Action camera maker Insta360 has its own internal cycling club with more than 130 members, and it’s this bike-loving company culture that birthed the Insta360 X5 camera. The X5 is an all-new design said to offer vastly improved low-light performance, greater durability and waterproofing, improved mounting options and rider-replaceable lenses.
The Insta360 X5 is a full 360º camera capable of filming in 8K resolution. It weighs a claimed 200g and offers up to 208 minutes of battery life depending on capture mode, as well as waterproofing that’s good to a depth of 15m.
The footage is more immersive than ever thanks to clever audio processing, and new AI-powered tools ease the pain of editing.
Insta360 gave BikeRadar a peek behind the scenes at the development process of the X5, which we’re told drew on extensive lab testing, real-world trials by in-house riders, and further field testing by a network of dedicated users and cycling teams worldwide, who put it through the wringer in a wide range of conditions.
“Cycling holds a special place at Insta360,” says product manager Robin. “We didn't just update the X5, we reimagined the entire 360º experience, from shooting to editing to sharing.”
The broken lens problem
“From day one, one of the toughest challenges our team faced was ensuring the X5’s 360° lenses were truly durable,” Robin tells us. “We’ve seen the same story play out too many times: a rider takes a fall, the camera hits the ground, and the lens ends up scratched or cracked.”
The solution was two-pronged: on one hand, the lens needed to be significantly more durable.
“Over the course of development, we ran more than 4,000 drop tests across 400+ prototype units,” says Robin. “Our engineers spent months testing over a dozen materials to balance optical clarity, scratch resistance and impact strength.
“The final lens design uses a new ultra-durable glass and an optimised lens architecture that significantly improves drop resistance, and scratch protection that can withstand real-world crashes and debris impacts from the road or trail.”
It’s a design that’s said to be twice as durable as the lens of the brand’s previous model, the X4, without compromising on image quality.
The team didn’t leave it there. In keeping with a quiet but growing trend in the bike industry towards greater repairability, Insta360 offers replacement lens kits for the X5, and it’s a DIY-friendly job.
This presented significant challenges of its own. “It wasn’t just about making the structure detachable – the real difficulty lay in ensuring that performance across optics, stabilisation, waterproofing, and user experience remained uncompromised,” says Robin.
“Each element is deeply interconnected. Designing this system felt almost like performing a transplant: it’s not enough to simply replace the organ. Every nerve and vessel must reconnect precisely, and the whole system has to keep functioning seamlessly afterwards.”
Immersive audio
“Riders care deeply about authentic sound,” Robin tells BikeRadar, “the clean hum of the wheels or the mechanical rhythm of a bike”, subtle elements that often get lost to wind noise with onboard filming.
The team tackled this by reengineering the Insta360 X5’s microphone placement to improve wind shielding, and with the inclusion of enhanced AI-powered audio processing that “intelligently separates desirable ambient sounds from wind interference”.
“Our goal isn’t just to help riders create content, but to help them better experience their rides,” says accessories product manager Yan Zhou.
“We want our cameras to fade into the background, making it easier for cyclists to stay immersed in the moment while still capturing every perspective effortlessly.”
Mounts for all
This philosophy informed the development of new mounting options for the Insta360 X5, too, including the revised Chest Strap Mount 2.0, with redesigned ergonomics and greater stability intended to minimise rider discomfort and distraction – and improve the quality of footage recorded.
The same applies to on-bike mounts, which must function across every conceivable bike configuration. “Achieving universal mounting compatibility was a top priority for the team,” says Yan.
Included in the new range are two versions of the Bike Computer Mount (one for integrated cockpits, one for traditional bars and stems) plus the Bike Tail Mount Kit, which enables riders to capture third-person-style shots, and which is designed to work with virtually all seatposts.
A bright future
“We want to help riders relive the moment, but also stay immersed in it as it happens, without worrying about framing, audio clarity, or image quality,” says Robin.
Alongside the hardware and firmware, Insta360 has launched its own tiered subscription cloud service, Insta360+, which aims to streamline video workflow for creators.
The platform offers cloud storage, automatic backups, easy sharing and cloud editing, while subscribers benefit from perks including damage cover for cameras and additional warranty coverage.
Co-founder and VP of marketing Max Richter sums up Insta360’s view of the future: “Our long-term goal is to become one of the world’s leading camera brands through bold innovation, continually redefining how people see, feel, and remember their world.”
