PSA: Garmin Varia RTL515 Cycling Rear Light and Radar £113

From Amazon Spain. Possible a pain to return if faulty.

https://www  .amazon.  es/dp/B08923YLTD?smid=A1AT7YVPFBWXBL

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^£136 on Garmin website with STW discount.

Not that I have been able to convince myself I should get one. Tried a mirror but I very rarely looked at it when out on the road as I’m in the habit of looking over my shoulder when changing road position.

I managed to pick one of these up for about £100 from Tredz using a Strava challenge discount code a while ago. I felt it was maybe a bit frivolous but it was a great deal, I wouldn’t be without it now, especially on solo rides. Great bit of kit.

I took mine to Majorca a couple of weeks ago – absolutely perfect for letting you know when a faster rider was coming up the col behind you so you could put that little bit more effort in and WIN WIN WIN!!!  Real life Zwift!

I’m starting to see comparable units from 3rd party manufacturers popping up. For example Merlin currently have a Magicshine equivalent for £99 – https://www.merlincycles.com/magicshine-seemee-508-radar-rear-bike-light-298847.html (Bryton & Trek do some too).

They claim to be compatible with a variety of cycle computers. Any idea’s if they work as well as Garmin’s own units?

I can’t really picture the use for this, cant you hear when a car is approaching from behind?

The world is split into three groups on this.

A group of people who have this product, have used it and really rate it as a useful safety aid.

A much smaller group of people who have this product, have used it and don’t really rate it as a useful safety aid.

A much larger group of people who don’t have this product, have never used it and think its pointless.

Which group are you in?

Group 3ish but .. pointless are interested, but don’t really understand the benefit.

I was sceptical but having got one they’re really useful.

It warms you of approaching cars, number of cars (useful when 1 overtakes and another is close behind). Tends to show a car behind before you can hear it, and gives an indication of closing speed, although I’m not convinced how useful that is.

I was very skeptical before i got one of these, but now it’s one of my favourite things. I tend to ride on quiet back lanes and it lets me know there is a car behind me waaaaay before i can hear it. Also tells you if they’re booting it or not. Let’s you do a look over your shoulder at the driver which most of the time results in them not driving like a c*nt (presumably because you’re now a person rather than an object). Can’t recommend it enough*.

* Only wouldn’t recommend it if you ride a lot on very busy roads, then it becomes annoying.

I’m in a fourth group that doesn’t have one but, having heard lots of good comments about it on here, really want one. I’d like them to be cheaper (hence the question about the Magicshine).

I can’t really picture the use for this, cant you hear when a car is approaching from behind?

It’s surprising how the wind around your ears can drown out an approaching car (especially if it’s electric). Also, traffic in the opposing lane can also prevent you hearing a car approaching from behind.

I had a really close and fast close pass from an HGV once that I had no idea was there until it shot past.

Or the ‘classic’ first car passing you obscures the noise of the second behind it.

I agree completely that they are only really useful on country roads with sporadic cars but that’s 95% of my road riding. also useful for farmers landrovers coming up behind you on grass tracks I found out yesterday.

I have one. I like it. I’d have bought the camera version as an upgrade except it wasn’t all that well reviewed.

DCR gave himself a fright with on while riding beside a railway…

especially if it’s electric

Ian Walker has done some (possibly unpublished) research on this and once the car is above about 20mph the tyre noise is prevalent, whether ICE or electric. I’m not wholly sure how easy it is to hear things that are behind you and functionally downwind anyway?

I happened to buy the Bryton one a couple of days ago.

Used it yesterday for the first time.

Yes, on busy roads the bleeping gets on your tits,  I’ll have to find a way to switch it off. But you do get an indication usually a few seconds before the car becomes audible. It also helps when the traffic the other way is busy and you can’t differentiate between them.

Goes mental if a boy racer is tanking towards you at light speed giving you a chance to write your will.

One thing though,  that I hope a firmware update can solve. If the car slows down behind you and matches your speed it vanishes from the screen, so you don’t know if its turned off behind you or is sitting tailing you, I assume this would be easy for the software to sort. It amazes you how silent a car can be when it’s dawdling along at 15mph behind you.

If I can stop the incessant bleeping then it’ll be a great purchase as I do have a tendency to sh*te my pants when I get passed by a car I haven’t noticed.

One thing though,  that I hope a firmware update can solve. If the car slows down behind you and matches your speed it vanishes from the screen, so you don’t know if its turned off behind you or is sitting tailing you, I assume this would be easy for the software to sort

Nah – then it would show cyclists following you too. As it is (and this the Varia) I can cycle in a group and it’ll not alert unless a car is approaching. I think this is where maintaining your own awareness is still important.

Wouldn’t be without mine. I tried the radar unit when it was  on offer. Liked it so much I returned it for the light. I’d replace it in a heartbeat. And no, when riding at speed you cannot hear cars 140m behind you.

one thing that’s not obvious is that it’s an active safety device. The light pattern changes as the car gets nearer. So it tries to attract the driver’s attention. I tend to ride with mine on silent mode,

Interesting, new from Magicshine with much longer run times .. ..

https://magicshineuk.com/product/seemee-r300-smart-radar-taillight/?mc_cid=54c2b53bd4&mc_eid=6e356e923d

Preorder at £120

Whether this statement matches reality remains to be seen given numerous STWers have commented on how poor their App is, even if you can download it, which I can’t to my Samsung (A54) Android (14) phone, despite clearing all the caches, etc..

Seamlessly integrates with leading cycling computers like Garmin, Wahoo, and Hammerhead, providing instant traffic updates.

I beleive it’s an “Open” standard, so it definitely should work with a range of head units.