Fly6 HD Camera Tail-Light

Simon Whiten

Fly6 HD Camera Tail-Light

It has to be a good product that has a Kickstarter campaign that attracts 1,780 backers pledging $266,594, way over the $95,000 goal. That’s the story of the Fly6 HD Camera Tail-Light.

It’s the world’s first cycling camera and tail-light combined, designed to ‘record what happens behind you so you can enjoy the ride ahead’. Obviously such marketing spiel is designed to have broad appeal and attract any safety conscious cycling commuter, as much as the hard training, mile crunching enthusiast, though of course, for any enthusiast there’s the added draw that you can get great footage of what’s going on behind you during your weekly chaingang…
 

The key to the success of the Fly6 seems to rest on public awareness, so that drivers know that they may be being filmed. The motivation of the Australian makers comes from ill-treatment from drivers whilst they themselves were out cycling. I am not totally sure that all drivers will ever be aware enough to know that they might be being recorded by what looks a lot like any other rear bike light, humbling them into behaving appropriately; however, if it has an effect on just a handful of drivers it’s still valid. As the makers claim, drivers exercise more caution if there is a camera at a set of traffic lights, fearful of the consequences of misbehaviour. They are touting the Fly6 as the same type of traffic calming camera, but mounted on the back of your bike.

The makers also claim that the Fly6 offers peace of mind to cyclists and as such may increase participation levels. Again whether such an inconspicuous camera, disguised as a rear bike light attached to your seatpost, can have such a profound effects on transportation remains to be seen. We can say though that it records in HD and may capture some interesting footage, as in this clever promotional video…
 

Anything that helps with road safety has to be commended and the fact that you get some great HD footage as well is a real plus. Considering it’s a light and a camera, the cost is reasonable: £82-00 plus £9-00 post and packing to the UK, or $135-00 plus £10-00 to the USA, or €98.00 plus €10.00 to Europe.
 
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More information at Fly6