New Fly6 CE and Fly12 CE Camera's

[trailgumby]

I've just received notification that my order for one of these has just shipped. Supposed to be more thoroughly waterproof, long runtime and better low light performance that the Fly6. Competition for Cycliq has arrived.

https://www.tooocycling.store/products/ ... 2086235371

hey mate, any updates, opinion, reviews for your new camera? cheers

Liking it a lot better than the Fly6.

In a nutshell:

• Much more stable mounting - no "jello" effect from the camera bobbing up and down

• Very much simpler to operate.

• Much better low light performance

• Much longer runtime

• None of the wireless linking crap to worry about that sucks the life out of your battery

• Can't forget to turn off the wireless crap and return to your bike in the evening to discover your battery is flat, and you now have to worry about drivers colliding with you because they didn't see you until too late (an issue I've encountered several times with the forward-facing Fly12 - fortunately without the collisions).

[Andy01]

TG. How is the video quality ?

Based on an earlier comment (from Cyclo after he received a Too) that the manual says 2,400 hours (144,000 minutes) on a 128Gb card - which is a factor of 10 less than the original 240,000 hours mentioned. Even 144,000 minutes is almost 200 times (around 750 minutes) what I get on a 128Gb card using my 1080P Mobius Maxi. The Maxi actually gives reasonable quality for 1080P (much better than my Arlo security cameras at 1080P) because it is not overly compressed.

If this Too is compressed by a factor of 200 more than my Maxi, I would expect the video to be close to unwatchable. If it was 2,400 minutes (not hours) on a 128Gb card it might not be too bad though ("only" 3 times the compression of the Maxi).

Does it have a loop function where it automatically records over the oldest footage or do you have to periodically delete video ?

How bright is the 80 lumen light (compared to other decent rear lights - my Giant Recon TL200 is 200 lumens and it doesn't seem that bright in sunny conditions) for daytime use ?

[Comedian]

So I bought the new varia715. Used it a couple of times. So far so good. The unit is big and a little bulky, but it's smaller than running a fly6 and a varia which is what I was doing. A bit reminiscent of the gen1 fly 6.

Radar seems to work well. The ability to record just when a vehicle is approaching behind works well. Not sure about it though. Camera is better than the first fly6CE I had by a long way. The warranty fly6 is much better (even though same model).

Have not ridden in the rain yet. Garmin were at least sensible enough to put the charge port on the back of the unit out of direct spray.

[jasonc]

Have not ridden in the rain yet. Garmin were at least sensible enough to put the charge port on the back of the unit out of direct spray.

I've ridden with my rct 715 in the wet enough to be comfortable with it (and to be selling my fly 6)

[trailgumby]

TG. How is the video quality ?

So far, at least equal to the latest Fly6.

Does it have a loop function where it automatically records over the oldest footage or do you have to periodically delete video ?

Yes! That's a minimum requirement for this style of camera. I don't want to be messing around with managing free space - I only want to touch the camera to charge it, or download footage if I remember having something worth looking at.

How bright is the 80 lumen light (compared to other decent rear lights - my Giant Recon TL200 is 200 lumens and it doesn't seem that bright in sunny conditions) for daytime use ?

This is probably the weakest part of the unit. It's definitely good enough for riding at night, and I don't notice any particular increase in aggression like I have in the past when I've A/B tested driver reactions to having/not having daytime running lights, so I would say it is good enough, but the light is not as strong as the Fly6.

An upside is you will get 6 hours out of it, which you would never get out of a Fly6 - 3 1/2 has been my upper limit with the current model with the light and camera both going.

[trailgumby]

UPDATE:
First wet ride home last night without mudguards with the TOOO Cycling camera. It is not looking promising.

I took the new roadie to work instead of the mudguard-equipped CX bike as I'm trialling different saddles before my bike fit in the next week or so. When it started raining mid-ride last night at the top of Parriwi Rd Mosman, I immediately stopped to check the rubber seals were properly in place before commencing the descent. When I arrived home, I noticed some moisture on the seal edges when I peeled it back to put the USB cable in, to check footage from the morning's close pass incident.

The camera started up by itself on my bedside table just after I had gone to sleep and would not switch off. Putting in the charging cable enabled me to get the on/off/mode button to operate to turn the unit off, but now it will only power up/down with the charging cable in and charging.

The issue is that the USB port and seal face downwards directly into the line of fire from the spray coming off the rear wheel. Unfortunately, we're out of rice in the household so the usual moisture extraction rescue method is not available. I have it sitting on top of a column heater at the moment wrapped in newspaper so hopefully it will recover, but the bottom line is the design is flawed. A pity, because it does everything else so well.

[Comedian]

UPDATE:
First wet ride home last night without mudguards with the TOOO Cycling camera. It is not looking promising.

I took the new roadie to work instead of the mudguard-equipped CX bike as I'm trialling different saddles before my bike fit in the next week or so. When it started raining mid-ride last night at the top of Parriwi Rd Mosman, I immediately stopped to check the rubber seals were properly in place before commencing the descent. When I arrived home, I noticed some moisture on the seal edges when I peeled it back to put the USB cable in, to check footage from the morning's close pass incident.

The camera started up by itself on my bedside table just after I had gone to sleep and would not switch off. Putting in the charging cable enabled me to get the on/off/mode button to operate to turn the unit off, but now it will only power up/down with the charging cable in and charging.

The issue is that the USB port and seal face downwards directly into the line of fire from the spray coming off the rear wheel. Unfortunately, we're out of rice in the household so the usual moisture extraction rescue method is not available. I have it sitting on top of a column heater at the moment wrapped in newspaper so hopefully it will recover, but the bottom line is the design is flawed. A pity, because it does everything else so well.

Oh no.. that's bad news. What a shame.

It looks like designers are not paying enough attention to water ingress. It doesn't matter how good the rest of the package is - if it's not waterproof then it's all a moot point.

Do you think a little bit of water dispersant around the seal might help?

See comment from JC above. It's looking promising for the varia/camera/radar for water proofing. They put the charge port at the back of the unit on the bottom.

[warthog1]

How is the practical use of the varia radar/camera unit going?
Is it easy to retrieve footage?
Does it need much maintenance with respect to footage storage, day to day?
I only want to stuff with it if I have an incident I need to report.
Daily I'd just like to be able to charge and go.
The radar is more important to me than the camera. I won't forgo the radar to run a camera also.
It is the only way I see myself running a camera, but not if it is a pita to use.

[Comedian]

How is the practical use of the varia radar/camera unit going?
Is it easy to retrieve footage?
Does it need much maintenance with respect to footage storage, day to day?
I only want to stuff with it if I have an incident I need to report.
Daily I'd just like to be able to charge and go.
The radar is more important to me than the camera. I won't forgo the radar to run a camera also.
It is the only way I see myself running a camera, but not if it is a pita to use.

I have only used it a couple of times but it seems to be just turn it on and use and charge.

The radar seems slightly more sensitive than the other one but I have mounted it higher.

Hopefully JC will chime in.. he's been using for a few weeks.

[warthog1]

I have only used it a couple of times but it seems to be just turn it on and use and charge.

The radar seems slightly more sensitive than the other one but I have mounted it higher.

Hopefully JC will chime in.. he's been using for a few weeks.

That is what I am after

[jasonc]

Yep. Just charge and use. The app to configure it on your phone is not good but thankfully you only need it to set it up. I get the footage one of two ways. Directly using the charging port or taking the memory card out and using a card reader. No issues with either. The footage is stored in 30 second files
The radar is sensitive. I ride along side a freeway and it picks up trucks mainly from 4 lanes away

[MichaelB]

Yep. Just charge and use. The app to configure it on your phone is not good but thankfully you only need it to set it up. I get the footage one of two ways. Directly using the charging port or taking the memory card out and using a card reader. No issues with either. The footage is stored in 30 second files
The radar is sensitive. I ride along side a freeway and it picks up trucks mainly from 4 lanes away

Is the file storage in 30 sec snips a pain, especially of it goes over two 'lots' of 30 sec ? Does it overlay the speed, time etc on it ?

[jasonc]

Yep. Just charge and use. The app to configure it on your phone is not good but thankfully you only need it to set it up. I get the footage one of two ways. Directly using the charging port or taking the memory card out and using a card reader. No issues with either. The footage is stored in 30 second files
The radar is sensitive. I ride along side a freeway and it picks up trucks mainly from 4 lanes away

Is the file storage in 30 sec snips a pain, especially of it goes over two 'lots' of 30 sec ? Does it overlay the speed, time etc on it ?

speed and time and written to each file individually
storage in 30 seconds seems to be ok for the close passes i have had. am sure one will be on the cusp at one stage, but with "record on incident", i think it would be unlikely

[trailgumby]

UPDATE: TOOO Cycling has responded immediately when I hit them up via their published email address. I am advised a new unit is on its way.

I am still concerned about the position of the port being exposed to spray off the rear tyre, but I can't complain about them not backing their product. Previous comments are withdrawn.

Edit: Email confirming order shipment received this morning.

[MichaelB]

UPDATE: TOOO Cycling has responded immediately when I hit them up via their published email address. I am advised a new unit is on its way.

I am still concerned about the position of the port being exposed to spray off the rear tyre, but I can't complain about them not backing their product. Previous comments are withdrawn.

Edit: Email confirming order shipment received this morning.

can you put some form of 'sleeve' over it ?

[trailgumby]

UPDATE: TOOO Cycling has responded immediately when I hit them up via their published email address. I am advised a new unit is on its way.

I am still concerned about the position of the port being exposed to spray off the rear tyre, but I can't complain about them not backing their product. Previous comments are withdrawn.

Edit: Email confirming order shipment received this morning.

can you put some form of 'sleeve' over it ?

Probably electrical tape or tubeless rim sealing tape might be a workaround, or bodging up some kind of deflector out of plastic sheeting. The main thing is to stop the high-velocity spray off the back wheel from hitting the rubber seal directly. Not an issue for my wet-weather commuter bike, which has Crud Road Racer mudguards. This came up after getting caught in moderate showers on my new roadie.

I've given them detailed feedback on my observations and a recommendation to move the port to a less exposed spot, pointing out that Cycliq and Garmin have made different choices. They reckon the issue did not come up in product testing, and suggested water might have entered by the card slot seal, which they have identified as an issue and recently updated on the latest units.

However, water was clearly visible as having gotten past the seal edges when I peeled it back to put in the USB-C cable immediately after arriving home. I'd had a close pass incident at Mosman that morning and wanted to check the footage.

They seem pretty keen to improve their product. I guess the trouble for them is that moving the port to a more protected location is going to force a significant redesign of the circuit boards and outer casing, rather than being a running change.

[jasonc]

They seem pretty keen to improve their product.

Tell them the answer is simple. SEAL the damn unit. Qi wireless charging. Memory is cheap. Order a unit with the right size memory chip and it's done
I've been suggesting it for years. No light manufacturer has bitten. They know that as long as it lasts longer than warranty they don't care

[MichaelB]

Probably electrical tape or tubeless rim sealing tape might be a workaround, or bodging up some kind of deflector out of plastic sheeting. The main thing is to stop the high-velocity spray off the back wheel from hitting the rubber seal directly. Not an issue for my wet-weather commuter bike, which has Crud Road Racer mudguards. This came up after getting caught in moderate showers on my new roadie.

Since I don't have mudguards on either roadie (and don't try and ride in the rain) sometimes you get caught or the roads are wet, so this is something I'd be keen to see how the latest version performs.

Cheers

[jasonc]

So my fly6ce has some play in the connection between the unit and the quarter turn adapter. Anyone else had it?

Have you tried a new mount?

Yes. Same result. It's the actual unit

Update on this. I don't know why I wrote fly 6. It's the fly12ce that was having this issue. New mounts arrived. Replaced and no wobble. So both my mounts are worn

[trailgumby]

They seem pretty keen to improve their product.

Tell them the answer is simple. SEAL the damn unit. Qi wireless charging. Memory is cheap. Order a unit with the right size memory chip and it's done
I've been suggesting it for years. No light manufacturer has bitten. They know that as long as it lasts longer than warranty they don't care

Wireless charging I'm keen on, wireless downloading not so much.

Last night I went for a training spin after dark, expecting I'd get an hour and a half if I'm lucky out of the Fly12 light.

My saddle slipped en route, so I switched off all the lights while I investigated under the glare of a street light on the bike path. Somehow I must have switched the Wifi network off, as it wouldn't come up on the Garmin when I tried to set it to flashing on some slow segments afterwards. "Crap!" I thought, "I'm not going to have enough duration to be able to hit my target."

I was starting to worry that maybe I'd turned the sound down and had missed the beeps that told me I got to halfway, 25% left etc, when I got the 3 pips at just past the 1.5 hour mark indicating I still had 75% left.

I ended up going for another 30 minutes to get a bit extra in, and made a resolution to re-read the user manual so I can get it to do that consistently.

Seems like wifi chews up a hell of a lot of battery capacity.

[Comedian]

UPDATE: TOOO Cycling has responded immediately when I hit them up via their published email address. I am advised a new unit is on its way.

I am still concerned about the position of the port being exposed to spray off the rear tyre, but I can't complain about them not backing their product. Previous comments are withdrawn.

Edit: Email confirming order shipment received this morning.

can you put some form of 'sleeve' over it ?

Probably electrical tape or tubeless rim sealing tape might be a workaround, or bodging up some kind of deflector out of plastic sheeting. The main thing is to stop the high-velocity spray off the back wheel from hitting the rubber seal directly. Not an issue for my wet-weather commuter bike, which has Crud Road Racer mudguards. This came up after getting caught in moderate showers on my new roadie.

I've given them detailed feedback on my observations and a recommendation to move the port to a less exposed spot, pointing out that Cycliq and Garmin have made different choices. They reckon the issue did not come up in product testing, and suggested water might have entered by the card slot seal, which they have identified as an issue and recently updated on the latest units.

However, water was clearly visible as having gotten past the seal edges when I peeled it back to put in the USB-C cable immediately after arriving home. I'd had a close pass incident at Mosman that morning and wanted to check the footage.

They seem pretty keen to improve their product. I guess the trouble for them is that moving the port to a more protected location is going to force a significant redesign of the circuit boards and outer casing, rather than being a running change.

What about a cut up bit of old inner tube to slide over it?

[Andy01]

UPDATE: TOOO Cycling has responded immediately when I hit them up via their published email address. I am advised a new unit is on its way.

I am still concerned about the position of the port being exposed to spray off the rear tyre, but I can't complain about them not backing their product. Previous comments are withdrawn.

Edit: Email confirming order shipment received this morning.

can you put some form of 'sleeve' over it ?

Probably electrical tape or tubeless rim sealing tape might be a workaround, or bodging up some kind of deflector out of plastic sheeting. The main thing is to stop the high-velocity spray off the back wheel from hitting the rubber seal directly. Not an issue for my wet-weather commuter bike, which has Crud Road Racer mudguards. This came up after getting caught in moderate showers on my new roadie.

I've given them detailed feedback on my observations and a recommendation to move the port to a less exposed spot, pointing out that Cycliq and Garmin have made different choices. They reckon the issue did not come up in product testing, and suggested water might have entered by the card slot seal, which they have identified as an issue and recently updated on the latest units.

However, water was clearly visible as having gotten past the seal edges when I peeled it back to put in the USB-C cable immediately after arriving home. I'd had a close pass incident at Mosman that morning and wanted to check the footage.

They seem pretty keen to improve their product. I guess the trouble for them is that moving the port to a more protected location is going to force a significant redesign of the circuit boards and outer casing, rather than being a running change.

I actually don't quite understand why this is so hard ? Apparently (I have never tried) most modern phones (iphone, Galaxy Sxx etc) are submersible for short periods without leaking and they have no seals or port covers - and yet, some of these bike devices cannot make a simple soft rubber/silicone flap that keeps out essentially atmospheric pressure (not like it is a jet from a pressure cleaner or even hosepipe) road spray (and gravity should assist)

My DJI Osmo action camera (that I now use on the front of the bike) is rated as fully waterproof to 10m, and it just has light rubber/silicone seals on the port cover and around the battery - it doesn't have a separate waterproof housing. Again, I have never tried swimming with it, but plenty have and unless something isn't closed properly, it seems to keep the water out.

My rear light is a Giant Recon TL200 (both wife and I) which has the charging port flap at the bottom and we have ridden on wet roads (not for hours) and through two not-so-dry this year creek beds (puddle up to 150mm deep) and the flap kept everything perfectly dry. Clearly we don't try hard enough

[trailgumby]

- and yet, some of these bike devices cannot make a simple soft rubber/silicone flap that keeps out essentially atmospheric pressure (not like it is a jet from a pressure cleaner or even hosepipe) road spray (and gravity should assist)

I hear you. On the same bike I have another light, a Moon I think, with the micro-USB charge port in essentially the same spot. It's still quite happy despite being exposed to the same conditions on the same evening.

Nevertheless, I'm not sure it's a smart place to put a potential entry point for water. I reckon there's a reason the other rear cam manufacturers have moved their charge/download ports out of the direct line of fire, and putting my risk manager hat on, I know I would not choose to put it there if the decision was mine.

Anyway, I guess I'll find out in about a week when the new unit arrives, assuming we're back to the usual wet weather.

[Comedian]

So I have found a fault with the Varia. Documentation is rubbish. Mine worked yesterday but did not record anything. I'm pretty sure I pressed something but I'm unclear what I pressed. I tried not to press anything other than the on button this morning and it worked fine.

https://support.garmin.com/en-AU/?partN ... ab=manuals

[EzRock1523]

I want to see how Fly6 does a job at capturing video at night. The older model was pretty bad27.5 inch bike I love going out on my bike at night. It's fun compared to going out.