Garmin
Varia RTL515 Radar With Tail Light

Safety on the road has always been a concern. As a result I often am twisting my neck to see if there are cars behind. This is especially true when I ride 2 abreast with a friend (I choose to change to single file if I know a car is behind). Yes I have tried every mirror option available (helmet, bike handlebars, etc...) none of them consistently gave me the confidence that I knew what was behind me.

But the Vario does what it says. An audible as well as visual warning, well before I can hear a car coming. It was 100% accurate-I was quite impressed. What happens when 1 car passes you? Well, the noise of the 1st car makes it impossible to be certain if there is another car or now, so you have to turn your neck, which invariably means you sway a bit (even if just a little) in your lane. The Vario addresses this too. The red warning lights stay on if there is a 2nd or 3rd car until all cars have passed-genius.

I am a Wahoo user and it paired just fine with my Elemnt Bolt, full functionality.

Why almost perfect? One of my concerns is the poor driver who may drift out of their lane and hit me (much more of a problem with Cell Phones). My preference would be to have a camera that would show me that a car was getting dangerously close so I could head to the ditch and have some control of the outcome. Radar can't do that. So it is not all I could want but it is a massive improvement.

Had I realized how well it works I would have bought it sooner. Game changer!

Although the Varia detects approaching objects, it doesn't give the size or how close the vehicle will pass you. A $20 rear view mirror does.

At first I thought this was a gimmick and didn't need it, but after using it now after 5 rides this is one of the best upgrades to you cycling safety. It just works in telling you cars are approaching, great for making left turns across traffic, could never look that far around. You must watch when going over hills the cars are hidden until you are in line of site. works the best out in the country. I even got my wife one because at events she bikes solo!

Although the Varia detects approaching objects, it doesn't give the size or how close the vehicle will pass you. A $20 rear view mirror does.

I have bee using a Garmin 510 for at least six years. After a recent software update I noticed this radar unit listed in the menu. Upon a little research I found that with the update this unit was compatible with older Garmin units. I purchased this rear light/ radar unit and have been using it for the past month. I've been impressed with its performance and ease of use. I ride mostly on paved county/ farm type roads and average about 700 miles month. The unit warns me when traffic appears about 400 ft behind and graphically shows the progression toward me. I have found it very helpful when I have to merge into a traffic lane. I always look before moving but this shows the gaps in traffic and lets me know when to look back. Good product

It's a great tool to know whether you have traffic sneaking up behind you to remind you to pull to the right. Super useful on roads with light traffic since you will be constantly alerted if you are riding along a busy street. The only improvement I would like to see is a more secure way to mount to the seat post. The rubber band is pretty slim.

This product has made my rides a lot less stressful. I love getting a warning that a car is approaching before I can hear it. When I'm flying down a hill it's comforting to glance down at my Wahoo Element Roam, and see a nice green line, letting me know that the road is all mine. I would have bought one sooner had I soon it was compatible with my Wahoo device. I was proud to say goodbye to the little mirror on my sunglasses. This is much better, and I like a little cooler!!

For a long time, I didn't think a Varia was necessary. I used a "dumb" rear light for several years. But, given some of the roads that we ride, I decided to try it out.

I'm impressed. The combination of the Varia with my Garmin head unit provides a much better than expected warning of approaching cars. There's an additional measure of awareness that I'm sure that I didn't know I was missing.

I' can't ride without it now.

Have been using an RTL510 for 6-8 months, now won't ride without it. Useful in ways I hadn't imagined: (a) on fast descents when it's too dangerous to look back, it tells you if traffic is coming up behind you, (b) tells you if it's safe to move left to avoid bad pavement, (c) if you need to turn left, it helps you tell if a clot of traffic is approaching from behind, (d) while it doesn't display the lateral position of a vehicle passing you, you should expect a close pass if it shows that a pass is happening close to a blind corner or crest, or oncoming traffic. Also, I was unaware that its flash rate increases when traffic is approaching from behind until one day in my car I came up behind a RTL-equipped cyclist - quite a light show!

Limitations: (a) in high-traffic areas it will alert continuously (I avoid areas like that anyway), (b) if you are cycling along a secondary road paralleling an expressway, it may pick up traffic on the highway, (c) on curvy or rolling roads, terrain may block the radar beam long enough for a contact to be temporarily lost, reappearing as it gets closer. You should double-check with a head turn when it's important, because the RTL gives a low rate of false positives (not critical) and a lower rate of false negatives (critical!) in certain specific situations. The false positives seem to be triggered by motion-detecting lights or cameras (I routinely get false alerts when passing certain facilities). Occasionally it may temporarily show multiple dots when there is only a single vehicle, or "miss" a vehicle following closely behind another. False negatives happen when an upcoming vehicle slows to wait for a safe opportunity to pass me, so that it is going at my speed, no longer approaching me. If that situation persists long enough, that vehicle may vanish from my screen, making an abrupt left turn risky. Have gotten these false negs a number of times.

All in all, the RTL is a huge plus, greatly reducing the amount of shoulder-checking I have to do, so I wobble less and scan the road ahead more closely.

This product is literally a life saver and equal in importance to a helmet.

I have been using the earlier version of Varia Radar 2 for a bit over two years. I have been told by drivers, among them two FedEX drivers, that it is the most effective tail light they have ever seen. It was visible at a distance of more than a mile. It begins flashing as soon as a car comes within the radar range. I ride just about every day and I have never been surprised by a vehicle coming up behind me. My computer beeps and the display of the vehicle or vehicles approaching shows along the right side of my Edge 1030. I can judge the speed and distance of the approaching vehicle from the display. It really is a remarkable piece of equipment, and it sounds like they have made it even better. My unit will start giving me a low battery warning after about 4 hours on a ride. I have never run out of battery, but my rides don't usually last longer than 4 hours. The longer life battery is certainly not a waste. To give some idea of the sensitivity of the radar, I was once standing by the side of the road taking a break when a runner I had passed earlier approached. The computer beeped, and the display showed the runner approaching. That is pretty amazing. Yet, at the same time, when I have ridden with another rider, his presence is not noticed by the radar, only cars approaching us. The stimulus for the radar is something approaching, not something keeping pace with you. Recharge time is about an hour or less. It is, in my opinion, a necessity if you ride on the road. It will pair with most Edge computers and, also, with Wahoo computers.

I use this with my new Garmin 1030 Plus. I feel much better now when turning left. Even with a mirror, I like the radar for giving me the added security!

I'm a recreational cyclist and prefer lonely country roads. However, I need to ride urban roads in order to get to them. The Varia taillight/radar gives me warning without having to constantly look over my shoulder. Highly recommended.

This is a game changer - it is extremely helpful to know cars are approaching- absolutely do not want to ride without it now ! Get one ASAP

I actually had someone approach me asking what type of light I had so he could get one. It's the first one he had seen that was visible in daylight.

I like the radar too.

Incredibly simple to use, super bright light, and works flawlessly. Don't ride without one!

Wish I had bought this sooner than I did! Held off for years using helmet mounted mirror! That was dumb! This is so much safer...works perfectly with my Edge 830! Only challenge I had was where to mount it as am also using a camera on seat post. Saw where some folks had mounted to seat bag using a home-made bracket! I did this and it works well - movement of the bag does not seem to bother it! Got caught in rain storm which didn't stop it from working but killed the camera! Only suggestion to Garmin is to add provsion for a safety cord as they have on the Edge units!

This is, without a doubt, one ofnthe best purchases I have made. I ride in a city where most streets don't have bike lanes, so it used to be a constant craning of the neck to check on traffic. The radar on this light is amazing. It is highly accurate and gives a city block distance of warning of approaching cars. I never look back now. I ride how I want, and pull to the shoulder when the radar beeps. An incredible experience. Only issue is with integration with my Edge 820 (it won't connect unless another sensor first connects, Garmin is no Apple) but once it does, it is perfect.

excellent battery life

great app for battery and warning of approaching vehicles

Garmin computer syncs seamlessly with the light, and you as a rider can get prepared for passing cars with plenty of warning, ~ 1 mile on a straight road, less on curvy roads. Love it! feel naked riding without one now!

I think this is a must have safety item unfortunately these days, with so many distracted drivers and so many large vehicles that approach us way too close for comfort.

A friend recommended this to me and I bought one. I love it. For a techie product, I love that it just works. Easy peasy. It is a substantial safety improvement to see cars approaching from behind. It is really the only game changer in many years. I bought an Edge 130 computer to go with it, replacing an older computer, and it is great, too. The best thing is that 1) I can work it, and 2) it requires no sensors. No wires, no batteries to keep replacing. I liked it so well I bought my daughter the same kit.