Attaching a Varia to bikepacking bags?

If the weather ever gets better than “totally shite” I’d like to undertake some bikepacking adventure (of a gentle sort, no doubt). I’m addicted to my Varia and I’m wondering how to attach it to my saddle pack. I haven’t bought a saddle pack yet, and “Varia attachment” might be a purchase criterion. Any thoughts on how to do it? any handy brackets or gadgets to help? reliability of a Varia flappping around on a wobbly support?

Can’t help because I lost mine from my saddlebag whilst doing the GBDuro route.

Very annoying.

They’re quite heavy and the attachment point isn’t central so that makes it difficult.

You might be able to attach to your seatpost as normal. The bike packing bag tends to be hoisted up allowing the light to be seen. Recent shot from the weekend below – the light was clearly visible from behind although was a MTB with long seatpost. It might not be so effective on a gravel bike.

I bought a 3D Printed clip for mine. I’ll see if I can find a link.

Edit – like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353309036208

FWIW I also bought a lanyard for mine, which I use on the normal mount too.

I bought a 3D Printed clip for mine.

Ooh- thanks.

I’ve been assuming – maybe foolishly – that if my Varia falls off I’ll notice immediately because it will not show connection on the head unit, so I’ll know to stop and look for it. Lanyard is a good call.

You might be able to attach to your seatpost as normal.

I’m only a shortarse, so not much seat post at the best of times.

I’ve been assuming – maybe foolishly – that if my Varia falls off I’ll notice immediately because it will not show connection on the head unit, so I’ll know to stop and look for it.

I regard it as insurance against breakage – especially if it’s subsequently run over by a following vehicle.

I think KOM probably does something that would do the trick – they’re all about mount things for computers and stuff: https://komcycling.com/en-gb

https://komcycling.com/en-gb/search?type=product&q=varia

There is a huge rolling thread on the Trainerroad forum about Varia(s) and I think this topic specifically is quite well covered there (it will be easy to find), so might be worth a look…I think its an open forum with no need to login but can’t remember 100%. FWIW loads of people seemed to be bike packing with them.

I have one, I really like it. However (unhelpfully for the OP) it’s attached to a saddle rail clamp.

Seatstay GoPro clamp and a saddle rail mount from Amazon for £8 should do it.

I made my own solution by screwing a Garmin mount to and old Moon (?) clip. Worked fine on a Planet X seat pack (I always use an improvised lanyard just in case).

Thanks for all the replies – much appreciated.

Copy of my query in

What do we think about bar end mirrors?

Interested in the Varia, though not sure I understand the value of being told I’m about to get hit 😬

Also I cannot get my head round why the daytime runtime is so much longer than in night mode 🤔

In a similar vain to the OP what do/could be used to attach to a Blackburn EX-1 rack?

As mounting on the seat tube/saddle rails will be obscured on my Genesis DayOne by stuff.

Cheers

I was skeptical of them till I got one. They detect cars miles further away than I can hear them. Great thing on narrow country lanes. That said I rode through central London with one the other day and they’d be pointless for that. Wouldn’t be without it.

@nickinglsley

They’ve a light so if running at night I’m guessing that inpacts the runtime.

Its a game change for me. On small roads where you often dont expect traffic or if its windy its really effective

Cheers for that @Ewan and @duncancallum.

So what do you do when the Varia says there is something coming up behind you fast?

Currently I only look behind when I am changing road position, usually to get round Cheshire’s large and varied selection of potholes or pulling over to let something past me on a narrow country lane. I just can’t see what I would do different knowing there is something behind me .. crash in to the pavement?

Worst recent experience was when one of those tractors with 4 large wheels (PV67XXX) towing a long trailer with a digger on it, decided it would go past me at 20-30mph on a Shropshire country road where there were some cars parked on both sides. The tyres were weaving around 18” from shoulder … ridiculous.

Apologies for sounding ignorant, I’m just trying to understand what difference a Varia would have made as a decent outlay and something else to keep charged up!

I think most of the times it’s just change my road position, esp on narrow roads. Either to the middle if there is no space or move away from the middle if I’m chilling on a country lane. If someone is really coming fast (it flashes red) then I guess you just hope for the best other than have a look behind. Actually. I almost always have a glance behind and show my face to the driver. I guess that humanises you to an extent and let’s them know you know they’re there. Most of the time it’s not for the fast people it’s just making you aware there is a car coming from before I hear it.

Yes, change road position, or even look out for places to stop to allow large vehicles to pass. Also – when turning right, if the Varia says there’s something behind I don’t bother to look, I just slow down and wait until it says all-clear before starting to look round (in case that’s not clear – I DON’T turn based solely on what Varia says).

Agree with comments re: benefit of Varia. Was unsure, but now feel like there’s something ‘missing’ if I ride without it. Also useful to know if you can safely give potholes etc a wide berth and know there’s nothing behind (especially on roads where road traffic relatively infrequent so can fully  focus on road ahead rather than what’s potentially behind) . The light itself is also a really good light in its own right. Was semi-sceptical  but now a convert.

So what do you do when the Varia says there is something coming up behind you fast?

Plan an escape route.

There are also three types of Varia. Radar only, radar plus light, and radar plus light plus camera. I use the latter. Radar helps me know what I might want to do, radar makes the light either come on or flash bright when it detects something helping driver see me, radar also turns on camera so there’s a posthumous whodunnit.