Cycliq Fly6 Pro Bundle

The Cycliq Fly6 Pro combines a rear-facing camera and bike light, offering video recording in 4K and 100-lumen output. The video resolution is excellent for capturing details in case of an incident, and the device is easy to use with Wi-Fi transfer simplifying footage viewing. This latest version has had a bit of a price hike, though; you might find better value in a standalone camera with a longer battery life.

> Buy now: Cycliq Fly6 Pro for £330 from Cycliq

Given the increasing frequency of dangerous driving incidents and my own experiences, I was eager to try a rear-view camera for added security and peace of mind when riding. While riding with a camera isn't going to eliminate bad drivers, being able to capture their number plates can be valuable if you need to report an incident.

Pro modifications

Key modifications of the Fly6 Pro over the Gen 3, which Emma reviewed last year, include 4K video recording, extended battery life of up to 7 hours, dual LEDs with 100-lumen output, and IP67 certification.

It also captures a 145-degree field of view, features electronic image stabilisation, and supports wireless 5Ghz Wi-Fi Transfer.

While I haven't used previous generations for direct comparisons, on the face of it the specs appear to be a significant improvement. More on them in a bit.

Unboxing and in use

The bundled package being reviewed here includes the Fly6 Pro unit with a 64GB microSD card, a USB-C cable for charging and transferring files, a safety tether, mounting bracket, two mounting straps, and four bracket adapters (0 degree, D shaped, aero and universal).

On top of this, the bundle also comes with a lens protector pack and a silicone case.

One disappointment was that the mounting straps had been stuck together in the packaging, causing some of the coating to peel off in certain areas. While this isn't visible once the camera is mounted and secured, it's a small letdown considering the price of the product.

My first impression was that the unit itself is pretty hefty. It measures 84 x 47 x 35mm (3.31 x 1.85 x 1.38in) and weighs 154g, which is nearly double the weight of the Gen 3 at 78g.

The position and design of the cover for the SD card and charging ports works well. It's easy to open but locks into position so that it doesn't fling open when going over bumpy roads or gravel. I also had no issues with water ingress.

Unlike the Gen 3, both the power button and Q button are on the same side, along with the OLED display and the function button.

The on/off button is used to change between light modes and the Q button is used to lock footage if you experience an incident, so you can find the segment when looking back after your ride. Like previous generations, the buttons aren't easy to work in gloves, particularly with the silicone case fitted, and with these two sitting one above the other you risk turning off the camera completely if you want to lock footage while still pedalling.

Mounting

The supplied eighth-turn mount is very secure. Even though I always ride with the lanyard, the unit has never come loose from the mount. When it comes to charging the Fly6 Pro, I find it easier to un-Velcro the entire attachment rather than twist the camera off, because of how secure the mount is.

Talking of Velcro straps... The bracket is secured to the seatpost using one of the supplied straps. They grip the seatpost very well, and as long as you've done it up tight enough, you should have no issues with the camera rotating side to side, even on gravel or wet rides.

Set and forget

Once the unit is charged, you can get on the bike and go. While the settings can be customised in the app, it will work out of the box and is very simple to start up.

The Fly6 Pro is designed as a 'set and forget' accessory so the footage is set to record on a continuous loop. When there's no free space left to record on the SD card, it will start recording over the oldest available file first. The looping function cannot be turned off.

Image quality

You're undoubtedly purchasing a Fly6 to record evidence of dangerous driving when you're riding, so the image quality is the most important factor.

The Pro's upgrade to video quality of 4K at 30fps is the headline improvement, along with electronic image stabilisation, and you can view the footage quickly and easily on the mobile app via Wi-Fi or on the desktop app using the supplied cable. More on the app below.

I don't have a direct comparison to previous generations, but on the phone, the video looks really good and you can easily distinguish number plates in the case of an incident. The detail is sufficient across all of the settings – 4K, 1440p and 1080p.

Bright days certainly help the video clarity, but even with road spray and rain, the 1440p footage remained clear.

Like previous generations, the Fly6 Pro automatically locks its current segment when tilted 60 degrees for more than five seconds. It's also possible to lock files by pressing the Q button. Locked video files are easily identified with a lock symbol and aren't overwritten on the SD card, rather you must delete them manually.

App

The app is available for iOS and Android devices. I downloaded it onto my iPhone and MacBook and had no issues with its functionality. The phone app is great, connecting hassle-free to the Fly6 Pro every time via Wi-Fi, regardless of whether the camera was already turned on or not. The first time you connect the Fly6 Pro to your mobile device it needs to be turned on, but after that, if the camera is off, it automatically powers on and connects.

From the app (mobile or desktop), you can check the battery and SD card status – the percentage of space used up from locked files. You can then customise the video, light and sound settings.

For the video settings, with electronic image stabilisation on, you can record in either 4K or 1440p at 30fps. With electronic image stabilisation turned off, you can film in a further 1440p at 30fps with HDR, 1080p at 30fps with HDR or 1080p at 120fps. You also have the choice of recording in 1, 3, 5 or 10-minute segments.

You can disable certain light settings too, which means you have less to scroll through on the actual device when you turn it on to use. I've tended to use the Fly6 Pro as a camera only, so it worked well for me to turn all of the light settings off.

The Fly6 Pro needs to be connected with a cable to use the desktop app, and like with the mobile app you can view the device settings and see your footage. I didn't have an issue viewing the video footage on my phone but it's beneficial to have a bigger screen if you want to look up a potential issue.

On the desktop app you can also overlay Strava metrics, which is a bit of fun and quick to do – and useful for viewing your speed at the time of an incident.

There is also a tramline overlay function which adds lines to your footage showing lawful passing distance (1.5m in the UK) from your bike – you can choose to have them at 1, 1.5 or 2 metres.

Light

Compared with the Gen 3, the Pro upgrades the LED light from 50 lumens to 100 lumens, bringing it back to the same brightness of the earlier CE model. It is also a dual light system rather than the single LED on the Gen 3.

As previously mentioned, the light mode and output is customisable in the app, and you can cycle through the modes by pressing the power button on the Fly6 Pro unit. When you turn the Fly6 Pro back on, it does so in the last mode used.

There are eight different modes:

• Camera only (rear light off)
• Constant – high or low
• Flash – high or low
• Pulse – high or low
• Organic (random pattern with variable intensity)

Like Emma, I'm one for riding with a rear light in any conditions, so having a unit that is both a light and a camera is very appealing.

Battery life and charging

Emma wasn't impressed with the battery life on the Fly6 Gen 3, managing to run the camera for a maximum of four hours. One of the headline claims of the Fly6 Pro is the extended battery life of up to seven hours of camera recording with the light on.

Cycliq says that the higher resolution settings use up more power, and in my experience, the battery drained by about 40% in two hours when recording only in 4K, and by around 35% in two hours when recording in 1440p. With both the camera and light on, recording in 1440p and using pulse mode at high intensity, the battery had drained by around 55% over three hours.

Based on this, I think you would struggle to get the claimed seven hours of battery life with both the camera and light active. In my experience it lasts around five hours with both functions on, and up to six hours using only the camera. I don't often ride for more than four hours at a time, so it was more than sufficient for my longest rides, but it would be handy if it could last a weekend's worth of riding of more than six hours without needing a recharge in between.

> What to do if you capture a near miss, close pass or collision on camera while cycling

As regards charging, the Fly6 Pro charged from flat to full in around 3.5 hours, and from flat to around 38% in an hour.

Emma noticed that the battery life on the Gen 3 was significantly affected by colder temperatures, using hers in 5-6°C. I haven't had the chance to test the camera in cold conditions yet, as I've been riding in temperatures between 15 and 25°C.

Value

There's no denying that the Fly6 Pro is an expensive bit of kit – it's gone up by over 50% from the Gen 3. On its own it costs £319, while the bundle I had in to review is £347.98 – though it's currently available for £330.

The Techalogic CR-1 rear light with HD wide angle camera is less than a third of the price, and currently available for under £100. The Techalogic records in lower quality than the Fly6 Pro but Neil did get 7 hours 20 minutes of battery life running the camera only, and around 5.5 hours with the flashing light and camera on.

> Buyer’s Guide: 7 of the best bike cameras

Garmin's Varia RCT715 is a very slightly cheaper option at £299.99, combining a radar, camera and rear light, but Mike wasn't impressed by the app or the camera performance. 

Conclusion

The Cycliq Fly6 Pro has had a significant price hike over the Gen 3, but the run-times have been improved and the 4K video quality is impressive. It's also easy to use and the Wi-Fi transfer simplifies uploading and viewing footage. It's certainly a very good option, with just the price holding it back; if you've already invested in a decent set of bike lights you might be better off getting a standalone camera with longer battery life.

> Buy now: Cycliq Fly6 Pro for £330 from Cycliq

Verdict

Excellent 4K video quality, and a useful rear light and Wi-Fi transfer – if you can stomach the price hike