battery-replacement-cdbcd09150ce

I replaced my Fly6 battery couple years ago, and it’s still runs during my daily commute to DC, make sure you order the correct 18650 Lithium battery replacement part number. I saved $170 less $7 for the lithium battery (Panasonic battery). Again, I already had soldering gun to solder the metal bands to the battery terminals.

[secstate]

I also saw that Medium article. It’s not what I would call user-friendly but good to know that it’s doable. I’m an (inactive) ham radio guy and enjoy these kinds of repairs and little soldering jobs.

[Author]

Posts