You get 4 hours from one battery?! That's a lot. I thought 2h40m or so from mine was good. Yes - the battery cover has pretty much split in half and I kinda fancied something smaller form factor anyway. I was using a YI 4k for some time until that stopped charging recently (2 years later). Amazon refunded me. Quality wise it was really decent but I was never that keen on the 1h30m battery life. Ideally I want something that can last 3h+. Cycliq quality is kinda poor and the unit is bulky. Drift Ghost X looks interesting but reviews don't sound too great.
I've currently got an old Gopro Hero 4 sitting at home. I'm considering buying a battery bacpac for it but not sure how much battery life that would add. On an initial test it did 1h15m on the standard battery. Too short.
That really is too short.
I get a week of commuting and some to spare out of my VIRB which I've always said is nearly 4 hours, but if I actually tally it up comes out at just under 3h (including average stopped times into my commutes - ((3*25)+(3*15)+(4*10)). Still loads better than most of the cameras on the market, but it is a replaceable 2200mah so generally quite a bit 'better' (although big!).
There's so many 'knockoff's around action cameras that I really wouldn't touch one with a barge pole without copious amounts of good reviews from trusted sources (DCR & GPL to name the 2 main ones).
Cycliq have always been known as pretty poor cameras. It's a neat concept and some people like them but I'd really hoped the camera and batteries would improve as they evolved the device but it hasn't. The footage from the current units is only just on par with my 5+ year old VIRB (16MP 1080p camera) with less battery life. The light isn't even that bright compared to things like the tiny TraceR. Disappointing!
I have a Cycliq Fly6. The quality is fine but I've given up using it because the hassle of cropping videos and reporting drivers is not worth it for what you get back in response from the police (i.e. nothing) and it made no difference to general driver behaviour. I just use an Exposure TraceR and a backup Knog light in case it dies.
I don't view or even crop my videos, it's there to act like a 'dashcam'. If something happens, I have the footage, nothing more.
I have a 64gb card in there and every couple of weeks I need to clear it down to make room. I mean to do it weekly when I'd actually 'remember' which day I had a close pass but in reality I don't. I generally copy off to a USB HDD, then I scan the footage when the folder is a little full and note the reg plate on the filename of any close passes. I'll sometimes save some group rides and climbs. Any others I delete. When I get time I copy all those renamed files to my NAS box into the same folder, then all the close passes are listed by reg number and I can 'see' multiple instances of the same regplate together - with the intention to report regular offenders.
In reality the 4 'incidents' I've reported online with camera footage I've had zero responses to. One got a confirmation of recipt, nothing more.
The time I got properly knocked off I went to the Police station and filled everything in, kinda got a satisfactory response (took all details and they contacted me later to confirm it had been followed up, then speaking to the guy he did comment the Police had spoken to him). But that took 4 hours of my time (and several more of dealing with his insurance company, but I got a good payout). I've not reported anyone for a couple of years now, I consider it just a waste of my time unless it was serious enough, then the 4+ hours of my time going down to the Police station would be worth it.
I refuse to put a camera on my bike because I would honestly spend every single night of my life editing and reporting things. That's how shocking it is with drivers here. A battle that simply cannot be won and I'll be damned if I am wasting any of my time or my money to fight a war that cannot be won. Life's too short (will be very short as I'll likely be killed on day on the roads).
A car hit me the other week. Smashed its wing mirror all over my arm and it shattered all over the road. I barely stayed upright but got away with it in reality.... By the time I turned the bike around they put the foot down and sped off.... I approached the vehicle behind me who witnessed the whole thing and she put her window up, looked past me and drove off without making eye contact as she obviously didn't want the hassle of it. I am beyond giving a flying **** about others as this place is too far gone and the "other people" are simply not worth wasting my existence with.
OUCH! That is abysmal.
I agree with the first bit and totally get where you're coming from. I'm in the same mindset - but equally running a camera every ride to 'catch' it when 'it' happens. At least then me or my family should have video footage to aid the authorities in tracking down the offender.
I've generally found drivers around here quite good. The time I was properly knocked off the driver stopped and so did many others. The one time I was run off the road by a tractor the driver behind stopped and checked I was ok, the other time nobody else saw it. One time I've been clipped (nothing as serious as yours) a following driver asked if I was ok. Several close passes and 1 minor clip where 'offenders' were held up in traffic I've had apologies. Only a couple of times have I actually had abuse on the roads. Have had far more from ignorant pedestrians on shared use.
EDIT: See if you can contact these officers? Might have more luck than me -
https://road.cc/content/news/263995-more-50-drivers-stopped-north-east-scotland-close-pass-operation
EDIT2:
https://road.cc/content/news/266851...r-hit-wing-mirror-during-close-pass-operation
Guy I was riding with is also a copper....
2 of my neighbours are also coppers, both of them have commented on how poor the reporting system is. And if you consider that's West Mercia who are the force who pioneered the 'close-pass' inititive -
https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/close-pass-cycling
Although interestingly that reporting site(nextbase) has totally changed since last time I used it. Hmmm!