Aldi are currently selling the Bikemate Rear Bike Camera/Light, and while it is selling for £39.99 online, my local store is clearing them out for £19.99. At that price, how could I say no?
Any cycle commuter will be able to tell you of the close passes they have experienced, and I’ve toyed with the idea of fitting a fixed rear facing camera to see just how bad some of my close passes have been. It also gives a facial recording of the driver along with the number plate – harder to argue that you weren’t driving the vehicle with your mugshot in the picture.
Weighing in at 135g, and with a battery life of between four (lights and camera) and eight (camera only) hours, the camera comes with a 32GB Micro SD memory card (although some people say that the one supplied is far less. Many unbranded cards are reportedly like this. When I brought the card properties up on the PC it only showed as 2GB initially, but after formatting it then showed around 30GB, and on testing I found it took a folder of around 6GB, so although I didn’t try to fill the card entirely, it probably is nearer the 30GB mark.
The Camera comes with a mount, two mounting straps (one shorter than the other) and some rubber pads to help mount the camera, as well as a charging cable.
Operating instructions are fairly simple. Switch on the power and the camera automatically starts to record. Using the other button you can cycle through the light modes, and can select from flash, constant or off, and change from bright to dim. Switching off and the camera stops recording.
This was where the problems began. On transferring the Micro SD card to the laptop I found that the files are recorded in .AVI format and would only play audio, and not video. I had to search online for a compatible player and one downloaded was able to play the files. Footage was grainy and disappointing, and the camera would be of little use in dim light or darkness. While trying to troubleshoot the video issue I looked at the Aldi website and found numerous reports of similar issues, but there was another which was more concerning.
Apparently many users had reported the unit shearing off while in use due to the flimsy mount, and on examination I can see why. The male connector is attached to the main body using a tiny screw which is so small as to be more decorative than effective. I unscrewed this, and it would be possible to perhaps use superglue to fix the connector in place, then use the screw (or perhaps a more robust one) as a secondary means of holding it in place. As it is though, the unit is simply too heavy for the mount, and a three year warranty is not actually valid if you don’t possess the item in question.
If the unit had been robust and reliable and unlikely to detach on the road somewhere, I may have overlooked the picture quality and stuck with it. Overall though I had a feeling that there was every likelihood that it would end up lying at the roadside somewhere, so I repackaged it and returned it. If it drops down to a tenner it might be worth a punt, but certainly at full price you are better holding out for something better. Recommendations always welcome.
The Airdrie Rambler 