Fly12’s first user review with MTB test ride video

Fly12 has been live for a little under a week and we have had some brilliant videos, edits and reviews roll in. From great off road rides to oh deer moments, this front facing HD camera is great for capturing exciting footage and adventure. But in particular, the team here at Cycliq HQ really enjoyed watching Ben Goyette’s Cycliq Fly12 MTB Test Ride. You might know Ben from thebikecomesfirst.tumblr.com, a site packed with great bike videos, photo’s and write ups. We got to catch up with him earlier this week for a quick Q&A, but before we get into that, check out his video:

We got to know Ben a little more:

What do you ride?

I ride a Focus Mares Cyclocross bike and an Orbea Oiz cross-country mountain bike. The reason I ride a Cyclocross bike most of the time is because cross bikes look so rad! Haha just kidding! (But only a little bit.) I mean, look at that beauty! And I like how versatile they are. We have a wide variety of terrain here in Southern California and I can ride it on almost anything. I even use it as a beach cruiser sometimes. My other bike is the Oiz, it’s my XC racing machine. It is such a performance race bike. I still can’t believe how stiff it is when climbing and how it transforms into a fearless descender with a click of a button. It seriously blows my mind every time I ride it.

Why do you ride?

To stay sane. Cycling is like therapy for me. There’s something invigorating about going far on a long ride and pushing your limits. It gives you time to think and process everything so you come back with a clear mind. Then there’s also that addictive state of mind when you attack a technical descent or a flying single track – especially during a race – when your mind slips into “flow state”. You become extremely focused and efficient; fully immersed in the moment. And THAT is the best feeling ever. Also, the side effect of getting fit isn’t bad either.

Which race do you enjoy competing in the most?

The Kamikaze Bike Games at Mammoth Mountain. It’s at the end of summer and it’s such a rad mountain biking festival to end the season on. There’s such a good vibe; It’s hard to explain! Everybody’s getting together one last time before winter and trying to compete in as many discipline as they have bikes for. There’s DH, Enduro, XC, Dual Slalom and the legendary ‘Kamikaze’ race. It’s one of those “worth flying to” events and I would definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to extend their season with one more week of gnarly big-mountain riding.

We also asked Ben how he was enjoying his Fly12 and this is what he said:

It’s been great so far! I’ve only had it for a few weeks but it’s been smooth riding. I didn’t read the instruction manual at all and I was able to use it intuitively and discover the features with the iPhone app. For me it’s all about workflow. The less friction there is the faster I can get out the door and ride. With the Fly12 it’s a one button process. And I don’t have to worry about battery life, emptying memory cards, bringing a light, etc. I have used a combination of other devices before, but it was just so cumbersome to get them all rolling everyday; I felt like I was spinning plates. The new audio cues are awesome! It’s easier to tell what’s going on. It’s such an overlooked feature but it’s actually super important. We play by ear most of the time when operating a device like that. So it’s great that the team at Cycliq gave the Fly12 a more eloquent ‘vocabulary’. I bet one day I’ll be surprised by my Fly12 having a conversation with my Roomba! The Strava overlay is super neat too! I like that you can get all that done on the smartphone. It’s effortlessly posted on Instagram in half the time it takes to drink my post-ride coffee.

You can follow Ben on Instagram, YouTube or onTumblr. Ben also wrote a whole Fly12 review, which you can read here.

If you haven’t ordered your Fly12 yet, get it right here!