The screen size of the GoPro Hero 4K: If I was being a bit picky, I would say the bezels are a little bit too big, but they don't hamper your usage of it.
(Image credit: Immy Sykes)There are many reasons you might consider mounting a camera to your bike, whether it’s peace of mind during the morning commute, or documenting an epic road descent to show off to your mates later. Whatever your motivation, investing in one of the best cameras for cyclists will more than likely guarantee you some good results.
However when you start the long process of researching different camera options, you’ll notice that there are two distinct types on offer: action cameras and safety cameras. So do you go for a dedicated safety camera, like the Garmin Varia or Cycliq Fly series, which are designed to work quietly in the background? Or do you opt for a standard action camera, like a GoPro, DJI Osmo Action, or Insta360, designed to deliver cinematic footage that’s not tailored specifically to cycling?
If you’re not sure what the difference is, or which is the right one for you, then you’ve come to the right place. Read on for the pros and cons of each, and the products we’d recommend as a starting point.
What is a safety camera?
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Let’s start with the simplest option. A cycling safety camera is purpose-built to record video while you’re on the move. Many commuter and city cyclists opt for these because it’s the best way of capturing evidence of other road users’ behaviour, in the unfortunate event of a collision.
They often tend to be integrated into a rear or front light, so that they serve a dual purpose. They’re designed to quietly record in the background, capturing evidence if anything happens, while also helping you to stay more visible on the road.
In many cases with a safety camera, there will be a maximum duration you can capture before the recording loops back and starts overwriting the oldest footage. It’s the most efficient way of doing things, especially when you’re spending a lot of time on the bike: the camera is always recording, and you don’t need to worry about running out of space. You don’t need to fiddle with settings mid-ride, or worry that you weren’t able to turn it on in time to capture something as it happens. As long as you switch it on at the start of your ride, and have enough battery to last your journey, you’re covered.
Plus it’s very likely that in the event of an incident where you need to gather footage for evidence, you’re going to retrieve it soon after it happened, so there’s little concern about it being overwritten before you can access it.
Some popular examples of cycling safety camera ranges are the Garmin Varia and Cycliq Fly series.
Safety camera pros and cons
Pros:
Always recording: Safety cameras are designed to run continuously with loop recording, automatically overwriting old footage.
Integrated lights: Since they’re often built into front or rear bike lights, safety cameras can save cockpit space and serve the dual purpose of keeping you visible.
Incident detection: Many safety cameras include crash sensor technology, so that if the bike tilts suddenly or experiences an impact, footage is locked and saved.
Deterrence: A visible rear-facing camera can be a great deterrent, reminding drivers to give you more space, even if they’re not consciously aware of it.
Cycling-specific reliability: Since they’re specifically designed for cycling, safety cameras will likely have weatherproofing, battery life and mount design tailored for year-round commutes.
Cons:
Footage quality isn’t the priority: While generally good enough to identify vehicles and number plates, the video quality of safety cameras isn’t exactly cinematic. It serves a function, but don’t expect high quality film footage.
Higher cost per feature: You’re paying for practical light integration and specific safety features, rather than cutting-edge video specs.
Cycling-only use: Unlike a GoPro or Insta360, you won’t take one skiing or surfing, so if you want something to serve multiple sports, opt for an action camera instead.
What is an action camera?
If a safety camera is purpose built to keep you safe on the roads, an action camera is designed to capture the action in high definition.
Action cameras are built for all kinds of adventure sports, not just cycling, and their strengths lie in capturing high-quality footage in 4K, with advanced stabilisation features, and wide fields of view that make a mountain descent look as thrilling on screen as it felt in the saddle.
They won’t come with some of the cycling-specific features found on safety cameras, like the integration of bike lights or a bike mount as standard. You’ll need to explore various mounting options separately (Tom's guide to achieving a clean bike mount setup will help you there), and you won’t get incident detection either.
The other biggest difference is that whereas a safety camera continuously records on a loop, overwriting old footage, an action camera will record until the space is filled, and then it will stop. They usually won’t have enough space to record the entirety of a commute (unless it’s particularly short), because of the large file size that comes with the high resolution footage they produce, so you need to control when you do and don’t record.
This makes them less suited for commuting and road safety, and more geared towards people who want to record specific sections of their rides for sharing later.
If you’re an aspiring vlogger or adventure film maker, or if you just like to collect beautiful footage of the rides you’ve done to store for later use, then an action camera is your best bet.
Action camera pros and cons
Pros:
- Cinematic quality: Expect crisp 4K (or higher) footage, image stabilisation to smooth out the shakes, and good low-light performance.
- Multi-purpose use: Take the same camera on a beach holiday, to the ski resort, to a weekend race, or even for vlogging indoors. It can tick all those boxes and more.
- Multiple mounting options: Each camera brand will have an array of mounting options, from handlebar to helmet to chest strap, so you can find the one that suits your needs best.
- Perfect for sharing: Whether it’s Instagram reels, Youtube videos or your club WhatsApp group, the footage you’ll capture on an action camera is far more engaging than what you’ll get on a safety camera.
Cons:
- Shorter battery life: Since high-resolution recording eats batteries, you’ll be limited to recording around 1-2 hours before you run out of space.
- Manual operation: Without the continuous loop recording of safety cameras, you’ll have to remember to hit record, swap batteries, and manage SD card space.
- No cycling-specific features: You won’t get integrated lights, incident detection, or built-in looping.
Which should you choose?
There’s no definitive answer to this question, sadly, because it really depends on what you want to get out of your camera setup, and how you intend to use it.
Go for a safety camera if:
Your main priority is capturing evidence in the event of a road incident, and would benefit from hands-off operation, recording every second of your commute or training ride, and the reassurance of integrated lights and incident detection. The safety camera is a fit-and-forget product that’s designed to look after you.
Go for an action camera if:
You’re more interested in documenting, and re-living your rides, whether that’s for private use or sharing online. Action camera footage will be far higher quality, and you can use it for other sports and travel as well. It’s the best option for vloggers and adventure filmmakers who want to capture everything as it happens, in high definition, from the centre of the action.
Of course, there are many cyclists who will use both. If your budget can stretch to it, then the ultimate solution is to have a safety camera for the peace of mind, and an action camera for the highlight reel. That way you won’t drain your battery by recording endless traffic in 4K, but you’ve still got the option of capturing cinematic footage when you want it.
Safety cameras we recommend for cyclists
- Garmin Varia RCT715 – A rear light with radar and an integrated camera, so you get vehicle detection alerts plus loop recording.
- Cycliq Fly6 Gen 3 – A compact rear-facing light/camera combo, built to run all ride long.
- Cycliq Fly12 Sport – A front light and camera in one, handy for commuters who want front and rear coverage.
Action cameras we recommend for cyclists
- GoPro Hero 12 Black – The gold standard for action sports, with superb stabilisation and image quality.
- DJI Osmo Action 4 – Great low-light performance, often better for gloomy UK commutes.
- Insta360 X3 – A 360-degree camera that lets you reframe and edit creative angles post-ride.
