There has been a lot of talk lately about the concept of “car shaming” – the act of filming cars that put your safety at risk while riding your bicycle, and then posting them online. And why wouldn’t there be? There have been a number people killed or seriously injured while out riding their bikes recently, and we’ve all been out on a ride when a driver intentionally tries to buzz you, or worse hit you, throw things at you, shoot you with a paintball gun… Whatever the scenario, there’s a lot of stupid things that could put your safety at risk while riding.
For Andrew Hagen, the CEO of Cycliq, the answer may not be in the filming itself, but in the threat of any cyclist having an onboard camera. In his mind, if enough riders start reporting dangerous drivers to the police, the threat of having video evidence against them may make drivers think twice before trying to intimidate a cyclist.
To make this as easy possible, Cycliq has introduced two cycling lights with integrated HD cameras that film on continual loop. Since the camera is always on, you know that if you do have an altercation the camera will have captured it. And if you don’t have an altercation, well, the lights probably did their job and you can head home to charge for another ride. We’ve seen the Fly6 rear light previously and while it does get some improvements, the real story is the impressive functionality of the forthcoming Fly12 front light…
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Cycliq is in the process of finishing production on the companion for the Fly6. Named after the concept of having a fly on the wall to see your movements at your six (rear) or 12(front), the Fly12 combines a full HD camera with a 400 lumen headlight. Using the same microchip you will find in many GoPro cameras, the 12 is capable of filming 1.5hrs of footage at 1080p x 45fps and supports 16 GB Micro SD cards. The camera captures footage in five-minute chunks and will record continuously as long as the battery is charged. The built-in rechargeable battery claims to provide 10 hours of filming on the camera only, six hours of filming with the light on flash, or two hours of filming using the full 400 lumens. Compare that to the average recording time of an action camera, and it’s quite impressive.
Based on the footage we were shown from the prototype, the video quality is up there with the best action cameras, but Cycliq is taking it one step further with one of the best video processing apps we’ve seen. Connecting to the camera via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the app not only allows you to see what is being filmed, but it will allow you to control every detail of the light and camera as well as posting directly to social media. One of the more interesting features is the ability to add “tram lines” to your footage which is based on the 3 foot law. You can set the location of the tram lines based on where the camera is positioned, and they will give you a video representation of the 3 foot (1m) boundary for you on the road. This is a very intriguing feature not only because it will give you the video proof that a driver was too close to you, but it will also prove to you in situations that very Driver may not be as close as you thought.
And while you hope to never have to use the camera for reporting reckless driving, because the camera is HD you can use it for filming your adventures the rest of the time. Not to mention always having a light with you on your bike. The app will also allow you to integrate your footage directly with Strava for some cool overlays including speed and other cycling data.
Expected to be available this January, the Fly12 will weigh a claimed 230 g, and will sell for around $329 – 349.
At the back of your bike, Cycliq will keep you covered with a new version of the Fly6. Now offering a six hour battery with 30 lm of light. The camera also includes revised clips for improved footage quality and ships with two in the box plus additional rubber straps for round and aero seat posts. Priced at $169, the Fly6 is available now.
