Having been part of a group ride, during which an incident occurred, the lack of video footage can make or break any subsequent police investigation. I personally ride with 2 GoPro cameras, (front and back) and was fortunate enough to capture the incident on my rear facing camera.
In today’s environment, if one plans on riding on the road, even if in a dedicated bicycle lane, I can’t stress the importance of riding with at least one camera. There are a number of dedicated cycling cameras offered by Cycliq and Garmin, as well as numerous action cameras.
Cycliq (https://cycliq.com/) offer front and rear camera with integrated lights, whilst Garmin only offer a rear camera (RCT715 - https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/721258), however this also includes a radar and light, that can interface with majority of bikes computers and provide audible and visual alerts of approaching objects. Battery life can vary, up to 7 hours, depending on the operating modes, but may be sufficient for majority of Bike North rides, or a daily commute. Generally these batteries are integrated into the unit and are not user replaceable.
For those that prefer a dedicated action cam, such as GoPro (https://gopro.com/en/au/) , Insta360 (https://store.insta360.com/), DJI (https://www.dji.com/au/products/handheld-imaging-devices#action-series) due to their overall camera capabilities, one thing to consider is battery life. The rechargable batteries typically last 80-90 minutes, and like the Cycliq and Gramin is very dependant on the camera’s settings.
Another thing to consider, is whilst you may wish for glorious 4K recording, depending on the frame rate (FPS) you may need larger memory cards (greater than 128Gb) and may hit thermal limitations. High Definition (1080p) is generally sufficient to capture number plates. Will provide sample GoPro settings and sample screenshots in a future Chain Reaction.
In respect to bateries, the battery run time may be a challenge, especially for longer rides. Whilst you may be able to extend battery life on Cycliq, or Garmin, this may be at the epsnes of features and / or functionality. Garmin, GoPro, DJI and maybe others, support external power for continuous / extended runtimes. I use an Anker external batery pack (20,000maH) in my top tube bag, which I use to power both GoPros, and will typically provide ~8 hours of continuous recording (when combined with the installed GoPro batteries). If using an external battery pack, ensure it is awake as some battery packs will switch off, it they do not detect any external devices charging.
One of the additional challenges we all face, is the lack of real estate on our bikes to mount yet another accessory. If you ride with a bike computer, there are mounts which allow you to mount a device underneath. There are mounts which can affix to your saddle rails, or even to the underside of your saddle (brand dependent), all which could be utilized to add a camera. Will provide more details on mounts in a future Chain Reaction.
There are already a number of Bike North Members who use cameras from Cycliq, Garmin and GoPro and potentially others. If you do decide to explore adding a camera to your setup, I’m sure members will be more than willing to share their recommendations, tips and tricks, device settings, mounts and more.
Whilst we all hope that cameras do not capture any unfortunate incidents whilst out riding, your own camera, or that of a fellow rider may be sufficient to ensure a successful prosecution, insurance claim regardless of the mode of transport involved, and over time may start to make our roads safer. I also appreciate that these cameras are not cheap, however they are an invaluable investment in today’s cycling environment.
And finally, you will have that memorable footage to relive that ride, and that warm and fuzzy feeling that you had everyone’s back during that ride.