Garmin Varia RTL515, Cycling Rearview Radar with Tail Light, Visual and Audible Alerts for Vehicles Up to 153 Yards Away - 010-02376-00

After about 6 rides of more than 20+ miles each, I feel comfortable writing a review about the Garmin Varia RTL515. First, let me say that this Radar with Taillight works exactly as advertised and I can easily recommend it to any bike rider. That said, here are what I hope may be some helpful notes: - I use the radar with my iPhone 14 Pro and the associated Varia app - It took me less than 10 minutes to unpackage, mount, install the app and pair to my phone (note that for my rides my iPhone is attached to a mount on the handlebars) - Some have reported issues with the mounting hardware that comes with the device. I encountered no issues at all (installing or while riding) - Be sure to use the audible sounds and not just the visual (in other words, keep the volume on and up) - The radar detected approaching vehicles 100% of the time and about 85% sooner than my hearing did - I found the biggest benefit comes when I have to merge from the shoulder of the road out into traffic to make left hand turns or move out from a right only lane. As I have aged (now 65 years old) I don’t have the flexibility to turn around and look like I once had and this device helps in indicating if there is oncoming traffic and if there is, I can adjust my speed to slow down (or speed up) until it is clear. But make no mistake, DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON THE RADAR. Always use your eyes and ears! - I can say, from my limited experience, that the battery life seems solid and unless you’re doing 6+ hour rides (just my estimate), you will be fine and won’t run out of juice - Speaking of battery life, using the Varia app while using the Strava app to log my ride, I used up approximately 15% of my iPhone’s battery on a 2 hour ride My only gripe is that there is no integration with my Apple Watch. It would be very beneficial to have haptic alerts. I did find a third party app that supposedly does this but have not purchased it ($5.99). This device may not be for everyone but if you are looking for some added, reliable safety when you ride, it is worth it and, in my opinion, at a reasonable price.

Simple set up w/ my garmin 840. Virtually no false alarms and allows plenty of time for the group to single up when vehicles are trying to pass. Particularly helpful in detecting approaching EVs since they are really hard to hear. I am still am a vulnerable rider on a highway but feel 100% safer knowing what is approaching from behind plus it flashes faster to alert the driver to pay attention. Highly recommend, money well spent.

There's nothing better than having the Varia watching your 6. This little device coupled with bar end mirrors has reduced my road riding anxiety to almost zero. The Varia does a great job of alerting of cars coming well before they're close enough to be an issue. Admittedly if you're on a busy road within city limits the chirping on your bike computer triggered by the Varia gets a bit overwhelming, however that's a small inconvenience to deal with for the overall sense of security you get from its notifications. There are a boatload of videos on YouTube to learn the technical ins-and-outs of the Varia or it's sexier sister with a rearview camera, so I won't get into the technical details beyond telling you that the connection between the Varia and my Garmin 540 was a breeze. The only confusing bit was the Varia's lightning control, which I'll confess was caused by me not reading about how and when to use the lighting override function. By the way, a function which I won't use much, now that I'm just manually selecting a light pattern by pushing the power button on the Varia few times. I did have to buy a separate, more rigid, bike mount for the Varia. The supplied mounts are fine if you don'twant to spend any more money, but I just couldn't wrap my ahead around attaching such a pricy bit of kit with silicone rubber bands. This is just my choice, I don't think it's a requirement but if you can spare a few more bucks, a bolted on attachment seems like the wise investment. For the sake of transparency I've only used this device on three rides, but I've trekked almost 100 miles with it watching my back. I've also been a serious cyclist on and off for the past 40 years, with no one or nothing watching my back. I've had a few close calls with traffic, in the past, but luckily have never got smashed into from behind. Although with traffic in our cities getting more and more conjested each passing year and aggressive, cycling hating drivers on our rural and county roads, I think it's only a matter of time before I have a run in that could be bad. Fingers crossed this never happens! I'm not getting any younger, but I definitely would like to get a lot older. I think this little device will help me stay safe out on the road for quite a few more years.

I was hesitant to get this light/radar simply due to the price. I wish it was about half as much as it is. That being said, I got it on sale for 50% off so I’m very happy with my purchase now. This light is fantastic if you use a garmin bike computer. It syncs up in seconds and the battery lasts me quite awhile. I’ve taken it on 3 rides that were all over an hour without charging and it was still going. I typically charge after every other ride because I don’t want it to die while I’m out so I’m not sure how long it will really last, but it’s longer than I’ll ever need. The radar works fantastically, it catches cars and other cyclists and gives you an alarm warning, flashing red screen, and a readout of how close they are to you on your computer. It comes with mounting stuff that should fit most bikes, although my seatpost is a bit of an odd shape so I’m hoping to find something that’s a little more secure. There is zero risk of it falling off, but it does slide down on the post because the rubber pad is just a tad too small for my seatpost.

I just returned to road riding from a few long seasons of triathlon racing where 95% of my rides were indoors on a trainer, so I wanted to take advantage of the newer technology to improve my safety on roads. This radar has been flawless and pairs effortlessly with both my Stages M200 and Magese C606 computers. Light is plenty bright, battery life is very good, and it performs without fault. My only gripe was the mount which wasn't the most confidence inspiring holding a $200 light. I purchased a hard mount replacement and it's not rock solid. It's money well spent for the piece of mind I have while riding, and works great for knowing when cars are approaching from behind. I also find myself able to ride out in the road a little more, avoiding the shoulder where debris and potential tire poppers lurk. 10/10 would buy again, even at the price. I often purchase less expensive versions of cycling gear which perform great, but didn't want to take the chance on such a vital piece of kit where failure isn't an option.

This is my second Varia Radar Tail Light. The first lasted about seven years of three-hour-a-day use before the battery grew weaker and weaker after each recharge. My only complaint is the lack of an attachment point for a safety lanyard. On my first Varia, I epoxied a small wooden block on the back with a hole to run a lanyard. With the new Varia, I also purchased a Takewell protective cover that has a lanyard. The mounting system Garmin uses with rubber bands is a little scary for an expensive device. I want a backup in case the rubber bands break, although I must say, I’ve not had the band fail in seven years. Functionally, the Varia is great! Plenty of light coming from the strobe, and the radar picks up cars before I can hear them. I stopped using a helmet mirror because the Varia offers better audible and visual alerts on my ELEMNT Bolt GPS handlebar display.

This is my second purchase; the first one served me well for years before the battery died out, leaving me with only about two hours of use. That said, I wouldn't dare hit the road without one. After my first unit died mid-ride, I felt so vulnerable that I had to head straight home. It's an incredible safety tool that has become non-negotiable for my rides.

A rear-facing radar should be required for anyone who rides on the roads. I was skeptical at first-seemed like a lot of money for a rear light. I wont ride without it now. Works as advertised. There are a few things to understand about owning it and limitations too. 1. If you ride on a busy road with lots of traffic this may not be ideal. All it would do is go off and would be a total distraction. Also I think the rider would become insensitive to the alarm and ignore it. Best on less busy areas. Alarm for me comes from my Garmin computer and is loud enough my wife who rides in front of me can hear the computer alarm for an approaching car. You may think that you can hear an approaching car (tires are noisy) which is true. I can usually hear the car coming before the alarm goes off but if its windy my hearing the car is significantly diminished and the radar can detect several cars approaching. 2. Radar beam is wide and goes back far enough to move to the right if you need to make room. If you are riding on a bike path adjacent to a road, the alarm will detect cars approaching that are hundreds of feet away. 3. If a vehicle approaches and slows down to your speed the radar will track it for about 30 seconds and if the car hasn't passed and the distance remains the same the radar will ignore the car and give you an all clear. In my case it was a big agricultural combine and I knew it was back still behind me. 4. Purchase a different mount. The rubber band mount is less than ideal. I went with a 1/4 turn Garmin that solidly mounts on the seat post. Don't know why Garmin didn't include it with the radar. Rubber bands to attach a 200 dollar light seems really sketchy. 5. Battery life is good and adequate for a few long rides between charges. Also charges fast with the micro USB cable. Overall, highly recommended. Other than a helmet; the most important safety device I can think of for road bikers.

After several uses, I kept asking myself... Why didn't I get this radar much earlier? Cynics saying a mirror would do the job that the Varia does isn't completely wrong Except Varia does much more than a mirror. Firstly the Audible beeps to warn me of approaching car more than 150meters back, without taking my eyes off the road. Trying spotting a car on a small bicycle mirror that far back while keeping 100% focus on road ahead. Secondly, mirror users are partly replying on sound. The unit picks up another cyclist riding overtaking at higher relative speed to avoid collision or wheel touch. I discovered that the unit can be mounted both ways, lights at top or bottom. Doesn't appear to impact radar signal. It does send out conservative and overly cautious signal when u r on a bike path with passing cars on main part of road. Overall a great defence tool to minimize probability of being hit from the rear. Great investment.

I wasn't convinced I needed this until I had it, now I consider it mandatory equipment for road riding. I do have a very slick bar end Italian Road Bike Mirror that I greatly appreciate and still do even with the Varia however having both is the perfect combination. The mirror is great but sometimes due to lighting, distance or just focused on the road ahead I would not notice an approaching car but with the Varia I can remain focused and only have to look at the mirror when alerted. So far it has been super reliable and alerts me with enough time to look in the mirror and assess if there is any danger. It has paired, and functions perfectly, with my Edge 530; the auto features work great and turns on when the Edge is turned on. I did pick up an aftermarket mount because the stock rubber band one kept rotating on my round seat post, battery life could be better but will get you through several hours but depends on how much traffic there is (Flashing speed and intensity is boosted when vehicles are approaching). Although I highly recommend this version if you can afford the newer model it has longer detection distance and battery life.

Muito bom,agora tenho segurança pra pedalar na estrada,o radar indica ate motos. Estou muito satisfeito.

Excelente lámpara trasera por su iluminación y el radar que utiliza para poder identificar los vehículos que vienen detrás de ti

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