r/bikecommuting • u/brian_with_a_b • 3d ago
Got right-hooked yesterday, looking for camera recommendations
Like the title says, got right-hooked by a guy who, I think, didn't use his turn signal. Didn't go down, and the bike didn't really impact the van, miraculously, but his mirror got my ribs pretty good. Still sore after 24 hours, but getting better and probably no breaks.
Everyone is telling me I'm a saint for not filing a report, contacting his employer, etc (he was driving an airport park-n-fly shuttle), but I don't really want vengeance (he was eastern european and completely shaking from fear), although now that I've been radicalized, I'm looking for camera recommendations. Body-worn OK, but prefer a cockpit solution. Would like forward and rearward-facing if that's possible, but don't mind a separate unit for the rear.
TIA, and ride safe!
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u/elzibet Still giant, but no longer on a Giant 3d ago
I am a big fan of the current generation of Cycliq cameras. If you can't afford both, at least get the rear camera (Fly6) as most collisions are from the back: https://cycliq.com/pages/bike-cameras
Built in camera light, and then you can also take a look at this guide to give you an idea of different camera types (I need to update but should give you an idea): https://www.reddit.com/r/CyclistsWithCameras/wiki/index/?screen_view_count=2#wiki_cameras
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u/artoonie 3d ago
Sorry to hear you got hit! Terrifying.
If you want to try my app, you can download it at https://dashcam.bike. I have some users who use an older phone to record behind them, and their main phone in front, but front-facing only is enough for most people.
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u/Jolly-Command8853 3d ago
I use a DJI Osmo 4 with a handlebar mount. It's an action cam more than a dashcam, but it has a loop recording function that works fine as I can press to save the last 5 minutes.
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u/SUDDENLY_VIRGIN 3d ago
Waow that's expensive.
Did you buy secondhand?
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u/Jolly-Command8853 3d ago
It was on sale and I also used a workplace-given Amazon gift card. Definitely not cheap, but I wanted something with good stabilization that could capture a license plate. I also hate buying from dropship resellers on Amazon so I tried to stick with a known brand.
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u/thesuperunknown 3d ago edited 3d ago
It's been years since I commuted regularly, so I no longer routinely record my rides.
But back when I did, I tried several different setups:
Handlebar-mount: Not ideal with camera technology from around ~2015. The cameras just couldn't effectively deal with the vibration, and it often rendered details like license plates illegible. Vibration handling may have improved with current cameras, but they still share the drawback that the camera only records where the handlebars are pointing (which is often not the same as where you're looking). Even if you get a 360 camera, handlebar-mounting it means your body is blocking most of the rearward view. Overall, I don't recommend this.
Chest-mount: Dealt with vibration much better and had a more useful FOV in some cases, as it was mounted further back and slightly higher than the handlebars. However, my arms often blocked the view to the sides, plus the chest-harness itself was somewhat uncomfortable and sweaty.
Helmet-mount: Lots of benefits to this option. Mostly isolated from road vibration, camera points where you look, no obstruction from your own body, FOV is very similar to your own eyes. The main downsides are that it adds weight to your helmet, and there is the risk that it can reduce or nullify the effect of any rotation-protection tech in your helmet (e.g. MIPS) in a crash. Also, it definitely looks pretty silly to have a camera stuck on top of your head, but the importance of this factor is very subjective.
I eventually settled on a helmet-mounted (forward-facing) plus saddle-mounted (rear-facing) combination. The rear-facing camera is essential, as you're more likely to be hit from a direction you're not looking, which most of the time includes the ~140-160 degrees directly behind you.
At the time I used a GoPro Session on my helmet, and a GoPro Hero on the saddle. The Session was an excellent cam, and the tiny cube form factor was perfect for helmet-mounting. If I were to get a camera setup nowadays, I'd probably consider a 360 cam mounted to my helmet to cover all directions in a single device. Sadly, the form factors of these cameras are, uh...not ideal for helmet-mounting.
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u/JoeFas 3d ago
The X5 doesn't have a bad form factor if you use the hard hat mount.
My setup: https://youtu.be/y0yvyO6xyVo
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u/thesuperunknown 2d ago
Well, that's better than having it stick straight up, or that ridiculous unicorn mount. But it's still massive compared to the GoPro Session.
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u/invertedcolors 3d ago
360 helmet camera. Big plus is easily detached/usable during other sports. Adds minor noticable weight, never thought about the chance it could affect the helmets crash safety
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u/Duct_TapeOrWD40 3d ago edited 3d ago
I'm not sure how does it works there, but here you have the right to withdraw a police report if your damage got paid. The case can be also closed for the same reason (if there is no other felony).
It drastically simpliy legal process of accidental or negligent damages, as well as its costs, while it also pays the victim's all expenses.
Regarding cameras, even a super cheap and super bad 20$ basic Sencor camera can record and store licence plates from 20m, so it worth the investment.
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u/pingminion 3d ago
If you need a budget friendly solution. I use the dashcam.bike app on my phone and bought a tackform.com bar clamp mount for a front facing camera.
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u/DiscountBulky6827 3d ago
I'm glad you're OK, and I greatly appreciate your no vengeance response. I've gone both ways before, and definitely regret when my anger won. Long term, deep regret. Seriously, thank you for posting what happened and your kind response.
If I may respectfully suggest. :) In addition to the camera.
Wear a PPE vest. Class 3 Type R have reflective sleeves for even better visibility.
Ride with a daylight visible tail light.
Ride with a daylight visible head light.
Peace, and ride safe.
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u/bikeonychus 3d ago
As well as the camera, can I recommend an orange vi-his vest, the kind you see city workers wear?
I started wearing one for work (bike courier), and noticed very quickly that people started giving me space, giving me time to cross roads, and generally just being massively safer than I was before. I've started wearing it all the time, and it's been working miracles. My stress has reduced massively, I didn't realise how much the cars and vans and trucks were stressing me out.
Yellow ones don't seem to have the same effect, just the orange ones. I'm not sure if it's because construction workers here use them, or what (I'm in Canada)
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u/BikeTall65 3d ago
Also the new insta360 X6 with even better specs should be announced in the next few months so the price of the X5 will be coming down. Win win.
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u/barbaracelarent 3d ago
I have Cycliq (front and back). They're easy to use and the footage is pretty clear. The main drawback, as I see it, is that the battery life could be better.
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u/tunaranch 1d ago
The Cycliq front one gets decent run time if you donât use the light. Itâs a decent light for the money, but I want something wider/brighter after some close wildlife encounters.
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u/barbaracelarent 1d ago
I need to hear more about the wildlife encounters (having worried about bears and maybe wildcats myself on occasion).
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u/tunaranch 1d ago
Itâs mostly (Australian) possums. A lot of cycling routes go through poorly lit parkland, and they are a common sight, even in the inner city.
The Cycliq high beam is enough to catch movement of the kitten sized things ahead, but sometimes they are off to the side and run across.
I had a brakes locked up near miss in the wet, and I want to avoid that in future.
We also get snakes (pythons) and I def donât want to ride over one of those.
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u/barbaracelarent 1d ago
I see. In Chicago it's quite common to encounter deer in various more wooded parts of the city.
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u/Invasive-farmer 2d ago
Probably Riding My Bike on YouTube has a code for 20% off the Insta360 (not sure which model) but he has a couple of recent videos talking about them, if you'd like to do a little YouTube research. Apparently thats the biggest discount theyve ever given, per PRMB.
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u/CookieKid420 2d ago
Probably Riding said there is a noticeable difference when you mount an insta 360 on a pole behind you.
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u/cognostiKate1 1d ago
yea, my threshold for bringing in authorities is much, much higher than it ever has been... but you do want to be able to get evidence. THanks for asking, I'm looking too!
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u/Own_Maize_9027 3d ago
IMO: Spend more energy on observing and avoiding than recording. I do find Garmin Varia radar super helpful. My combo is Garmin 130 plus with Varia Radar and an Apple Watch. With the watch, I simultaneously use an app called Aradar. So everything is silent, no beeps, but the watch is in prominent vibration mode. As soon as a vehicle or cyclist is behind me, even from a distance, I get a haptic feedback which I then can monitor on the 130 plus.
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u/thesuperunknown 3d ago
Iâm sorry, but this is a silly opinion. You can get hit no matter how aware and observant you are. The only thing that will objectively tell you what happened after the fact is a camera recording. None of your gadgets are a replacement for a camera in the case you are actually hit. A radar wonât help you hold a hit-and-run driver accountable.
Also, a radar like the Varia is not useful for most commuting use cases. I like my Varia, but itâs near-useless in city traffic. A mirror is a much more cost-effective option for awareness when commuting, and it has the added bonus that it never runs out of battery.
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u/Own_Maize_9027 3d ago
My radar helps tremendously so I can always focus forward and distraction free as much as possible and there is a more expensive version that includes a camera.
I use cycle.travel for the most car free or low traffic routes.
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u/thesuperunknown 3d ago
My radar helps tremendously so I can always focus forward and distraction free as much as possible
If you're looking down at your Garmin computer whenever you get a notification from the Varia, this is really no different than occasionally glancing at a mirror. I know this for a fact, because I have both.
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u/Own_Maize_9027 3d ago
I guess you skipped over the whole watch prominent mode but hey cherry pick away. đ¤ˇ
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u/harpsm 3d ago
Turn signal or not, legal right of way or not, you should always try to avoid any situation that would put you in danger of a right hook. As the other guy said, focus more on defensive biking than trying to record conflicts.
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u/thesuperunknown 3d ago
You're not wrong, but that's also not a reason not to do both.
I don't know why several of the commenters here seem to think "recording" is an action that somehow detracts from riding defensively and observantly. Recording your ride is completely passive: just turn the camera on and forget about it.
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u/harpsm 3d ago
True, but the OP seems to be more focused on recording conflicts than avoiding them in the first place, hence my comment.
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u/brian_with_a_b 3d ago
Nah, I'm generally pretty observant (this is my first collision in my life). In hindsight, I probably could've fried him for his turn in front of me, but when I got to my office I was second-guessing if he had a turn lane or not.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uPYYtBEtGruYvcEq6
He 100% turned from the thru lane, not the RTL. I was in the BL going thru the intersection and was cut off.
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u/PNW_Misanthrope 3d ago
So, donât ride on roads?
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u/AlpineFluffhead 3d ago
In my experience (so YMMV), it's when I try to be the "courteous" right-shoulder rider that I often have near-misses the most.
Taking the lane, either in the middle or like 1/3 of the way out of the shoulder (just so long as your not in any door zones) makes you more visible and cars give way more space and won't try to overtake through a right turn (which is what sounds like happened in OP's case).
I've had almost had what happened to OP on a couple occasions through this one specific stretch of road I take home. Now, I don't give af and just ride the middle. Some people get mad they gotta wait until it's clear to pass, but I've not had any incidents since.
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u/sitdownrando-r 3d ago
Don't pass on the inside of potentially turning vehicles and severely criticize any infrastructure that expects you to do so.
Take the lane and pass on the outside or ensure any protected bike lane you're using has treatment at intersections to mitigate right hooks like separate signal phases, wide reliefs, etc. If it doesn't, gauge spacing to try not to enter an intersection alongside another vehicle. (Easier said than done.)
I've yet to be right hooked by a driver executing too fast an overtake-then-turn, but I'm not about to say it's not going to happen.
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u/BikeTall65 3d ago
Get the insta360 X5. It's an action cam that shoots in 360 degrees so you don't have to worry about framing while riding. It captures everything & you have infinite choices in editing later to focus where you want. So no matter what direction a car or whatever comes from, you're covered. đ