What a great piece of gear. The radar brings your situational awareness to the next level.
The varia radar is may be the best (and most important) piece of kit I have bought! While I continue to use a mirror to see WHAT is coming up behind me, getting the warning on my head unit prior has been indispensable. It allows me more time to focus on the road ahead, only having to glance in the mirror AFTER I get the warning from the radar. Riding on the road has been a night and day difference since I installed this on my bike!
Never thought I needed an additional piece of tech on my bike until I bought an older, used Varia.. after using that for a while, decided I never wanted to ride without one and decided to upgrade to the current model with a better battery and light. Pairs instantly with my Wahoo Bolt v2.
I already had one, so I know how great this thing is. I also use a mirror, but have to say this is one of the best tech things I've ever bought starting with my first odometer that mounted down by the dropout and only recorded mileage....(yeah, I'm that old and have been riding that long).
I do turn off the alert sound though as anytime I'm near town and heavy traffic it's way annoying....otherwise zero complaints.
4 Stars because of it being kinda pricey.
This is my 2nd one. 1st one broke off on a rough trail (crappy 3d printed mount I made) Not fault of device at all!!
I ride alot of dirt roads and this gives me a heads up when wind/dirt noise makes cars behind hard to hear.
I'm 84 and ride with the Big Dogs on my E-Bike. This light/radar unit keeps me aware of traffic behind me, including the faster riders, and keeps me up on the world. I'm getting better at pairing the Garmin Varia to my cellphone via the Garmin Varia app, and pairing my cellphone to my hearing aids. Now, no more surprises from rear!
My cycling enthusiast college to me on a ride and afterward said I should have this item to keep me safe on the road. I love it. It's easy to pair with all the other gadgets he recommended, and it reassuring to know if something is coming up from behind. The light is super bright, and l like the flashing options.
A riding buddy has the Varia and told me how much safer he felt being able to see traffic coming up on him. I wholeheartedly agree. It tracks all the vehicles coming up behind you from asfar back as 150 yards. Amazing.
Be seen day or night and be aware of anything approaching from behind. I never ride without it. A must for every cyclists.
this model works quite well with my 1030 edge computer, a previous version did not work. Does not have a real long battery life but the computer lets you when its low. However I have only used it in cold weather. It is very handy when riding around in the suburbs.
Garmin Varia give you that sense of calm that you know what's coming even when you're riding solo I will never ride without one again
decent rear light and good radar. i like that i can hear and see cars coming up behind me. great battery life. the only con is sometimes the alarm sound is silent.
Works like a charm!
Communicates with my Garmin well.
Does communicate twice - once for the radar and once for the light.
Virtually no documentation with unit.
Had to reference online documentation to figure out how to make light come on when you start a ride.
Decent battery life.
Picks up cars (and other cyclists) at a distance.
A must have if you ride on roads with cars
Love this light. Dead on accurate too. Synched up perfectly to my Wahoo meter.
Purchased for both bikes! Works as advertised. Keeps me alert on ALL cars coming up from behind. I find it very beneficial when riding on narrow roads or when I ride close to the road's edge. Only false positive is running parallel to the freeway.
I ride mostly rural roads and use a small mirror but have cars still surprise me occasionally. Having this effective warning really gives me more confidence to enjoy my rides and feel a little safer. I recommend it highly.
Alerts 'texters' way out, the radar option is ok and gives approx 5' warning so it keeps surprises to a minimum
This radar with the tail light is a must have for anyone who rides on any roads. The tail light is great for getting the attention of the cars coming your way and the radar helps the rider know when a car is coming. I had the radar only version previously with a separate tail light but the integration of them in one unit is much better. All I can say is, this thing works and works very well!!!
I rode with the original and now I got this one. Both are great but the new one won't fit the short seat post on one of my bikes, so I use both. I wish there was a camera that would display at the bottom of my Garmin but this is close enough.
This product was exactly what i was looking for and needed. I feel more comfortable riding on the road now knowing when cars are approaching from the rear. Everyone i bike with also enjoys it because they also know when a car is coming. The light is bright and battery lasts for several rides. Great product would highly recommend to anyone.
