Having a rear-facing video camera on your bike could certainly prove handy if you needed to provide legal proof that a motorist had done you wrong. Nobody wants to mount and use a GoPro on every ride, though, which is why Australian startup Cycliq developed the Fly6 – it's a tail light with a built-in mini HD camera. However, what if you need a visual record of what happened on the road in front of you? Well, you'd need the new Fly12, which is a combination headlight and camera.
The camera shoots Full HD 1080p/30fps video through a 130-degree wide-angle lens, recording onto an included 16GB MicroSD card. It also records a timestamp onto its footage (so there won't be any debating when an incident occurred) plus it can also superimpose a tramline grid onto the video, which can be used to determine if a passing driver was giving the cyclist sufficient room.
Additionally, it can record video in a continuously-overwriting loop, so riders won't have to worry about events not being documented because the memory card was full.
The light puts out a maximum of 400 lumens, and can be set to steady or flashing modes. Both it and the camera are powered by a single 5,200-mAh lithium-ion battery. A full USB charge should be good for 10 hours in camera-only mode, six hours in camera/flashing mode, or two hours in camera/steady at maximum brightness.
The whole weatherproof unit tips the scales at 209 g (7.4 oz). By contrast, its designers point out that a GoPro Hero3+ and a separate Niterider Lumina 400 compact headlight weigh a combined 309 g (10.9 oz) – plus, of course, they take up more room on the handlebars.
Of course, it could also just be used to record rides for fun. That usage is facilitated by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to share footage online via an accompanying smartphone app. More serious riders can also add Strava metrics to their footage.
Cycliq is now raising production funds for the Fly12, on Kickstarter. A pledge of US$299 will currently get you one, assuming all goes according to plan. The estimated retail price is $399.
Source: Kickstarter
