Nicola Rutzou
We tested the popular Cycliq front light & camera, that is more a safety device than just a light or camera.
Cycliq is an Australian company that’s been around since 2012. The current Fly12 front camera/light is the third generation, so it’s a fairly slick piece of gear.
Cycliq describes it as a cycling safety system rather than a front light or an action camera. The camera’s purpose is primarily to record incidents you might encounter, particularly on the roads, and it does that very well. Of course, it can also capture incredible moments like the one shown here, but it wasn’t invented to compete with other action cameras.
While testing it, I was fortunate not to need any footage to prove what happened in an incident, but I have friends who have the same light and have used it to send video clips to authorities.
Straight out of the box, it’s very easy to operate. When it’s on, the camera is always recording, so there’s no chance you’ll forget to hit ‘start’ or ‘stop’. You can adjust the light mode with different levels and flashing patterns. Most of my test rides were in light conditions, so I chose various flash modes and tested the full mode in darkness.
It is not as strong as my usual front light alone, but at 400 lumens, it is certainly adequate.
The video footage is recorded on the supplied 64GB micro SD card in MP4 format that comes with the unit, although you can use a card that holds up to 1TB. It is stored as an overwriting loop in three, five, or ten-minute segments. The footage can be viewed by plugging the device into a computer via a USB cable or removing the card and transferring the files with an adaptor.
Cycliq claims it can record up to seven hours of continuous video in camera-only mode, but I didn’t go on a long enough ride to test this.
Where it comes into its own is recording incidents. If you fall, the Fly12 Sport will automatically trigger incident protection mode, locking the video and audio on either side of the incident. You can also press a button on the side of the light to lock a piece of footage while you’re out and about.
Like most electronic gadgets, it has a companion phone app to adjust light and camera settings and check battery life. I was disappointed I couldn’t check the footage via the app, but Cycliq says its team is considering implementing this feature in the next-generation Fly12, with no release date yet.
The small screen at the rear shows the battery capacity and light mode, plus a bright red light to indicate recording, which I found helpful because you can see this easily while riding.
I also tested Cycliq’s Duo Mount, a dual-purpose bike mount that attaches the Fly12 and bike computer to your handlebars, which was handy and neat. On another bike, I mounted the camera above the bars with the supplied mount, which also worked well.
The Cycliq Fly12 Sport retails for $449. More information cycliq.com
