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As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce our friend RV.

RV is originally from Switzerland, and based in the Australian state of Victoria. He’s experienced some close calls on his rides, and in 2021, was hit by a young driver. Thankfully he’s ok, and although his new custom built bike suffered some damage, there’s been some correspondence with law enforcement since the event.
Many of the close calls have occurred in a time when Victoria had no minimum passing distance law implemented and therefore, RV was told that the police wouldn’t do anything about it.

He also has a Youtube channel where he exposes drivers and calls them out with their number plates.
If a company car is involved in an incident, which we find is occurring increasingly more and more, he will leave a 1 star rating on google and explain what happened linking back to the event on UpRide and Youtube.

“I was hit in 2021 by a young driver. I had camera footage and went to the police. The result was that after a week, when I asked them for the case-file number for insurance, they told me they decided to not follow up, despite the video evidence (they did not even look at it, as I was asked again to hand in the files/links) and my brand new custom built road bike was damaged.” 

RV is an avid cyclist, he says that riding on the roads under the current laws makes him ‘really uncomfortable’ riding without a camera.

Record your ride. Make it count.

“It actually makes me feel safe since in case of an accident, I would have proof of the circumstances. Riding without a camera makes me really uncomfortable, and additionally I use the footage to create videos of my rides, like ‘holiday’ memories.”

“It ‘s a great idea. I think it definitely should become more famous and police/crime investigators should consider it more often/regularly. I actually discussed a while ago with a friend ,who was hit badly a few years ago, to build up such a site in combination with a database where number plates from the incidents are stored and Insurances and police can have access to in order to check on drivers behaviours.”

“Change the minds of the drivers (Make it mandatory for drivers to attend regular road trainings, where they also sit on a bike and ride through traffic, public transport, trucks, delivery etc) Force police to investigate any issue that is handed over to them. Police officers should become liable if they push serious offences under the table.”

“Generally I raise it via Crime stoppers, what bothers me is that there is no info on if it has been transferred to police. If the driver did it to me he most likely did it to others as well, as it is an indication of his driving style.
There has been a follow up on a case I filed with a concrete truck. I not only took this to the Crimestoppers, but also to the Victoria Big Building Projects with the result that the truck driver got a written warning from the employer, the employer used my video to teach his drivers on how to not act and the police followed up on him. Sadly I never heard about the final outcome.”

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce Rusty from Ashburton, Victoria. He has experienced some close calls on his rides in Melbourne. The CBD is notoriously bad for close calls and impatient drivers, and the Victorian country roads have thin shoulders and fast, dangerous drivers.

In December 2022, Rusty and his peloton were involved in a collision with a motor vehicle, resulting in his bike under the car.

“I was advised the following day that the driver had been charged.”

“Our group was riding the Great Alpine Road near Dinner Plain last year, coincidentally some 30 minutes after a rider was killed in a hit and run on same road – driver travelling too fast, over a crest, hit cyclist from behind.”

With all of this in mind, Rusty always rides with Cycliq front and rear cameras.

Record your ride. Make it count.

For exactly this reason.  So I have footage of an accident or close call.  I have the Fly6 and Fly12. I do use the footage from time to time for purely recreational reasons; creating ride videos, particularly for events or scenic group rides.

• Increase separation from cars on the road – especially in high traffic areas; dedicated bike lanes, good road shoulders, sensible traffic lights. For example in St Kilda, Victoria there is a dedicated bike lane BUT both cars and bikes get a green light allowing cars to return left across the dedicated bike lane. I was almost hit as I went across this intersection and a car decided to turn left. This could be fixed by bike and car specific traffic signals. 
• Encourage enforcement of minimun 1m passing distance, including fines.  Publication or promotion of infringements and fines would also add to awareness.

“In Victoria, Australia you have to register the incident at the applicable local Police Station, which I did by phone on the evening of the accident. The car stopped and I swapped details with the driver. My riding group took lots of photos of the location including the bike under car etc. And of course I had the Cycliq footage. In the Police phone interview I advised all the details and that I had photos and video footage of the incident. I shared those with the Police via email. The Police created an incident report and provided me with an Incident number.  I was advised the following day that the driver had been charged.  I didn’t get the details of the charge.” 

“I believe the footage, post crash still photos, positive identification of the driver (licence etc) made it very easy for the Police to charge the driver – especially given the relatively recent establishment of the 1 metre laws in Victoria.” 

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce our friend AZ.

AZ is based in Singapore. He’s experienced some particularly close calls on his rides. Many of which have occurred in a time when Singapore has had laws that seem favourable to drivers over cyclists. This has resulted in AZ always riding with front and rear cameras.

AZ says that riding on the roads in Singapore under the current laws is worrying without a camera.

Record your ride. Make it count.

“Safety. I fairly consistently upload to UpRide and also report to the police. I hope seeing these videos helps people understand how vulnerable cyclists can be.”

“Easy enough to use, should be a good reference for government officials too. Not sure how much outreach to government UpRide does, but it seems like a trove of valuable data and stories.”

1. Cyclists to be better trained about how to cycle. Sometimes you see cyclists breaking rules, and this does not help our cause. 

2. Training for drivers. As soon as they get their license they seem to forget that cyclists are humans too. 

3. Better awareness for drivers on what is legal or illegal for cyclists. Many times drivers are angry because they think we are where we should not. 

4. Harsher punishment for drivers in Singapore. Here, the law is quite favourable to drivers. Would be good to have laws apply in both directions (current laws are laws for cyclists, and recommendations for drivers). 

“I have reported all incidents to the police. I know they have been submitted but then there is no additional follow up. The process in Singapore is easy, but not sure there is a lot of action behind the reports.”

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce UpRider J, who hails from Florida, and was recently involved in a very close call with a Jeep. Thankfully nobody was hurt and there’s been some correspondence with law enforcement since the event.

J is an avid cyclist, and says he always rides with a Cycliq Fly12 and Fly6 light and camera.

“When the incident first occurred, the Sheriff’s office said to call 911 and they’ll get someone in the area to observe the driver and if they observe them driving recklessly then they will address the situation. Not overly effective, but that may just be the law in Florida.

In Texas I had a driver intentionally run me off the road from an oncoming lane. When I talked to the deputy he told me he wished I had it recorded on camera, because he could use the recording. That incident is what led to me recording every ride since!”

“I can see cameras becoming commonplace with cyclists, just as they have with motorists.”

“I love Cycliq products and will continue to use them. Thanks a lot.”

Always record your ride. Make it count. UpRide it.

“I’ve had trouble with motorists in the past and want to have evidence if anything should happen to me. ” 

“I use the Cycliq front (Fly12 ) and rear (Fly6) cameras every ride.” 

“I think it’s a great resource to alert other cyclists in the area to any hazards, animals or busy roads with crazy drivers. Especially anyone that may be new to the area. It also shines a light on drivers who put cyclists lives in danger and makes them aware they are being recorded. I think that alone will make drivers more aware or make safer passes.”

“I think bicycle lanes with a divider between them and the road. This would prevent motorists from drifting into the bike lanes and to prevent them from parking there.”

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce our friend Steven.

Steve lives in South Australia, and has been involved in numerous incidents on the road. Thankfully Steve always rides with a Cycliq Fly12 light and camera, so has evidence of all of the incidents.

“I first decided to get a Cycliq camera when a bus squeezed me against a kerb as they turned left and I broke the boa dial on my brand new shoes on the kerb, but I had no evidence of the incident.”

“My bike was fine, even after a ride with a near death experience I’m still riding my bike, and that’s great!”

Record your ride. Make it count.

“I first decided to get a Cycliq camera when a bus squeezed me against a kerb as they turned left and I broke the boa dial on my brand new shoes on the kerb, but I had no evidence of the incident. Now, I commute to work in some fairly heavily trafficked roads, and am resigned to the fact that I may need the evidence to show what happened. I think the more drivers that get held to account for their irresponsible actions the more that word would get around.” 

“ I think UpRide is a very useful tool. I use it to be able to send police a link so they can view a video without having to email, Dropbox or give them a memory stick. It’s also fun to show friends and colleagues what kinds of idiocy exist on the roads. UpRide is better than just showing them clips on my phone, as the map really gives some context to the number of incidents.  ”

“Driver education. Teach them that impatient drivers are what makes cycling unsafe. Bike lanes are great, but they aren’t everywhere, so drivers need to learn to look for and respect cyclists as road users. Something like the “think bike” ads for motorcycles would be good, but it needs to emphasise that cyclists are 1. Legal, 2. Don’t break the law anywhere near as often as drivers, 3. Really vulnerable.”

“An ad portraying impatient drivers as ‘selfish pricks’ like our drink drive ads would be good. Sadly though, while all police officers agree drink driving and using a phone are offences that are intolerable, my experience suggests to me that they don’t all feel the same about offences that endanger cyclists.”

“I can only speak for the process in South Australia. In the event of an injury or damage, less than $3,000 reporting is mandatory. Close passes that don’t result in injury are voluntary. 
I take the footage to a police station, and file a report outlining the incident, showing the desk officer the footage which they then included in their report. I usually get a report number.

Something that makes it particularly hard is that reporting a non-mandatory incident can normally be done online, however, there is a single checkbox that asks, “was anyone injured or was there video of the incident” as soon as this box is checked, the auto response is “This must be reported in person at a police station”. 

Another issue with reporting in person is that the there is no easy way to actually get the footage to the police officer to include in their report, the high resolution videos are still quite large and on more than one occasion I have crashed their inbox with a 40 second video! UpRide is good for this, as I can send a link. “

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce our friend Paul.

Paul hails from Taunton in England, and recently suffered a nasty crash in which he required surgery and 2 of the 3 bikes involved in the crash were a write off. Thankfully Paul is due to make a full recovery and there’s been some positive correspondence with law enforcement since the event. Paul is an avid cyclist, and says he always rides with a Cycliq Fly12 light and camera.

“I had an email from the police this weekend who have confirmed that based on the video provided there is sufficient evidence to take further action against the driver. We are so pleased to have had the video evidence which is also supporting the insurance claim and clearly hard to dispute.”

“I can see cameras becoming commonplace with cyclists, just as they have with motorists.”

Record your ride. Make it count.

“I was on a ride last year when a friend was involved in a serious collision with a van. When the police arrived the first thing they asked was did anyone have the incident recorded – which we didn’t – but it got us all thinking about this and the benefits of doing so. My friend and I both bought a Fly12.” 

“It’s interesting looking at the incidents and seeing some awful incidents. Sometimes a bit scary!”

“Educate both drivers and cyclists to respect each other. As well as careless and bad driving, I see some dreadful cycling too which unfortunately gives cyclists a bad reputation too.”

“The police were called to the incident along with 2 ambulances as the vehicle took out 3 cyclists. Statements were taken roadside and the video uploaded to them.”

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of the community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together, helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce Rob!
Rob is an avid cyclist from Rotorua in New Zealand, and has uploaded over 30 incidents from his home town.

“UpRide is a brilliant service.  It provides a good record of the difficulties that cyclists face on the roads.”

Record your ride. Make it count.

“I record my ride so that there is video evidence if a serious incident occurs.  It is useful to review footage, to see how I can improve my riding to ensure incidents happen less frequently.”

“UpRide is a brilliant service.  It provides a good record of the difficulties that cyclists face on the roads and it shows where ‘black spots’ of frequent incidents are. I hope the data can be used by third parties to improve driver and rider training and road layouts.” 

“I think the most important thing that can be done to improve safety for cyclists is to educate drivers about sharing the road with more vulnerable road users. Segregated cycleways are ideal, but costly. Nearly all of the close calls I’ve experienced are at junctions. I have spoken to drivers after they fail to give way at roundabouts, and on two occasions they said that they don’t have to give way to a bicycle. I don’t think they were being obtuse; they genuinely believed that this was the rule. There are also some drivers that simply seem to perceive that roads are for cars only.”

“I have only reported one driver to the police, although I have wanted to report many more. That is largely because it is time consuming to go into the Police Station to write a formal report. The incident I reported was when a driver in Rotorua did not give way at a roundabout and clipped my front wheel.  I did not fall off but the collision would have been clearly audible to the driver.  The driver did not stop.” 

“When I reported it, I offered the Police the video evidence and the person dealing with the complaint was not sure how to accept the footage. There was no portal or formal process to submit video. The Police dealt with the complaint seriously and followed up with the driver.  They went to his house more than once and he provided an explanation to them.  The Police then contacted me to tell me how it went.  They issued him with a fine. I was pleased to see the Police take it seriously.”

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As we reflect on the last few years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of our community of UpRider’s for posting over 10,000 incidents and together helping to make cycling safer. With many of our users uploading over 20 incidents to UpRide, we’re glad to see the platform performing its desired task as a cycling safety hub and awareness platform.

Let us introduce Batman! The Coffs Harbour Batman has requested that he stay anonymous, which we respect.

“I think UpRide is bloody fantastic! Such a valuable resource for cyclists. Especially in even more dangerous places to ride than Australia, like the USA, Canada & UK, where some of the close passes are horrific.”

Record your ride. Make it count.

“I started group riding in 2015 and was astonished at the high frequency of road violence we experienced by drivers, and I thought I need to record this in case of police prosecution. I went and ordered a Fly6 for my piece of mind.”

“I realised that not exposing road crime like this was never going to improve conditions for cyclists. So I do my bit to help shine a light on the problem and change driver behaviour if possible. Better driver behaviour means more people can get out riding safely.”

“Recording is also a great learning tool. If I’ve had a close pass on my ride, I can go back later and review the footage to work out what happened and how to avoid it next time.”

“I think UpRide is fantastic. I’d hate to think we ever would lose it. A site with a searchable map, plotting real world cycling video clips and accompanying information from cyclists all over the world, a huge repository all at ones’ fingertips. What else like it exists for cyclists?”

“A great tool for police, town planners, engineers, councillors, behavioural psychologists, tourists etc.”

“One junction near me, featured in a clip on UpRide has since changed. I am certainly not claiming that the change was purely due to the clip, but this is the power/capability of UpRide, to assist with improvements for the community.”

“Every rider’s situation is different, so my main advice is just to keep riding and enjoy yourself. Don’t stop riding out of fear of the unknown. Drivers generally aren’t out to kill you, a few randoms might want to frighten you.”

“Ride where it’s the safest. If that’s the full lane, away from debris, gutters or reducing the risk of a close pass, then that’s what I’ll use. When I see riders, riding in gutters or road shoulders littered with glass and other debris, it makes me nervous.”

“In NSW, riders have the same rights to use the road as drivers and it’s their choice to ride the shoulder, but only if they wish to.”

“To me it doesn’t make sense to spend my whole journey riding in the gutter, risking punctures or crashing, just to reduce the risk of hurting a driver’s feelings. So far, it has served me well. I have not had a puncture for many years now.” “The biggest change I’ve noticed since sharing footage on UpRide is the general increase in space given by passing motorists to cyclists, on many occasions passing completely in the next lane. In the past few months, I’ve also had multiple drivers pull up alongside me or by the side of the road to ask me about my bike setup, which I see as a positive indication that driver attitudes towards cyclists are softening, and more people interested in cycling on the road.”

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As UpRide grows patterns begin to emerge. Specific types of unnecessary dangers happen at far high frequencies than you’d expect. Certain common behaviours are illustrated, and hot spots are identified.

This week we focus on the hot spot Hoppers Crossing, Melbourne.

One local UpRider, Will has taken up the challenge and been on a mission to help make cycling safer in his local area. Having recorded his rides for almost two years, Will has uploaded over 55 incidents that have received over 3,000 views.

Will has seen it all on the road, close calls, chicken runs, bad roads, animal encounters, and the closest of near misses. Watch some of Will’s incidents and read why he always records his ride and what he thinks can be done to improve cycling safety.

We thank Will for his amazing effort and contribution to UpRide. BUT, he can’t do it alone! Be part of the future of cycling safety and become an UpRider today.

Record your ride. Make it count.

Will came back to cycling in March 2020 at the beginning of COVID and the start of lockdowns. Soon after he quickly noticed and unfortunately experienced “poor drivers and belligerent driver behaviours” and started to document it all on his Cycliq Fly6 and Fly12.

“In April 2021, I witnessed a deliberate hit and run on a pedestrian. My Fly6 captured the vehicle leaving the scene and with a partial plate and distinctive markings on the car, the police were able to use the video from the Fly6 in the prosecution. This is when I realised the potential of recording my ride.”

“UpRide is great for spreading awareness of the challenge and dangers that cyclists face. The plotting of incidents highlights incident hotspots, poorly planned roads and poorly maintained infrastructure. I use the UpRide footage to address these issues with local authorities and the police.”

• Better planning to physically separate bike lanes from traffic. Perhaps putting the cycle lane on the left, then parking, and then live traffic.
• Enforcement of the minimum passing distance laws
• Stricter penalties for heavy vehicle infringements
• Better signage to designate bike lanes

• Stay safe.
• Record your ride.
• Being seen, use lights day and night and reflective clothing
• Practice good roadcraft
• Know and follow the road rules

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.

As we reflect on the last two years of UpRide.cc, we are so proud of our community of UpRider’s for posting over 6,000 incidents and together helping to make cycling safer. But there can only be one Super UpRider. Let us introduce to you Kwinten.

Kwinten has taken up the challenge and been on a mission to help make cycling safer. Having been an UpRider for almost two years, Kwinten has uploaded over 420 incidents which have received over 21,000 views. Kwinten has seen it all on the road, close calls, close passes, chicken runs, punishment passes, and too many “what in the world” moments.

Watch some of Kwinten’s incidents below and read why he always records his ride and what he thinks can be done to improve cycling safety.

We thank Kwinten for his amazing effort and contribution to UpRide and making the roads safer for cyclists. BUT, he can’t do it alone! Be part of the future of cycling safety and become an UpRider today.

Record your ride. Make it count.

1. Awareness of car drivers and their impact on our safety.
2. Good infrastructure – particularly without conflicting situations.
3. Visibility (using lights, especially when riding in the dark) and being able to listen to your surroundings (ie no music.)

“First of all; ride a lot and enjoy it! This should be the main driver for every cyclist.”

“Secondly, work on your and others’ safety. Yesterday I passed a dangerous situation (fallen power lines) on of the most-used cycling routes in Belgium. I took the time to make an emergency call to fix the situation. It takes me 3 minutes and all other cyclists will benefit from it. By the time I passed again later that day, it was solved.”

We’d love to hear from you. If you would like to share your stories and experience as a cyclist please reach out to the UpRide team.