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After yet another near miss this morning (I was actually run off the road by a HGV) & having reported near misses on several occasions & the police's reluctance to do anything about them unless I have video footage I have had enough.
Yes I'm going to become one of those dicks who uploads their footage to youtube, but I'm fed up of having no recourse.
So please recommend me a camera suitable for this. I want something small & subtle if possible.
Thanks
The older Fly6 is a good price now and works well: just turn it on and off and charge it when needed, that's all you ever need to do.
You don't have to stick everything on YouTube, and there are plenty of good reasons not to. Just have it there if you need it for insurance or law enforcement.
So please recommend me a camera suitable for this. I want something small & subtle if possible
There is a argument for it not being "Small and Subtle" but instead being bulky and noticeable in order to let drivers know they're behaviour is being recorded and might come back to haunt them... using the camera more for prevention than simply to gather youtube fodder by stealth
I don't think it's wise to go full 'CycleGaz' anyway, posting ranty helmet cam footage on Youtube.
If anything of significance is actually shot pass it to the Police and leave it there, as soon as it goes up on the interwebz as angry froth material, the chances of proper police action is potentially damaged...
As for recomendations: Cheap Go-pro knockoffs are available from Amazon for £25 and under, is it worth buying anything fancier? you might get hit by a car and wreck it...
I don't have a massive intention to upload everything to YouTube, but I also don't want to look like a road warrior with an obvious go pro mounted on my helmet.
I'll have a hunt for the Fly6
I just bought a Drift Ghost X which I've used approximately twice on my commute (this is my disclaimer of limited experience). It's small and compact but the handlebar mount is a honking great monstrosity. It may be possible to engineer something a little more subtle.
It's easy to operate, press for on, press to record then at the end of journey press to switch off. Really simple. The resolution isn't super, doesn't always capture registration numbers legibly. If I was bothered by something specific I'd have to turn into one of those people who shouts the registration numbers out so it records my voice.
I got it because of its battery life (five hours), and the simplicity of operation (me and garmin's way of working have proved not to be friends) and it wasn't a stupid, stupid price until I started adding extras like waterproof case and additional mounting wotnots.
The Fly6 is far too expensive imo.
Just get a cheap HD bullet cam off ebay. Or a GoPro session, as something with an app for clearing down the hours of unwanted footage is quite useful.
Having read the post above mine - yes, sometimes the cheaper cams have crappy mounts - I used one of those double velcro (Fish block, or something) with mine. That's the other benefit of a Session or the like, the mounting options are very good with GoPro stuff (if you're not foolish enough to pay £20odd for branded Go-Pro compatible mounts, when £3 ones off ebay are just fine).
something that auto restarts when you get to the end of the card.
invariably the day theres an issue will be the day your card has filled up 10 minutes prior.
Hm, that's odd. I was sure I saw the older Fly6 for £65 (at which price it's a bargain) just a few days ago but it isn't showing up now.
Yeah, that'd be a good price, most definitely.
Fly12 on SportPursuit for £169.99 is about the best price I can find.
invariably the day theres an issue will be the day your card has filled up
Takes a while.. 🙂
There are so many out there - it's worse than bike lights...
Caveat emptor: not all devices will work with massive SD cards.
"invariably the day theres an issue will be the day your card has filled up
Takes a while.."
the longer between times you need to check and empty the card the more likely it is to be forgotten about.
id still advise an auto rewrite from the start model over one that stops when its full. remove the idiot from the process.
Much more useful. Create a bubble around you but don't be a dick. Always let someone else get to the accident first. Applies to all vehicles.
A bubble that withstands the force of a car? Well, yes please! Tell me how to create this wondrous thing!
Or, maybe people can manage not to "be a dick" and yet still feel it's worth having evidence should the unlikely need for it arise?
the longer between times you need to check and empty the card the more likely it is to be forgotten about
If it's forgotten, it's not worth uploading/reporting/viewing is my motto.
</span><span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Much more useful. Create a bubble around you but don’t be a dick. Always let someone else get to the accident first. Applies to all vehicles
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Jeez, there's always one on these threads. Yeah, you're a better/clever/safer/more experienced rider than everyone else. cheers.
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I've got the Aldi Fly 6-clone and a Fly 12 mk1
IME a rear-mounted camera is okay, but they tend not to show the bits that you want such as the overtaking car leaving you space initially, but realising that they got it wrong. They then cut in sharply because of the bollard/oncoming car/bend, which is all off-camera
Another problem with these dark mornings and afternoons is that the rear camera is over-whelmed by the headlights of the overtaking car and you can't see the number plate, etc. A front camera is better in both situations
A front camera tends to give more context to speeds and distances, and a combination of front and rear is pretty good, but either will be overwhelmed by headlights, and your actions, signals, etc are all in a bubble of invisibility
The mk 1 Fly 12 is often on sale, mine was 50% off at Wiggle. With experience bike cameras wouldn't be high on my list of priorities; they won't prevent an incident, but might help at some future date. HTH
As I say every time you trott that crap on cam threads.
Cycle craft is a good starting point for anyone riding to work how ever it doesn't help supply evidence when someone does something unexpected.
And don't say cycle craft teaches you to avoid the unexpected --t doesn't that is why they are unexpected events. It teaches you to avoid the most common events ergo they are expected.....
As for the forgotten , I meant forgotten to empty the big card not forgot to upload the mediocre footage to YouTube.
"As I say every time you trott that crap on cam threads"
Eh? What did I say?
"...forgotten to empty the big card"
Good point, both of my cameras auto loop. The downside is that an incident early on can be recorded over, so the bigger the memory card, the better. But the camera will probably have a maximum card size in its spec. If the camera records sound then it will make the video file size much larger, consider whether to leave the option on
The rear camera is better for when you're being chased by a dog and it needs to be identified later 🙂
Totally agree with Trail_rat - a card you only need to delete footage every 6 months is likely to be forgotten, then it’ll be full when you need it.
My concern with a GoPro or equivalent is that the battery life is terrible. Nether of mine would do a days commuting, the Cycliq ones seem to have c8 hours battery life.
Not you. Cyclecraft crests a magic bubble.
No the fact I now have a route that is entirely off road creates the bubble.
The last 2 miles to my old work when folk were getting ratty and in a rush were lethal. Holding a wide position even got difficult as they would literally drive into you occasionally even when you were there
I use a roadhawk --- as does my dad on his motorbike. .
It gives an hour and .a half on internal battery and I can hook up to external pack using their *thru cable* waterproof lid and extension lead and have as long as I want on a loop.
Much more useful. Create a bubble around you but don’t be a dick. Always let someone else get to the accident first. Applies to all vehicles.
Yes - I'm sure improving my knowledge would've led the impatient arctic truck driver to wait before forcing his way past & not run me into the road sign as they couldn't judge my speed. I'm sure if I sent the cyclecraft book to the police they would say, yes, this is enough evidence to speak to that truck driver & ban him from driving.
FFS.
I tried a few cheap and cheerful bullet-type HD cameras, but I must have been unlucky, as two of them failed within a few months of use (replaced under warranty). I ended up with a Drift HD camera, which now looks to have been replaced with a more expensive model - I paid about £70.
I've also got one of those Aldi rear light cameras.
Key features I looked for were card overwrite (so you never touch it until you need to), simple on/off and a date/time stamp on the recording.
Close pass from a motor cycle on Sunday, within a foot on a corner as he was leant over.
Pillow flicked 'v' sign at us (group of three) as we were somewhat startled and the other three bikes in front of him had managed to give us enough room.
He'd stopped a couple of miles up the road (and his pillion legged it when she saw us coming), so we stopped to ask him if he'd consider giving us more room next time?
His response "No."
It was one of those sigh and move on moments.......as we left he was frothing about f****** cyclists and questioning why we weren't riding in the gutter.
Cam footage may have been useful as he was unrepentant, which is almost amusing as it was a Christian biker group who had stopped at church.
Joining the club on this one after getting side swiped on Saturday - I was turning left into a side street, they were turning right into the same street and just drove into the side of me (yes I was in a decent wide position as I rounded the corner, no it didn't make any difference, yes the bike is OK, no Surrey plod aren't interested despite banging on about cycling on Twitter).
The Drift Ghost X looks like a decent contended for helmet cam with looping record -anything else worth checking before I hit the buy button?
Fly 6. Mine was used in evidence ina fatality. It just works. Fly 12 is currently borked 🙁 probably user error.
Thanks but Fly6 isn't a helmet cam and that's what I'm after at the mo. Fly12 likewise too bulky.
I use a Drift Stealth 2, which I assume has now been replaced by the Drift Ghost X. It's small and light, and sits comfortably on top of my helmet using a goggle mount with velcro straps - better positioning than trying to find a spot for an adhesive mount on the side.
I don't use a commuting camera as such i.e. I don't use it every day but I do use a GoPro session 4 to record the odd one or two [url= https://www.pinkbike.com/video/496423/ ]commutes to edit for fun purposes[/url] rather than as a recourse in case something happens.
Positives
small, light, cheap*, robust, reliable (3+ years so far), ease of mounting, multiplicity of mounts, one touch on/off, quality of footage, multiple recording modes, manage app via button on camera or via phone, takes up to 128gb card, the benchmark sports cam all others measure themselves against
*mine was £150 new which is relatively cheap but now that the session 5 is out you can pick them up much cheaper
Negatives
Doesn't overwrite existing footage but a 128gb card should record plenty before you need to clear it off. Okay so the battery 'only' lasts circa 2 hours but how long is your commute? Assuming you are riding into and out of work then just recharge it whilst at work. errr..that's about it. What's not to like?
I have a Fly6, original kickstarter model. it's rubbish. Doesn't record properly anymore and the footage was like looking through goggles underwater. Max 32gb card on my model too.
I had a Drift, very good, very light. However, it just bricked one day, would not come on at all. Company were beyond useless. They were not prepared to look at it or fix it, said it would cost them too much and all they did was offer me 20% off a Drift Ghost. Swore I would never deal with them again 🙁
Personally, although I know you are after a helmet cam, have, and would heartily recommend, the Fly 6 and 12. Continuous loop, just turn on and forget, plus a decent flashing light for the commute as well.
2hr battery is rubbish... that's my round trip!
Hmmm I've seen other reports that Ghost aren't the best for support so am leaning toward the Fly12 now - for the rear I run a larger seatpack to take all my commuting crap so there's no chance of mounting it on the seatpost - anyone bodged it onto a seatpack instead?
2hr battery is rubbish… that’s my round trip!
That's why I never recommend the Shimano one I have. Everything else about it is just right (size, mounting, quality, waterproof, app, etc) but the (removable!) battery lasts less than an hour! And they don't do replacement batteries.
Never felt the need for a rearward cam.
2hr battery is rubbish… that’s my round trip!
and presumably you don't have any electricity at work to recharge it during the day?
My round trip is 2hrs 45