Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I have been running the Fly12CE and Fly6CE now for almost 2 years. I bought them to replace my Garmin VIRB (bullet style) cameras.
The main issue with the Garmin was crappy battery life, which was 90 minutes at best. I had to recharge the cameras twice a day (once at night and again at work for the commute home). I would also have to keep clearing out the memory card as the loop function was limited to only 20 minutes.

The Fly cameras are inferior in terms of picture quality. My garmin’s were excellent, with great picture clarity. The Fly cameras just don’t have the same optics, regardless of the sensor. However, the fly does record in HD at 60fps, giving a better chance of picking up licence plate numbers.

A couple of annoying features: when you turn the camera off, it’s not really off. This is due to the stupid light network feature and bluetooth connectivity, so you need to put it in flight mode every time or it drains the battery. Apparently it’s too hard to press a button to power the camera or turn the lights on/off from the unit itself, so they have it setup to allow this from the Garmin head unit. Daft feature. My garmin’s had pairing to the head unit as well, so you could stop/start the video from the garmin. However, my garmin’s also could be paired as master/slave. If you start/stop video on the master, it would tell all slave cameras to do the same. Likewise when taking an still photo. It would trigger the rear camera to take a photo if you pressed the photo button on the front camera. Stops you having to reach around behind you to press the image button.

The other annoyance is the date/time stamp on the Fly cameras. My Fly12, for reasons unknown, keeps resetting the date to Jan 1st 2017. I got sick of resetting it, only for it to revert at some random point in time. So, i turned off the logo with the date/time as it never works anyway. Surely it’s not too hard to include a clock in these cameras that keeps time properly?

Positives is that the battery life is good, and I get about 5 to 6 hours of runtime (without the light on), which is more than enough for me to punch out around 150km on the bike.

My fly6ce is still soldiering on. However the battery is now at a point where about 3.5 hours is all it's good for running just the camera. No light. It's been on the decline for a while. It's now at a point where it's not really meeting my needs.

I see there is a firmware update but I don't have a version of pc OS that supports it unfortunately.

Has anyone replaced the battery in a fly6ce? Anyone have a link to any online docco on it?

Anyone tried the Gen 2 Fly6 CE?

Supposedly here are the changes below.. but at a cost of $60 more than gen 1.
base camera hardware have not changed... here are the updates direct from Cycliq below.

• Improved weatherproofing: redesign of the SD card and charging port flap, improving water ingression performance and reinforcing overall IP56 dust and water ingression rating.
• Hardware durability: a reconfiguration of internal componentry to improve durability and battery performance.
• Manufacturing improvements: post-production testing has been ramped up including individual pressure and vacuum testing on every product that comes off the production line.
• Automatic firmware updates: as well as a raft of stability and usability based firmware improvements, the Fly6 CE Gen2 is now fully compatible with our auto-updater software; users just plug in their device to their desktop computer when connected to Wi-Fi and the auto-updater detects if the user is running the most up to date firmware, and updates automatically.

Goes to show ... this is the first I hear of the release new Cycliq Fly6 Gen 2.

I put in three media requests over the past year asking about new releases... radio silence.

My last warranty replacement was a gen 2. Physically and functionally I've not noticed any differences at all between it and the older gen 1 units I had before. I've been using mine for a few weeks and it's been fine. I'm just hoping that they're more robust than the previous versions which sorry to say were not built for the rigors of ... anything really.

march83 wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am

My last warranty replacement was a gen 2. Physically and functionally I've not noticed any differences at all between it and the older gen 1 units I had before. I've been using mine for a few weeks and it's been fine. I'm just hoping that they're more robust than the previous versions which sorry to say were not built for the rigors of ... anything really.

has there been durability issues with Gen1?
I have the Fly6v which is coming to an end of its life.

Haven't really seen Gen1 durability issues but i haven't been looking..

39x25 wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 20, 2020 1:44 pm

march83 wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:31 am

My last warranty replacement was a gen 2. Physically and functionally I've not noticed any differences at all between it and the older gen 1 units I had before. I've been using mine for a few weeks and it's been fine. I'm just hoping that they're more robust than the previous versions which sorry to say were not built for the rigors of ... anything really.

has there been durability issues with Gen1?
I have the Fly6v which is coming to an end of its life.

Haven't really seen Gen1 durability issues but i haven't been looking..

The first gen 1 had a dodgy flap that didn't seal it properly. I had that one. It lasted one ride in the rain. This second one has been a lot better. Only change between 1 and 1a is the flap from what I know

I warrantied my gen1 3 times in a year. One device would randomly shut off mid ride. Another 2 died after a few months use for no obvious reason - one was completely unresponsive, the other would work if connected to a power source but died as soon as it was unplugged.

Each time they just sent me a new unit without much fuss, the last time it was a gen2 which arrived a few weeks ago.

I never did anything unreasonable with them so either they just weren't that robust or I was extremely unlucky.

Gen2 is fine so far...

I suggest the earlier

Well I updated the firmware and I do actually think the battery is behaving a little better. It's still not great, but doesn't seem to have the self drain I had before. It might get me through a few months.. at least until winter.

For clarity, the first production series had a faulty seal and the corrected versions were still Gen 1.

Gen 2 is newer and fairly recently available, specifically labeled as gen 2.

My Fly6 CE broke from its mount the other day. The fall also damaged other parts of the unit which can't be repaired. Cycliq are offering me 40% off a retail unit as a crash policy replacement.

For those who attach theirs to a saddle GoPro mount, make sure you have adequate shock absorbing installed because it might be a weak point in the unit.

A tether is provided so this nay be preventable, though tethers are also annoying.

AUbicycles wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 23, 2020 12:36 am

A tether is provided so this nay be preventable, though tethers are also annoying.

True, but a tether won't prevent the mounting lugs from shearing off.

Got it, how long have you owned it? If it is still in warranty you could request a better ‘deal’.

I find the standard rear mount OK although the velcro strap has a rubberised coat on the inside which degrades fast.

On some bikes / tubes / positions it doesn’t mount as nicely...

AUbicycles wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:00 pm

Got it, how long have you owned it? If it is still in warranty you could request a better ‘deal’.

I find the standard rear mount OK although the velcro strap has a rubberised coat on the inside which degrades fast.

On some bikes / tubes / positions it doesn’t mount as nicely...

My fly6ce is pretty old now and the mount is in perfect condition. However I never unlock the unit from the mount, I remove the velcro strap instead. So the quarter turn mount is as new and rock solid.

When the velcro strap wore out I got some double sided velcro from Clark rubber. It seems to work fine.

AUbicycles wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 23, 2020 7:00 pm

Got it, how long have you owned it? If it is still in warranty you could request a better ‘deal’.

Less than 12 months. I've asked nicely so we'll see how we get on.

Less than 12 months... under Australian law you have a strong case, good to keep it polite, it could also be a one-off production failure in your unit and the mounting tabs were simply weak.

--

I twist-unlock the front and rear units to remove for charging and have not noticed issues. For both I am using the supplied mounts - though on the front it it attached to the K-Edge out-front aluminium mount.

got an issue where i go into the app to change the settings of the fly6CE
im trying to change the sound volume and 10 min beeps. when i go to change it, it shows in the app but when i turn it on, it defaults back to the way it was.

it wont save the settings. anyone know how to fix?

tomee wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 11:54 am

got an issue where i go into the app to change the settings of the fly6CE
im trying to change the sound volume and 10 min beeps. when i go to change it, it shows in the app but when i turn it on, it defaults back to the way it was.

it wont save the settings. anyone know how to fix?

Are you using the newest app? have you updated the firmware on the device?

I was thinking about approaching the ACCC but last time i contacted them about something i got fobbed off.

I have a fly 6ce2 it was playing up out of the box, but then it started working again. Not sure if it was something i did or not.
After two rides, i had it in my pannier bag and it fell out and hit the ground when i went to grab it.

Since then everything works except the recording. But there are a couple of dents in the case obviously but for something which is meant to be able to record crashes and not be able to withstand a small drop i think that is MASSIVELY concerning. If that had been a laptop or cell phone id be pretty confident of the chances of it still working (exception of broken screen).

I see lots of people having problems with the unit, although of course people are more likely to post complaint. I wasnt impressed when they said 40% off full price for a replacement one plus shipping costs. I'll probably just pull it apart one day and have a look inside.

The mounting system i think is a good idea with the rubber velcro, but it was so absurdly tight to force the unit on the mount the first time i used it i thought something was going to snap for sure.

mangoman wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:31 pm

I was thinking about approaching the ACCC but last time i contacted them about something i got fobbed off.

The ACCC have a fairly specific role and consumers generally also need to show that that they have taken reasonable steps and documented the communication and issue sufficient for the ACCC to step in. Often it appears that contacting the ACCC is an easy way out, but in reality, it is useful trying to resolve it with a business directly and later involving the ACCC.

mangoman wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:31 pm

After two rides, i had it in my pannier bag and it fell out and hit the ground when i went to grab it.

Anything as a result of your own (unwilling) accidents such as dropping a device will unfortunately not be covered unless you have some kind of independent insurance.

mangoman wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:31 pm

Since then everything works except the recording. But there are a couple of dents in the case obviously but for something which is meant to be able to record crashes and not be able to withstand a small drop i think that is MASSIVELY concerning.

I understand the frustration, but the unit still has delicate electronics and the crash protection feature is specifically about restoring footage - so ensuring that footage is not recorded over when triggered as the unit is on its side. I have used all of the Cycliq products and a number of beta units and none have claimed physical crash protection and in normal use it would not be expected that it drops... that is an exception a bit like a mobile phone which has good chances of sustaining some kind of damage if dropped on the road.

My opinions / responses probably won't be very satisfying but I feel it will be very difficult arguing your case with Cycliq and their crash replacement offer could be perceived as a reasonable compromise.

But try and look into factory reset options because if it is turning on, that is a good sign. Try a different micro SD card (perhaps the card is damaged) and also format the card, not a quick wipe but a full / comprehensive wipe (and test the card on your computer to check it is still reading / writing data).

A side note, maybe not relevant, the SD card also needs to be fast enough. SD cards have different speeds and some of the cheap ones (or fake ones) are simply too slow to keep up so upgrading is also an option and at least worth testing.

mangoman wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 10:31 pm

The mounting system i think is a good idea with the rubber velcro, but it was so absurdly tight to force the unit on the mount the first time i used it i thought something was going to snap for sure.

If I recall, two velcro straps of different lengths are provided. The strap needs to be tight, but not exceeding tight that there is a risk of snapping the strap or bits. I would describe it as comfortably tight and I check the camera by handle and wiggle it a bit to ensure it isn't moving about.

Comedian wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 12:45 pm

tomee wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 27, 2020 11:54 am

got an issue where i go into the app to change the settings of the fly6CE
im trying to change the sound volume and 10 min beeps. when i go to change it, it shows in the app but when i turn it on, it defaults back to the way it was.

it wont save the settings. anyone know how to fix?

Are you using the newest app? have you updated the firmware on the device?

latest app and latest firmware

Yep, I've had three Gen 1 Fly6CE's stop functioning over the past two years
- First one just stopped and was replaced
- The replacement SD card cover flap came off after a year
- The last replacement stopped working in the rain and they refused to replace it as somehow I had let water in.
- I now have a Gen 2 at a substantial discount after having a whinge
- The Fly12CE has been pretty good, even after a nasty stack which scratched it up pretty badly
- The online service has improved but its not great.

The low battery warning keeps sounding on my fly12 (after only charging it yesterday), but then it works for a lot longer. i think I'll be buying a 12CE very shortly