Cycling Safety Devices

Front lights, rear light, radar and computer - all the things you need for a safe ride!

*Thanks to Dave Coggins for this write-up!

DAYTIME SAFETY

Daytime Lights (Rear and Front) to “Be Seen” as many motor vehicles use flashing lights to - (emergency, tow trucks, police, motorcycles, etc).  This is especially critical with the increased risk presented by Distracted Drivers.

Video Cameras – there have been far too many accidents causing serious injury and death.  Most recently, we had two hit-and-runs in the Inman/Landrum area.  One was a fatality, and the other required hospitalization.  Just a week ago, a lady was killed in the upstate while riding on a TREK Tours ride.  In all cases, no one had video to document the incidents so responsible parties could be held accountable. 

Radar – to warn the cyclist of approaching vehicles from behind (our blind spot).  (Some cyclists use mirrors, but I have found radar to provide very good audible warnings without a cyclist to shift his/her focus to discern what they are seeing in a small mirror)

The nice thing is that companies have integrated multiple functions into a single device so we do not have to buy many different devices to address all of these objectives.  Timing could not be better as there is a lot of competition and some attractive deals to be had.  My comments below are based on experience and not an exhaustive evaluation.  I will start with what I use today, and add on my experience. 

REAR of the bicycle as that is where we are most vulnerable.

Garmin Varia RCT715 (Radar-Camera-Tail light) ~$300

I have been using this device for over a year and am very happy with it.  It has good battery life.  The light is effectively bright enough, and the radar is pretty darn reliable.  Note that you need a bike computer that is Varia compatible.  The video quality is very good - 1080P at 30 FPS and is captured in 30-second-long files (so there are many).  This works fine for incident capture, but if you want one continuous 15+ minute file(s), you would need to splice the 30-second files together, which is not hard to do but another step. 

Cycliq FLY6 Pro  ~$300

Note that there is a less expensive FLY6 Gen3, which I do not recommend, as its battery life, video quality, and light brightness are inferior to those of the FLY6 Pro.

The FLY6 Pro is a combo - Camera and Light.

I have had 2 FLY6 Gen2 over the years and was happy with the performance, but it was not very durable.  I do not have direct experience with the FLY6 Pro.

TREK – Carback Radar and Rear Light is relatively new to the market - $200

for which I do not have first-hand experience

Here is a Link to a Varia 715 vs Carback comparison

REAR Daytime Blinker is the MOST CRITICAL

If one’s budget cannot afford $300 for a bundled unit, please make sure you have or purchase a very good rear daytime blinker.  These lights are specifically designed for daytime use (higher intensity 80 to 200+ lumens) with a very focused light.  If it is less than 80 lumens, it is likely not effective.  The best way to see if a light is a good daytime blinker > turn it on and hold it at arm’s length.  If the light does not hurt your eyes, it will not effectively project the light back to get the attention of an oncoming car.  The other key is to make sure you mount the light so the light beam is directed straight back (not to the ground or to the sky). 

There are several very good rear daytime blinkers.   

My best experience over many years is with the Trek Flare RT - ~$65

It checks all of the boxes (Light Intensity, battery life, compact size, ease of use, and TREK stands behind it)

FRONT of the bicycle

Daytime Light and Camera

Cycliq FLY12 Sport (~$300): I have many years of experience with both the FLY12 (older version) and the new FLY12 Sport. They are very good Daytime Lights and Cameras.

The Fly12 also checks all of the boxes (video quality - Resolution, Shutter Speed, Vibration Dampening, water resistant, battery life, and compact size)

There are many other general-purpose sports cameras (I have tested several, looking to save money), but I have yet to find one that checks all the critical boxes.

Front Daytime Light Only – The TREK ION 100R (~$40) or ION 200RT (~$65) 

Note - If I am going for a long ride (5+ hrs), I will run the separate lights (front and rear) so as to turn the light off on the combo devices to extend their battery life. 

While I am not a pro, I hope this helps shed some light on the topic (Pun Intended). 

I will gladly chat with anyone on the topic if they would like.

-Dave Coggins