My PDW asteroid taillight finally gave up the ghost so I decided to upgrade to the Garmin radar & taillight and I couldn't be happier.
Love the integration with my wahoo bolt roam, super easy to set up, has a great range for detecting cars, and the lights are bright and visible day or night.
As I'm sure others have noted, it only detects traffic closing with a speed differential so if a car is matching your speed, it can disappear from the display. This isn't really a problem, as you shouldn't be relying solely on the radar to tell you what's around.
Where it really shines is on solo rides on backroads where it will detect a car coming well before you'd be able to hear it.
Overall it's well worth the money and I wish I had picked one up sooner.
The Varia has exceeded my expectations. It provides a level of safety and piece of mind while on my rides. Highly recommend the Varia. It's a piece of equipment that is essential for my riding kit
Product itself is good. Word to the wise. Get a tether to attach to the device, because if you ride off road, the Garmin mount is not reliable. I've lost two of these lights out in the woods. The tether costs about $10 on Amazon.
Ok......been using this product for quite some time so I feel my review is accurate. The visibility of the light itself is awesome and cagers should easily see you. The light patterns you are sure to find one that suits your need. The ability to sync to your Garmin or even other cycling computer and control is a plus. Battery life depending on light mode is good. If you are doing a several hour ride just make sure you select longest light mode and have light freshly charged. The radar works great in my findings and on long unobstructed straights you get several hundred feet of advanced warning. You can also get the widget for,your Garmin computer to allow you to see the total vehicle count that passes you and the distance back as they close in on you. The sturdiness of the product and water resistance is very good. As my title states......an invaluable piece of cycling hardware!
Occasional software issue--1/10 rides-- where audible car alert will not work on iphone 11 used as a control device through the Garmin app. The visual alert has never filed to work. This seems to happen once charge on the radar is at 40% or less. Annoying, and Garmin tech support is not particularly responsive, nor do they follow up.
That said, it's an amazing device, which detects cars flawlessly and I can't imagine road riding without anymore.
This is a super cycling product that is pragmatically helpful!
I have had the Varia for a couple of years. The light works fine and the radar works great with my Garmin 1030. The best/safest solution is to use the Varia with a bike mirror: one warns you to watch and by watching you can take evasive action if needed. If I were just starting out riding on the roads I would pair the Varia RTL515 to my phone and use a mirror while riding.
My son says this is all rationalization for buying the Varia RTL515 because riding on the road is crazy and to think my 73 yr old "catlike" reflexes will save me from being hit is a fantasy. But hey, I am a believer.
I've been riding for over 15 years on the same, primarily rural roads and know the traffic. However, in the last year, I added a mirror, which is suitable for looking behind but wasn't convenient. I purchased the Garmin Varia RTL51 5 Rear Radar on sale, and using it in conjunction with the mirror has brought back a comfort level to riding on the roads again. The Varia alerts me to an approaching vehicle (or vehicles), which I can check in the mirror, and then alerts me when traffic has cleared - good for multiple vehicles, especially trucks with trailers. I find the combination of radar and mirror immensely helpful and reassuring in providing another layer of safety on the road.
I'd been leery of the price yet consistently blown away by the positive comments on the Varia and finally ordered it a few months back. The positivity is 100% warranted. I've used it in the dark, in the day and during large group rides and have found all the modes pretty fantastic. It may be a placebo effect but I feel like cars give me a wider berth since I've been using it, too. The best part is that you can relax and enjoy the quiet roads even more, knowing you're free and clear. About the same time you can hear tires behind you, the Varia detects the car coming and you can move over.
easy setup, easy to use. Easy to figure out what it is seeing and what it is not. effective tool.
I bought one early on and have been using it continuously until just recently after surviving multiple drops from my recumbent bike bag while cruising over bumps at 20+ mph, I dropped in onto my concrete garage floor and it became unreliable. I nursed it until my new one arrived, and ordered a backup just in case. BTW, I got one for my wife's recumbent Catrike too. The Garmin picks up cars just after I can see them in my mirror. So, if I have not seen by the time it beeps, it's time to react to the car. It keeps me warned on expressways and multilane residential streets of high speed vehicles.
After initially scoffing at the idea of the Varia radar as being yet another piece of electronics for the bike I finally grew tired of cars sneaking up on me and with a 25% discount from WesterBikeWorks finally pulled the trigger. I was an idiot for not buying it sooner. That's no joke. It's great getting alerted to approaching cars particularly on windy days where I can't readily hear them. I have the single radar paired to both my Garmin as well as my wife's so when we ride together we can both take advantage of it. The light is bright and very difficult to miss (and blinding on group rides when people don't set it to a lower intensity). The only negatives I've found is the included universal mount is so-so on my round seat post and will be replaced by the Garmin clasp type mount in the future. The other negative is you can't use it while charging, meaning on a long ride you need to be conscious of which light mode you're using so you don't run out of battery.
Always thought my hearing was good enough to hear traffic coming up from behind me. It took only one ride with the Varia to appreciate the benefit of having radar. Let's me know traffic is approaching before it can be heard. Also shows when multiple vehicles are approaching. It easily paired with my Garmin 530. Had my wife drive up behind me while I was riding and she noted the high visibility of the light. Definitely an essential part of my riding gear to be used on every ride.
Bought the Varia RTL515 for my son, after first having experience with the 715 that has the rear view incident camera, on my bike. The camera on the 715 adds bulk and weight, and is only really useful to have video evidence if you happen to get hit from behind. The best thing about either light is the alert to your computer that there are cars or other bikes gaining on you from the rear. Saves your neck from having to check back as frequently, especially on aerobars. You get the alert on your computer much sooner than you would generally see the vehicles otherwise. Only reason I gave the 515 four stars instead of 5, is because my son ( who lives in another state, Oregon) reports that on his older Garmin computer, the alert is just an orange bar plus audio, whereas on mine I also see dots for each vehicle, as well as their relative distance from each other and me. I don't know if his just isn't synced correctly, if the radar on the 515 doesn't relay this info, or if it's just because his compatible Garmin computer is older, and just unable to show the approaching dots. But I know he likes it, as I do. If it's an issue with his computer, he can upgrade it, because the added safety feature is worth it.
Did you live without it before? Could you drive without one now? Yes of course, but it's REALLY nice not having to crane your neck around to confirm no one's there. Same thing with this radar. Drivers are increasingly distracted so on the road, I like having a tail light. I also like bombing descents as fast as possible, and taking the lane makes that easier. Having a quick glance at my head unit confirm there's no cars behind makes bombing descents that much more enjoyable.
I waited until after all my riding partners had a Varia to get on one for myself. I wish I'd gotten it sooner! All those years I spent trying in vain to use a mirror connected to my glasses! The Varia integrates seamlessly with my Hammerhead Karoo 2 computer which detects it the same way it would a HRM or cadence sensor. When a vehicle approaches from behind, a vertical band appears on the left of the Karoo that tells me how many vehicles and if a car is coming REALLY fast, it flashes a red alert. It also picks up other cyclists if they are "closing" on me to help me be aware and avoid crashes. The mount it comes with is adequate, but if you're gonna use it on more than one bike, I would recommend separate mounts for each bicycle as it isn't easy to put on or remove the mount. Oh, and I've used a taillight for a long time so having the functionality in this unit is also a big plus and the fact that it shines more brightly when cars are approaching is pretty neat!
Although it is easy to quickly look behind you and/or use a helmet mirror, there are instances when you have to focus on the road ahead, the route, your training plan etc.. Wind and road noise can obscure the sound of oncoming cars, I found that having an alert on the head unit was a huge safety advantage when your focus is divided. Also the light on the unit pulses quicker the closer the vehicle is to you, giving the driver a visual clue as well. I have installed a Garmin quarter-turn mount on all my bikes so I can use the Varia Radar every time I ride. In my opinion it is an indispensable bit of tech.
Been riding for 30 years - don't know how I survived without the Varia radar. My new confidence in situational awareness on the bike cannot be overstated. The unit performs superbly as it detects overtaking motion (car, cyclist, runner?!?) LONG before you can even see it over your shoulder. And it has not returned a false positive yet nor missed any overtaking vehicle (the device detects overtaking motion, not "presence").
The only negative is the mounting: it sucks for aero seatposts, and I can't imagine it's any better for round seatposts. The device is secure and snug to the seatpost (aero or round) but will NOT stay in place; it is constantly rotating to the left or right. Fortunately there are a plethora of aftermarket 3D printed mounting solutions.
Just installed on my wife's bike so we both know when traffic is approaching. Battery life sufficient for a few rides without recharging and light is nice a bright.
This product was an instant success, I smile as I see cars coming up from behind, and can prepare with enough notice. Addicted to the safety aspects after one mile, truly a game changing product. As important as riding with a helmet for added safety on the road. Expensive, but would pay twice the price for what it does and how it improves the quality of every ride. Easy to link to my Garmin display with plenty of battery power for a 100 mile + day ride.
