oldacura

Not really a tandem specific question but a recent incident made me think more about it. A local female cyclist was the victim of a hit-and-run by a truck. Fortunately she has been released from the hospital but the driver hasn't been located. Might the presence of a bicycle "dashcam" help in finding the driver and proving fault? I'm sure such things exist but I don't know how unobtrusive they are or if any teams here use them. If so, what are peoples' impressions? Hopefully it is something one will never need.

Team Fab

https://cycliq.com/

Integrated to front and rear lights

racefacelefty

Cycliq Fly12 for front and Fly6 for rear. I never ride without them. Great quality and brilliant to see what happened in close situations.

oldacura

Why is the front 2x the rear? It would be invaluable if you needed it but has it saved anyone after the fact?

rumrunn6

Electronics, Lighting, & Gadgets - Bike Forums

ahultin

I use front and rear garmin virb cameras whenever I am riding. Thankfully I have not had to use them in an accident but have used them successfully in reporting overly aggressive drivers and "punishment passes"

racefacelefty

Front is 1080p video with 400 lumens light, wifi and BLE for connectivity, strava integration and a 10 hour battery with both camera and light on. Max 64GB micro SD card. Remote activated alarm for coffee shop protection. Free Android and IOS app for viewing and editing footage.
Rear is 720p video with 30 lumen red LED, no connectivity. 32GB max micro SD card that needs to be removed to see footage. About 3 hour battery although I have replaced the battery for 10 hour life.

I particularly like the looping function where new writes over old footage with no need to clear cards. And the light means I have 2 cameras on my bike at all time with flashing or steady lights.

I've used the footage to publicise bad driving, some unusual sights while riding and a few crashes. Some of the footage can be seen in this youtube link, including a very nasty crash I had in February last year that destroyed my shoulder. I only had the rear camera then. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOL...zoEtwCIdP6nePg

Leisesturm

I've seen a number of 'dashcam' videos published on YouTube. The uploaders usually feel that the wild tumblings and still lifes captured on the SD card in their camera will be their ticket to a nice insurance settlement. I am usually very underwhelmed by the low quality of these clips. Takes a whole lot of extrapolation and speculation to figure out what happened. A lot like what might take place in the absence of any video evidence... I don't know... personally I'd rather take my chances with an oral account, corroborated by the testimony of eyewitnesses, if any. Cheap cams, an insufficient number of cams, and the dynamic nature of vehicle interactions on the road, make dashcam style accident documentation a very hit or miss (heh) affair. Just because a judgement iw awarded in favor of the cam equipped cyclist doesn't mean the dashcam is what resulted in that decision. Non-cam cyclists win judgements too and I am certain that cam equipped cyclists lose cases too. Lawyers and Judges aren't dumb. You don't need a camera to determine fault in the majority of accidents, and in the small minority where a camera might make a difference... well its resolution, frames per second, low light capture, and durability had better be up to the demands of being mounted on a bicycle, or cyclists helmet. Mostly they are not. FWIW.

oldacura

Maybe this is not an apt analogy but I always wear a helmet when riding (but have never needed it). A camera might fall into the same category. However, a helmet costs under $100 where these cameras are much more.

rumrunn6

yeah but it's nice to have a recording or screen grab to back you up, even if it's not great. kinda proves you're not lying & they are lying if they deny it. glad these were just water pistols & glad they were just filled with water

oldacura

I know that a lot of other riders have complaints about drivers. We have had a few close calls but fortunately, they are very rare. I guess it depends on where, when & how you ride.

Cyclists in Boulder County have gained a (possibly deservedly) bad reputation among motorists. They often ride many abreast and out in the traffic lanes slowing traffic & angering motorists. We try to ride as far right as practical. Sometimes I think that other cyclists upset drivers who then view us as "all the same" and take out their frustrations on us.

qspencer

It's not a camera, but I love my Garmin Varia (integrated light and rearview radar), and I find it even more useful on a tandem than singles. Navigating traffic (especially left turns) sometimes requires looking over the shoulder, which I find more challenging on a tandem (especially with one of my kids on the back), and I find I can do so less frequently by waiting until the Varia tells me it's clear before I look.

racefacelefty

If the sole purpose you would use a camera is insurance for a claim purposes then we are on different pages.

I have yet to review footage taken from a ride using my Fly12 or Fly6 where the video is of insufficient quality to clearly see what happened. Rider safety is a big issue for the majority of cyclists I interact with. In addition there are a lot of new passing distance laws being brought in worldwide, video of driving situations where a motorist endangers a cyclist by passing too closely or cutting in front of them at an intersection is a great tool for education. Our local law enforcement take action on every report of a motorist being negligent submitted with video evidence. For most motorists a simple phone call from the cops is enough to shock them into driving better.

And if motorists start understanding that a bike rider is as likely as not to have a camera rolling they are more likely to stay wider. And in the end that is all I want. Space to be respected when being passed from the back when I cannot see the approaching motor vehicle but they can see me.

But as with all things in life, you get what you pay for. A cheap camera does not generally give the level of clarity a top of the range camera does.

But as to having to present a case in front of a judge and jury for a claim against someone who caused a crash? That is not why I ride with video.

PDub62

Rideye is another good camera alternative. It incorporates sensors to detect if you've been in an accident and then automatically saves the file to ensure it doesn't get overwritten.
A GoPro is another obvious option for a camera.
A friend of mine uses the Cycliq cameras and has turned in videos to the police multiple times and they did take action against motorists.