Cheap, basic bike camera recommnedation

[kgreene10]

I apologize if this has been covered before.

I would like an inexpensive, basic camera for video recording that I can attach to the back of my Madone 9 and use during training.

The goal is to provide for my son's future once a redneck in a truck decides to reenact Easy Rider. I don't foresee wanting to record my races and overlay power numbers etc. That might be fun, but my main goal is to keep it cheap and simple for documentary purposes.

What would you recommend?

[druptight]

https://cycliq.com/

These guys make front and rear facing camera/light combos to help keep you seen and let you see in the event of an accident. Note - I have NO experience with them, but I remember the hoopla when they did a kickstarter or whatever. I think a search on here will yield reviews.

[casparwhittey]

DCR did a writeup on them:

Front:http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/05/cycliq-fly12-bike-lightcamera-in-depth-review.html
Rear: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/10/cycliq-fly6-review.html

[weisan]

Green pal, define "cheap"?

Garmin discontinued their Virb camera series. You can still find them on eBay, their Elite model selling for $150, and incorporated biometric information. If you don't care for them, you can go for their Basic model w/o biometric that sells for less than $100. I use a small Anker battery stick to extend battery life from 2:30 to 5 hrs which covers most, if not all, of my rides.

[tiretrax]

I bought a Sony action cam last Black Friday at Best Buy. I haven't used it, despite having the same intentions. I also took it to Colorado for Ride the Rockies and kept forgetting to bring it with me each day. If you want a deal, PM me. I'll drive down to A-town if you buy me lunch at Terry Blacks.:)

[cmbicycles]

I have a Cycliq Fly6, decent light output and pretty good picture quality. My kids haven't yet figured out where I hid the camera for our rides together... ;)

[Veloo]

I snagged a Veho Muvi K1 on Amazon.ca for $123 CAD.
It has since gone back up to $270 for some reason.

Good camera. Just two issues. The mounts are not GoPro compatible - unless you file them down a bit. Also, the battery lasts about 2.5 hours. I ended up getting a second battery.

[drewellison]

Another vote for Fly6. I use it and am happy. I also just want it for documentation purposes in case of incident. It loops in 10 minute segments (I bought a larger memory card to maximize the amount of video it keeps) so you just have to turn it on and off and make sure to charge it.

I have looked at the video it creates and it's certainly satisfactory for my purposes. You wouldn't want to make a PBS documentary with it.

Since it's only designed mounting option is for the back of the seatpost, running a saddle bag is problematic. So I purchased a Minoura handlebar accessory mount deal which I use on my seatpost to get the Fly6 underneath and beyond the saddlebag.

[cmbicycles]

...

Since it's only designed mounting option is for the back of the seatpost, running a saddle bag is problematic. So I purchased a Minoura handlebar accessory mount deal which I use on my seatpost to get the Fly6 underneath and beyond the saddlebag.

I was just in contact w/ cycliq about the fly6 mount, and apparently they are working on a new one more like the mount on the fly12. (Aluminum & bolts on, hopefully hangs down too) No details beyond that from them though.

[sworcester]

I have used a fly6 for a long time. By biggest complaint is the lack of resolution. Had some close calls and when I went to look at it, the license plates were unreadable.
But having the camera and the light in one units works out well.
Doesn't work well off road though

Would like to see a light unit add on for the GoPro hero

[Vinci]

I have been using a Garmin Virb (basic, not Elite) for nearly a year on my commuter. It works well as a "dash cam" and was pretty cheap on an Amazon warehouse deal.

I'd pick up a second one for a rear-facing camera if I found a deal.

[weisan]

Just to set up some expectations if you are planning to go down the Garmin Virb route...

that thing is not exactly light weight, and I carry two, one in the front and the other in the back. Other than the cameras, I carry other junk during my ride so my road bike is not exactly a "light" machine - probably weighs about 23-25 pounds without the water bottles.

To be honest, I don't "feel" the extra weight and for the kind of rides that I do and the people that I ride with, weight is not that important.

Just want to mention the penalty of carrying the extra weight of the cameras.

No free lunch.

Wanna see the quality?
https://vimeo.com/172559925