In recent years, dashboard cameras have become a common tool for motorists seeking to protect themselves from liability in the event of an accident. Cars aren’t the only ones using the road however, so Leedville, Australia’s Cycliq decided similar devices would be ideal for commuters and road cyclists too. Last year Bike Rumor covered the release of Cycliq’s Fly6, a rear-facing light with a built-in camera, through their successful Kickstarter campaign.
Upon the insistence of many Fly6 owners, Cycliq has just announced another Kickstarter campaign for their new product, the Fly12. In short, it’s a front-facing adaptation of the Fly6 that combines a high-definition POV camera with a 400 lumen head light. The name is supposed to insinuate a ‘fly on the wall’ that’s watching out for you, either at 6 o’clock or 12 o’clock.
With a host of features designed to collect video evidence, the Fly12 is probably most useful for commuters who are concerned about vehicular collisions…
Of course, the camera and light are legitimate units in their own right and riders of all kinds may find it a treat to have both packaged in one small body- battery included. Claimed battery life is surprising- In order to record longer commutes the camera alone can run for up to 10 hours on a charge, beating most other POV cameras by a long shot (more ‘burn times’ in the specs below).
The most apparent data collection feature is the date and time stamp which overlays your video. Should an incident occur, you and the police will know exactly what happened and when, and ideally who’s to blame. The Fly12 records in a constant loop, auto-saving to the memory card until you retrieve whatever video clips you wish to save. The device is built with what Cycliq calls ‘Incident capture technology’ which preserves your footage through major impacts. Finally, a Tramline overlay feature projects guidelines that show a three foot buffer zone from the bike’s left and right sides on the video image, so you can see who’s getting all up in your bubble.
The Fly12 also hosts some fun features like a companion app, which allows you to sync the camera to your smartphone. The app will enable riders to conveniently trim and upload video clips to social media without needing a computer (during your après coffee or beer, for example) and it can even cut out 15 second video snippets for quick posts. The Fly12 can also be integrated with Strava, so users can select and display ride data like speed, power, heart rate, etc. on top of the video image.
SPECIFICATIONS:
• Lightweight and compact design weighs just 209 grams and measures 60mm wide, 35mm deep and 103mm long.
• Video recording in 1080p at 30 or 45fps, or 720p at 30 or 60fps, in MP4 format.
• Lens offers 130 degree wide angle view, fixed at f2.8 aperture.
• Headlight delivers up to 400 lumens, with high/med/low settings for both steady and flashing modes.
• Rechargeable lithium ion battery provides up to 10 hours of life in camera only mode, 2 hours of illuminated filming at 400 lumens on steady mode, or 6 hours of filming with the brightest flashing mode.
• Wifi and Bluetooth compatible.
• 16gb class 10 micro SD card is included, up to 64gb cards are supported.
• Compatible with GoPro and select Garmin mounts (comes with a handlebar mount, Garmin adapter, GoPro mount and 1/4inch tripod mount adapter).
• Weatherproof design employs nanotechnology to encourage water to shed off rather than beading up.
The Fly12’s Kickstarter campaign began on Feb. 12th, and is already a huge success with double their $245,000 goal pledged in just 5 days. Early bird supporters got a whopping discount, buying in at just $199 but these offers quickly sold out- Currently supporters can still acquire a Fly12 for $329, or a pair for $558. Once in production the Fly12 will retail for $399, and the first units are expected to ship out in the third quarter of 2015. Check out the Fly12’s Kickstarter campaign here.
