Bike lights are getting better fast, from the camera-equipped model reviewed here to gorgeous integrated lights from Sparse and “intelligent” adjusting blazers made by See Sense.
Cycliq offers something new with its Fly6. The rear-facing LED light also serves as a “nanny cam,” continuously recording HD video as you ride.
Mounted as a taillight, the light/camera combo watches your “6,” and it seamlessly captures your riding buddies in a paceline or a rowdy driver who gets too close.
Indeed, the camera is part GoPro, part insurance plan — use it to get some interesting footage to show friends or have it on and recording for “just in case” moments where you have a run-in and need evidence in the form of raw 720p video.
I have been testing the Fly6 for four months. I like it. I like how well it is designed, and how easy it is to use. I also like the mount, its battery life (5-6 hours), and its durability.
The video quality is good for social media and personal online use, though it washed out when I biked through bright areas. It records audio. The light is bright at 30 lumens to keep you visible on the road.
One other nicety: Cycliq solves an often unnecessarily confusing task of figuring out remaining battery life in a light by adding a row of LED lights to display charge level. (What’s more, while riding, the unit beeps audibly to indicate how much battery it has used as it runs down.)
An 8GB memory card and mount is included for $249 at Cycliq’s Fly6 page.
The success of the Fly6 was enough to convince the talented inventors at Cycliq to move to their next challenge, a forward-facing camera/light.
The Fly12 has better quality video, longer run-time, wifi and Bluetooth connectivity, and enough brightness to ride off-road. (It throws 400 lumens of white light.)
Perhaps most impressive is the purported run time at 5 hours with the light on, and 10 hours with the light off (camera mode only). Although we have yet to test it, we hope its build quality is as good as the Fly6.
Price tag will be $400, which is a lot. But considering you’re getting a top-end light and a GoPro-like camera all in one, many riders could justify the expense. Stay tuned for more about the Fly12 as it launches and gets mounted on our handlebars for a test.
