Tooo Cycling DVR 80 Rear Camera Review

Tooo Cycling is a young Franco-Taiwanese company that offers a device consisting of a dashcam (security camera) and a light placed on the rear of the bike, with the aim of being seen on the road, and above all, of filming the environment behind your back when you ride. We tested the DVR80, which offers long battery life and very good quality finish, for a reasonable price of €179.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

The very young company Tooo Cycling is launching its first product, the DVR80, the result of long reflection between two cycling enthusiasts, one based in France and the other in Asia. It all started in 2014, when Andrei Mochkovitch was hit from behind by a vehicle while cycling in the Parisian suburbs. He temporarily lost consciousness and found his bike completely destroyed when he came to. The hit-and-run driver had vanished, and he had no way of obtaining proof of the accident. Traumatized by the event as much as by the impunity of the fleeing driver, he and a Taiwanese friend spent a long time looking for a way to offer a small security camera for cyclists, a system that didn’t really exist in the field yet. The project finally came to fruition in recent months with an accessory likely to quickly become indispensable for many riders.

It is a device composed of a rear light and an integrated camera that records everything that happens behind the cyclist. The objective is to function like a car dashcam in the event of an accident, to understand what happened and potentially establish responsibility. Indeed, according to a European study, 40% of collisions between cyclists and motorists come from behind the two-wheeler, and in one out of three cases, the driver of the motorized vehicle flees. But this camera can also have another interest, in the case of group training for relay work and team cohesion, or simply to keep beautiful images of country rides.

A high-quality finish

The DRV80 weighs 89 g, to which must be added the 10 g of the seatpost mount, with the elastic bands. Two mounts are supplied with the camera (for two bikes), with even an adapter for aero seatposts. This system works very well, and once installed on the seatpost, nothing moves while riding.

The device itself is well finished. On the bottom, there is a charging port with a USB-C connector protected by a small rubber cover. On the side, the same type of cap conceals the micro-SD card slot for image recording, which is not supplied with the DVR80. A bit of a shame, as it costs between €5 and €20 extra to get a card, depending on its capacity. But a micro-SD card has the main advantage that in the event of a collision and destruction of the camera, the images remain recoverable, which is not necessarily the case with internal memory. Installing and removing the card requires a little care, but it is far from being a prohibitive problem.

Just below the camera lens, there is a single function button. A long press, confirmed by a vibration, turns the system on, with the rear light flashing and image recording. Another short press turns off the light but keeps the camera running. Another short press displays a steady light, still with the camera, and finally a last press displays a flashing light, but without the camera. A blue LED on the side confirms the camera’s status, flashing if recording is in progress, and steady if it is off. It takes a little getting used to the operation, to avoid setting off with a camera that isn’t recording.

Record battery life

The DVR80 is designed to be water-resistant, at least during normal bicycle use. The 80 Lumen light offers visibility of over a kilometer in broad daylight, which is already a big plus in terms of safety. The system’s battery life is excellent, with verified operation of over 8 hours in camera and light mode, and nearly 9 hours 30 minutes with only the camera, once the device is fully charged. Those who are already used to riding with a rear light or a safety device like the Garmin Varia will appreciate this.

The camera’s high-definition resolution is 1080p at 30 or 60 frames per second. With a 32GB micro-SD card, you can accumulate 600 minutes of recording (i.e., 10 hours of riding), and up to 2400 minutes with a 128GB card, or 40 hours of riding. And as with all dashcams, the most recent images overwrite the oldest ones on the card. So there’s no need to offload it regularly. The images are then stored as 1 to 10-minute files, which are easy to find based on the recording time. However, before first use, you need to change the default date and time by entering the DVR80’s properties, with the device connected to a computer. This is not rocket science, and this simple setup has the advantage of not requiring an app, a website, or any Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection, unlike most modern devices. Moreover, by changing the settings, it’s even possible to display or remove the Tooo Cycling logo.

High-definition images

The image quality is rather very high, especially in low light conditions. We are not at the level of the best sports cameras on the market, and video and editing enthusiasts may still be left wanting, but the objective here is to be able to clearly identify what is happening behind while riding, and in particular to be able to read license plates. The latest version of the Sony IMX323 CMOS sensor allows for good image stabilization, which is combined here with the number of frames per second, so as to almost eliminate all motion blur. The DVR80 also offers very good night illumination with a very sensitive light sensor, as shown in these images taken by a YouTuber.

The sound quality with the small microphone placed on top of the device, however, is very poor, whether riding or even stationary. There is no wind filter, and even using specific software it is quite difficult to make out conversations other than those taking place directly near the DVR80.

The Tooo Cycling DVR80 is a new product that is likely to make its mark in road safety, especially for those who ride in urban areas, commute by bike, or frequently have to cross high-traffic areas. In the countryside, a device like the Garmin Varia with its rear radar that displays approaching vehicles on a compatible bike computer is also a solution to consider, but in the city, the DVR80, in our opinion, has a clear advantage in the event of a conflict with a motorist. Motorists are also likely to be more careful when overtaking if they know there’s a chance of being filmed.

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