Rear bike camera
05-25-21, 10:48 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Rear bike camera
Hi Everyone,
Looking to buy a rear bike camera since two days ago some person almost hit me as they were about to pass me. Looking at AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera
Does anyone own this camera? Is it worth buying a GoPro instead? What other cameras does anyone suggest?
Thank you
Looking to buy a rear bike camera since two days ago some person almost hit me as they were about to pass me. Looking at AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera
Does anyone own this camera? Is it worth buying a GoPro instead? What other cameras does anyone suggest?
Thank you
05-26-21, 10:20 AM
#3
Senior Member
Hi Everyone,
Looking to buy a rear bike camera since two days ago some person almost hit me as they were about to pass me. Looking at AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera
Does anyone own this camera? Is it worth buying a GoPro instead? What other cameras does anyone suggest?
Thank you
Looking to buy a rear bike camera since two days ago some person almost hit me as they were about to pass me. Looking at AKASO Brave 4 4K 20MP WiFi Action Camera
Does anyone own this camera? Is it worth buying a GoPro instead? What other cameras does anyone suggest?
Thank you
If I get hit, it's going to be up to my heirs to deal with it. My goal in the meantime has been to aggressively pursue drivers who misbehave. The local law enforcement has been accepting of this and has made the necessary calls and citations if required. In general, I prefer (as does LE) that the contact is educational but if the driver is belligerent or "not getting it" (as put to me by a deputy), then they issue the citation. This works because drivers then hear by word of mouth that they are being filmed and are accountable.
The FLY6CE will split the video into 5 or 10 minute segments instead of one big giant file. This is useful when you need to find the incident. It also has the capability to lock a file by a button push. You also can configure it that it will stop after you crash and lock the file.
It comes with mounts and it has a battery life of 4-5 hours with video and lights running. While it's not my favorite bit of bike electronics, for it's function it's the best out there even though it could use some improvements. It's not a perfect solution by any stretch and it does have it's warts, but for what you describe, it's the best out there IMO. One problem is that it's an Australian or New Zealand company so if you buy it, buy through Amazon to make returns and warranty much easier.
05-26-21, 08:36 PM
#4
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There are a zillion recent threads on video cameras for bike rides.
GoPro and knockoffs for short clips of action. But they're not so great for extended run videos of mundane traffic safety stuff.
But the best buy right now for traffic/safety documentation is the Drift Ghost video cameras. I have a pair of Drift Ghost X from 2019, front and rear. Basic camera included 5-hour batteries, and they really do run that long per charge. There were optional 8-hour battery packs.
The Drift cameras are rugged as-is without needing protective housings, reasonably weather and splash resistant. Very durable and compact. Not lightweight.
The only tricky bit is the mounts. Drift mounts are just oh-kay. But the cameras have standard threaded tripod sockets and there are dozens of mount options available online, including from photo specialists like B&H Photo in NYC.
I've described my experiences with the Drift and other cameras in other threads on this forum.
And you'll find some excellent demo videos for the Drift on YouTube, mostly from UK based motorcyclists, where the Drift cameras are made.
Regarding the Cycliqs, I've read too many complaints of quality control problems and indifferent response from customer support. Including from local friends. I wouldn't buy one until they clean up their act.
GoPro and knockoffs for short clips of action. But they're not so great for extended run videos of mundane traffic safety stuff.
But the best buy right now for traffic/safety documentation is the Drift Ghost video cameras. I have a pair of Drift Ghost X from 2019, front and rear. Basic camera included 5-hour batteries, and they really do run that long per charge. There were optional 8-hour battery packs.
The Drift cameras are rugged as-is without needing protective housings, reasonably weather and splash resistant. Very durable and compact. Not lightweight.
The only tricky bit is the mounts. Drift mounts are just oh-kay. But the cameras have standard threaded tripod sockets and there are dozens of mount options available online, including from photo specialists like B&H Photo in NYC.
I've described my experiences with the Drift and other cameras in other threads on this forum.
And you'll find some excellent demo videos for the Drift on YouTube, mostly from UK based motorcyclists, where the Drift cameras are made.
Regarding the Cycliqs, I've read too many complaints of quality control problems and indifferent response from customer support. Including from local friends. I wouldn't buy one until they clean up their act.
05-26-21, 08:52 PM
#5
Senior Member
There are a zillion recent threads on video cameras for bike rides.
GoPro and knockoffs for short clips of action. But they're not so great for extended run videos of mundane traffic safety stuff.
But the best buy right now for traffic/safety documentation is the Drift Ghost video cameras. I have a pair of Drift Ghost X from 2019, front and rear. Basic camera included 5-hour batteries, and they really do run that long per charge. There were optional 8-hour battery packs.
The Drift cameras are rugged as-is without needing protective housings, reasonably weather and splash resistant. Very durable and compact. Not lightweight.
The only tricky bit is the mounts. Drift mounts are just oh-kay. But the cameras have standard threaded tripod sockets and there are dozens of mount options available online, including from photo specialists like B&H Photo in NYC.
I've described my experiences with the Drift and other cameras in other threads on this forum.
And you'll find some excellent demo videos for the Drift on YouTube, mostly from UK based motorcyclists, where the Drift cameras are made.
Regarding the Cycliqs, I've read too many complaints of quality control problems and indifferent response from customer support. Including from local friends. I wouldn't buy one until they clean up their act.
GoPro and knockoffs for short clips of action. But they're not so great for extended run videos of mundane traffic safety stuff.
But the best buy right now for traffic/safety documentation is the Drift Ghost video cameras. I have a pair of Drift Ghost X from 2019, front and rear. Basic camera included 5-hour batteries, and they really do run that long per charge. There were optional 8-hour battery packs.
The Drift cameras are rugged as-is without needing protective housings, reasonably weather and splash resistant. Very durable and compact. Not lightweight.
The only tricky bit is the mounts. Drift mounts are just oh-kay. But the cameras have standard threaded tripod sockets and there are dozens of mount options available online, including from photo specialists like B&H Photo in NYC.
I've described my experiences with the Drift and other cameras in other threads on this forum.
And you'll find some excellent demo videos for the Drift on YouTube, mostly from UK based motorcyclists, where the Drift cameras are made.
Regarding the Cycliqs, I've read too many complaints of quality control problems and indifferent response from customer support. Including from local friends. I wouldn't buy one until they clean up their act.
It seems as if you get a working Cycliq unit they work without problem for a long time. And, if you get it from Amazon (hence the suggestion), returns are easy especially if it doesn't work right. Most of the problems I've seen and that people have are fixed with a system reset or they were infant life mortality (common among electronics). Unfortunately, Cycliq has kind of nailed the feature set but the company is not the greatest.
I tried adding cameras on the back of the bike and now I have probably a hundred dollars in GoPro style mounts, all of which are, at best, mediocre. Eventually it starts to look like a Christmas Tree full of ornaments back there by the time you add a camera, lights, and maybe a seat pack. For me, the mount issue was a showstopper.
And the editing of the long videos from my GoPro camera was a giant pain when I wanted to send a clip to law enforcement. So yeah, you can get something with battery life but at the expense of all the mount and editing problems. And that's where Cycliq has kind of found a niche.
In reality, I found a front mounted camera to be *much* better and more useful. If I'm hit from behind, I have bigger problems than the video. I'm interested in trying to get law enforcement in place to try and change driver behavior (that's another story but it's worthwhile and it works - especially with commercial drivers). The camera in front clearly shows the car, the spacing, and the outcome of their action as well as any dialog post incident. Also, if you have a computer mount out front many of them accept a camera mounted underneath the computer on a GoPro mount. Truth be told, that's the setup that I use the most and has been very successful for me. I probably have 10 or so successful submissions to law enforcement from my front camera and I don't think I've ever submitted one from the rear camera. It's to the point where I don't use the rear one much anymore.
So the question really becomes, what do you want to do with this and what is the outcome you want from your video.
Last edited by JohnJ80; 05-26-21 at 08:56 PM.
05-26-21, 09:22 PM
#6
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I consider rear facing video essential. Every time I was hit riding my motorcycle, and a few times on my bicycle, it was from behind at intersections. And the drivers always said the same stupid damned thing: I didn't see you!
A fixed front facing camera on the bike is the least useful. A helmet mounted camera is more versatile, but heavy. I have neck injuries (yup, from behind hit by cars), so after a couple of hours even the extra few ounces of a video camera weighs heavily on my splintered C1-C2 vertebrae and permanently injured neck and shoulder.
And, yeah, agreed, most bike mounts are a kludge. But I find room on the seat post for my rear facing video. Sometimes it requires modifying the mount, including filing or grinding off the oversized thumbscrews so they don't chafe my thighs.
My hybrid has a rear rack and I stuck one of the standard Drift mounts on the top of the rear rack. Works perfectly. I usually use panniers if I'm carrying anything so the camera doesn't interfere with using the rack. I plan to add a front rack and video mount there as well.
On the road bikes I attach the mount upside down. The Drift cameras have rotating "lenses" -- actually it's the sensor that rotates -- so the videos are normally oriented, no need to use software to correct for upside down video later.
Even on my carbon fiber bikes I don't worry about the extra devices or weight. I've watched enough videos of pros training and some of them, including Froome, carry bigger wedge bags and more spares than I do. I'm not training for anything anymore so I don't care about an extra pound of weight from a pair of cameras and mounts. And we don't have any real mountains here, so even my old school 25 lb steel bike is plenty light enough. My sub-20 lb carbon bikes feel like nothing, even with a pair of cameras.
A fixed front facing camera on the bike is the least useful. A helmet mounted camera is more versatile, but heavy. I have neck injuries (yup, from behind hit by cars), so after a couple of hours even the extra few ounces of a video camera weighs heavily on my splintered C1-C2 vertebrae and permanently injured neck and shoulder.
And, yeah, agreed, most bike mounts are a kludge. But I find room on the seat post for my rear facing video. Sometimes it requires modifying the mount, including filing or grinding off the oversized thumbscrews so they don't chafe my thighs.
My hybrid has a rear rack and I stuck one of the standard Drift mounts on the top of the rear rack. Works perfectly. I usually use panniers if I'm carrying anything so the camera doesn't interfere with using the rack. I plan to add a front rack and video mount there as well.
On the road bikes I attach the mount upside down. The Drift cameras have rotating "lenses" -- actually it's the sensor that rotates -- so the videos are normally oriented, no need to use software to correct for upside down video later.
Even on my carbon fiber bikes I don't worry about the extra devices or weight. I've watched enough videos of pros training and some of them, including Froome, carry bigger wedge bags and more spares than I do. I'm not training for anything anymore so I don't care about an extra pound of weight from a pair of cameras and mounts. And we don't have any real mountains here, so even my old school 25 lb steel bike is plenty light enough. My sub-20 lb carbon bikes feel like nothing, even with a pair of cameras.
05-26-21, 09:45 PM
#7
Senior Member
I consider rear facing video essential. Every time I was hit riding my motorcycle, and a few times on my bicycle, it was from behind at intersections. And the drivers always said the same stupid damned thing: I didn't see you!
A fixed front facing camera on the bike is the least useful. A helmet mounted camera is more versatile, but heavy. I have neck injuries (yup, from behind hit by cars), so after a couple of hours even the extra few ounces of a video camera weighs heavily on my splintered C1-C2 vertebrae and permanently injured neck and shoulder.
And, yeah, agreed, most bike mounts are a kludge. But I find room on the seat post for my rear facing video. Sometimes it requires modifying the mount, including filing or grinding off the oversized thumbscrews so they don't chafe my thighs.
My hybrid has a rear rack and I stuck one of the standard Drift mounts on the top of the rear rack. Works perfectly. I usually use panniers if I'm carrying anything so the camera doesn't interfere with using the rack. I plan to add a front rack and video mount there as well.
On the road bikes I attach the mount upside down. The Drift cameras have rotating "lenses" -- actually it's the sensor that rotates -- so the videos are normally oriented, no need to use software to correct for upside down video later.
Even on my carbon fiber bikes I don't worry about the extra devices or weight. I've watched enough videos of pros training and some of them, including Froome, carry bigger wedge bags and more spares than I do. I'm not training for anything anymore so I don't care about an extra pound of weight from a pair of cameras and mounts. And we don't have any real mountains here, so even my old school 25 lb steel bike is plenty light enough. My sub-20 lb carbon bikes feel like nothing, even with a pair of cameras.
A fixed front facing camera on the bike is the least useful. A helmet mounted camera is more versatile, but heavy. I have neck injuries (yup, from behind hit by cars), so after a couple of hours even the extra few ounces of a video camera weighs heavily on my splintered C1-C2 vertebrae and permanently injured neck and shoulder.
And, yeah, agreed, most bike mounts are a kludge. But I find room on the seat post for my rear facing video. Sometimes it requires modifying the mount, including filing or grinding off the oversized thumbscrews so they don't chafe my thighs.
My hybrid has a rear rack and I stuck one of the standard Drift mounts on the top of the rear rack. Works perfectly. I usually use panniers if I'm carrying anything so the camera doesn't interfere with using the rack. I plan to add a front rack and video mount there as well.
On the road bikes I attach the mount upside down. The Drift cameras have rotating "lenses" -- actually it's the sensor that rotates -- so the videos are normally oriented, no need to use software to correct for upside down video later.
Even on my carbon fiber bikes I don't worry about the extra devices or weight. I've watched enough videos of pros training and some of them, including Froome, carry bigger wedge bags and more spares than I do. I'm not training for anything anymore so I don't care about an extra pound of weight from a pair of cameras and mounts. And we don't have any real mountains here, so even my old school 25 lb steel bike is plenty light enough. My sub-20 lb carbon bikes feel like nothing, even with a pair of cameras.
Me? I've decided to get militant and force educate drivers. I have seen the first hand benefits of that directly with drivers in my geography based on what I've been doing and it works (another long story at the risk of hijacking the thread). Rear view video has not been helpful. Oddly enough, forward looking video has been. Been there and it is working. If you want legal justice, you won't get it if you're hit by a car except up to the limits of the policy which are generally woefully inadequate. If you get hit by a commercial vehicle - who are generally better trained drivers anyhow - then you have a chance.
So it depends on what your goal is with the video. Thinking this through is a worthy exercise before one buys anything.
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06-03-21, 07:57 AM
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I had a Rylo 360 degree camera mounted on the left end of my handlebar drop. It was fantastic at capturing vehicles as they approached, passed, and went on down the road. I did manage to capture a couple of "too close" passes, and an instance of some yahoo in a diesel pickup who thought rolling coal on me would be funny. Little did he know that is specifically against the law in my state, and the local sheriff paid him a rather expensive visit later on after reviewing my footage.
Unfortunately, Rylo was bought out by a software company that was only interested in the 360 video software. The hardware was discontinued (luckily I did have extra batteries) and I could still use the camera. That is, until my phone decided to turn itself into a brick. Got a replacement phone and tried to download the Rylo video editing app, only to find out that was no longer available. Now I have a very expensive paperweight.
Ended up going with two GoPro Hero 8 cameras, one mounted on the seat post facing rearward, the other on a forward facing helmet mount.
Unfortunately, Rylo was bought out by a software company that was only interested in the 360 video software. The hardware was discontinued (luckily I did have extra batteries) and I could still use the camera. That is, until my phone decided to turn itself into a brick. Got a replacement phone and tried to download the Rylo video editing app, only to find out that was no longer available. Now I have a very expensive paperweight.
Ended up going with two GoPro Hero 8 cameras, one mounted on the seat post facing rearward, the other on a forward facing helmet mount.
06-03-21, 11:44 AM
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fwiw - I believe, cameras are great & I use them, but unless a driver sees the camera & thinks to themselves, "hmmm I guess I won't buzz this guy cuz I'll be recorded" then the camera itself won't increase your safety
I added a rear strobe to my left drop bar, thinking it would help reduce getting "buzzed", meaning when someone passes you but then cuts back in front of you, sooner than could be called courteous. I was right, the extra flash up front is still seen by drivers as they pass & no longer see the rear strobe. it absolutely gets me a little bit more courtesy room & I'm hard pressed to remember any "buzzing" after installing it
this is what I use. bought 1 new & 2 used. I like them cuz I can mount them anywhere & they are cheap. not sure I would recommend them for identification purposes tho. I don't think their quality is high enough for that
Polaroid XS100 Extreme Edition HD 1080p 16MP Waterproof Sports Action Video Camera With Full Mounting Kit Included
I added a rear strobe to my left drop bar, thinking it would help reduce getting "buzzed", meaning when someone passes you but then cuts back in front of you, sooner than could be called courteous. I was right, the extra flash up front is still seen by drivers as they pass & no longer see the rear strobe. it absolutely gets me a little bit more courtesy room & I'm hard pressed to remember any "buzzing" after installing it
this is what I use. bought 1 new & 2 used. I like them cuz I can mount them anywhere & they are cheap. not sure I would recommend them for identification purposes tho. I don't think their quality is high enough for that
Polaroid XS100 Extreme Edition HD 1080p 16MP Waterproof Sports Action Video Camera With Full Mounting Kit Included
Last edited by rumrunn6; 06-03-21 at 11:51 AM.
06-03-21, 12:42 PM
#10
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FWIW, my reason for using cameras is insurance claims and law enforcement if I'm seriously injured and can't remember what happened, or killed. My family and friends know I run video on every ride so if I'm unconscious or killed they can tell law enforcement to check the cameras.
Cameras aren't deterrents. Criminals already know there are surveillance cameras everywhere. It doesn't deter idiots. If anything some criminals seem to revel in the brief moment of video infamy they enjoy before going to prison. Gives 'em bragging rights. It only makes it a bit easier to prosecute them.
In the split second it takes for bad stuff to happen, I doubt drivers would notice a bike-mounted camera. The Drift cameras I use are very low profile, as are some other traffic/safety documentation cameras. They *might* notice a blocky GoPro on a helmet, but I still doubt it would be a deterrent.
However, if you survive, and the driver stops and has insurance, it can speed up the settlement process. That's a big issue if you're among the many underpaid working stiffs who can't afford employment insurance or even the deductible for catastrophic medical insurance. Video evidence might prompt a satisfactory insurance settlement in months rather than years.
Cameras aren't deterrents. Criminals already know there are surveillance cameras everywhere. It doesn't deter idiots. If anything some criminals seem to revel in the brief moment of video infamy they enjoy before going to prison. Gives 'em bragging rights. It only makes it a bit easier to prosecute them.
In the split second it takes for bad stuff to happen, I doubt drivers would notice a bike-mounted camera. The Drift cameras I use are very low profile, as are some other traffic/safety documentation cameras. They *might* notice a blocky GoPro on a helmet, but I still doubt it would be a deterrent.
However, if you survive, and the driver stops and has insurance, it can speed up the settlement process. That's a big issue if you're among the many underpaid working stiffs who can't afford employment insurance or even the deductible for catastrophic medical insurance. Video evidence might prompt a satisfactory insurance settlement in months rather than years.
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06-03-21, 02:10 PM
#11
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I'm so glad I got a camera for my bike. I've even managed to catch one close call on it already: I was coming up to a T intersection, car on left turning to go by me swung way out into the middle of the street and actually into the oncoming lane, forcing me to almost take the ditch. Too bad it was dark out so basically all you could see on the video was headlights, and my camera has no night vision capability.
