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Varia RTL515 Radar With Tail Light
See and be seen with Garmin Varia™ RTL515 rearview radar with tail light. It pairs with your Edge™ bike computer, other Garmin device or compatible smartphone to alert you of vehicles approaching from behind up to 153 yards (140 meters) away.
When used with your compatible smartphone, the Varia™ app helps increase your awareness with vibration alerts and more. With daylight visibility up to 1 mile, motorists will be able to see you from a distance. The radar's compact vertical design allows for device mounting on most road-use bicycles. And peloton mode provides a low-intensity flash that is kind to other riders' eyes when riding in a group.
Features:
Rearview radar with tail light provides awareness of vehicles approaching from behind up to 153 yards (140 meters) away
Pairs seamlessly with your Edge™ bike computer and compatible smartphone as well as select Garmin wearables or the radar display unit
When used with your compatible smartphone, the Varia™ app provides graphics — plus tone and vibration alerts — that indicate approaching cars
When used with a compatible smartphone, Varia™ radar integrates with third-party apps such as Ride with GPS to overlay your maps with rearview radar alerts
Daylight visibility up to 1 mile alerts motorists to your presence as soon as possible
Compact vertical design mounts easily to most road-use bicycles
Peloton mode provides a low-intensity light flash that is perfect for cycling in groups
Battery life: up to 16 hours in day flash mode, up to 6 hours in solid mode
Included: RTL515, mounting hardware, USB cable, documentation
B-Stock - This product has one or more B-Stock units available. These units can be purchased at a discount (see option select). B-Stock units were returned from other customers and may have missing or damaged packaging materials. These units are otherwise as new. The full manufacturer warranty applies. Click Here for more information.
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Reviewed 5/16/2023
by JayU
Cycling Enthusiast
SW FL
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Not 100% accurate device, but close
I recommend using the Varia in conjunction with a dropbar end mirror, or helmet mirror, for knowing what's behind you. The Varia syncs cleanly with my Wahoo Bolt head unit, and is mostly accurate.
The Varia's cons are: 1) If a car/truck is keeping pace with you, it won't show up. It needs to be gaining on you. So, sometimes the car shows up on the screen only as it's passing you. 2) Ghosts. The vehicle icon stays on the screen sometimes even after there's no longer a vehicle behind you. Seems to happen most after making a turn. 3) "RADAR ERROR". I get this message occasionally, maybe once per ride. The quick fix is to Dismiss the message. Then it starts working right again, usually.
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Reviewed 2/2/2023
by D Morgan
Santa Clarita, CA
2 of 3 customers found this review helpful.
One of the greatest advances in safety next to helmets
Friends of mine purchased this and raved. I finally took the plunge when I BTD had them on sale. My 1st impression during the unboxing was of quality which IS the synonymous with Garmin, though I wished it had USB-C instead of a micro USB port.
Next the mounting hardware was complete with adapters for round, aero and D shaped seat posts (and I just happen to have each type in my collection ... perfect ????). At 1st I was a bit apprehensive about having just a single, though very muscular, O-ring being the only thing retaining this to my seat post, but upon reflection, I've NEVER had an genuine Garmin O-Ring ever fail in the many many years I've owned them, so that worry was soon put to bed.
Connecting it to my Garmin and Hammerhead Karoo2 went seamlessly and battery life so far has been at least 6+ hours.
Ok now as for the performance. It's absolutely brilliant!!! I genuinely feel this is as much a game changer in safety and CONFIDENCE as wearing a helmet. It detects vehicles at least 100yards back which gives to time to move to the right, then it signals "all clear" and you feel comfortable moving out into the lane a bit again. What you're NOT constantly doing anymore is looking back over your shoulder for cars and then finding yourself either drifting further into the lane or off it completely or hitting that pothole or the riders in front of you. I will never ride without it and can't believe I've waited this long
Once you've experienced this technology, you'll never be without it again ????????
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Reviewed 4/11/2023
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Boston
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Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Great when it works properly, dangerous when it doesn't.
This RLT515 is a replacement for the RLT510 that I had been using for almost 4 years but sadly lost. It looks virtually identical but also now includes bluetooth and "peloton" mode. Unfortunately I've been having problems with my new unit throwing "0:FC" errors somewhat randomly during my rides. Some rides it performs great while other times it gets so bad that I have to disconnect it from my Edge 1040 solar. For instance I went for a 3 hour ride recently and it was fine for the first hour and a half then is started throwing the error several times a minute which is both frustrating and dangerous. The error came up probably 30 times in about as many minutes so I just disconnected it from my headunit and used it as a dumb light.
I never had these problems with my old unit and would go back to it in a heartbeat if I could find it. Searching the Garmin forums made it seem that it's a software issue and Garmin is aware of it. I love Garmin hardware but their software is utter garbage, hopefully they take care of this soon.
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Reviewed 4/9/2023
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Albany NY
Value Rating
Overall Rating
So glad I bought it item
Today was my second ride using the Garmin Varia. I really like it because it warms you about cars that are behind you from a very long distance. All that information is shown on your Garmin head unit. The view on the screen contracts and there is a dot that shows the car as it approaches you. I feel much safer knowing what is going on behind me and this device works very well. I did get a sensor error message once for a short time. But it resumed working as it should shorty after. I'm glad I bought it.
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Reviewed 5/1/2023
by redrandy
Cycling Enthusiast
Salem, OR
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Bought this for my brother for a b-day gift - he needs eyes in the rear!
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.
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Reviewed 5/9/2022
by Ben in Tacoma
Cycling Enthusiast
Tacoma WA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Excellent product for every road
The Garmin Varia RTL515 has improved my overall feeling of safety on the road ever since I turned it on. It has a very bright light that is easily seen by motorists. The radar is great at picking up traffic coming up from behind and it will notify you on your had unit and start blinking to make motorists aware of your position. I would 100% buy this product again based on how helpful it is in ensuring safety.
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Reviewed 1/30/2023
by Rainman737
Cycling Enthusiast
Camarillo, Ca
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Great Safety Addition to My Bike
This is a great safety add to my bike. It has never failed me. I ride in hilly, rural farm areas and I am sometimes surprised by cars showing up behind me. This radar made that a thing of the past. The integration with the Garmin 1030 plus is nice. It stays in a low power mode but when an alert appears it goes to high flash. It is a tad overweight and needs USB-C like all other Garmin products otherwise it is an excellent light and warning system. I would definitely recommend it if you are thinking about getting one. BTD had a great sale so I could not resist.
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Reviewed 4/11/2023
by MR. JEFE
Competitive Racer
Imlay City MI
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Hard to ride without it
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.
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Reviewed 3/3/2023
by ABCBiker
Cycling Enthusiast
Arkansas
Value Rating
Overall Rating
A great tail light that warns me of traffic behind me through my hearing aids via Bluetooth.
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!
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Great product , must have in urban and city rides
If you�re looking for more safety and want to know what�s coming behind you this is the product you should have attached to your bike. It definitely sees everything that�s coming towards you and gives a warning you do need a garmin computer for it to work properly.
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Reviewed 2/16/2023
by la15ota
Casual Cyclist
San Jose, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Newbie needs to be safe
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.
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Reviewed 2/16/2023
by Wil
San Francisco East Bay
It works just as described. I feel safer with the Varia
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.
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Reviewed 4/10/2023
by Expeidter
Cycling Enthusiast
South Texas
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Excellent Pairs easily
My Second Varia, pairs easily with the 1040 and 830.
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Reviewed 8/5/2022
by MSPBiker
Daily Commuter
Saint Paul, MN
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Worthwhile safety feature
You'll need a bike computer or Garmin watch, but assuming you have one (or both), this is a very worthwhile piece of safety equipment. It's quite reliable and easily understood. It pairs with your computer like any other sensor. I used to rely on listening for cars and looking over my shoulder before moving out into a lane. I still do both, but there are many times when I hear nothing and the Vario beeps to let me know someone is there.
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Works great, wish the mounting system was better
I've had one of these for over a year and put it through some cold temps. Battery life has been great so far, as advertised even down into the upper 30's. The system itself can track multiple cars and has a nice beep warning when they are coming up on you. In an urban area, this can be pretty often, but it keeps you from veering into a car you wouldn't have seen otherwise.
It only comes with a mount to attach to a seat post, so cannot mount to a bag without some modifications. I poked a couple holes into my bag to get the screws in an it works great. Only other downside is no strap like the GPS's have to catch the unit if it falls off, so far it has not fallen off.
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Reviewed 5/24/2022
by USA1169
Cycling Enthusiast
Hood River, Oregon
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Essential kit in rural areas, I now feel naked without it!
Four years ago I got the RTL510 version of this (no bluetooth) and paired it with a Wahoo Bolt. That combo has been the single best bit of kit that I have added in ten years. If you ride in urban areas I would probably skip it as the radar will go off constantly, but in suburban and rural areas it is absolutely worth every penny. My first unit worked perfectly, the only reason I upgraded tp the RTL 515 is that after about fifteen thousand miles the battery life degraded from just over four hours to just over three (with the light on solid... if you use the flasher it has much longer life). Just finishing a month in France riding almost every day and the newer RTL 515 has been every bit as solid, with battery life exceeding 4.5 hours on solid. The few times I have gone out without it I feel naked. This from a guy that never used a tail light because it seemed like just one more think to complicate my life.
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Reviewed 3/20/2023
by MikeW
Cycling Enthusiast
Apex NC
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Great for solo rides
It is like riding with a group that is calling out car back!
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Reviewed 4/4/2022
by GR
Cycling Enthusiast
Crescent City, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
An extra measure for safety while riding.
This device makes a wonderful addition to my cycling experience. I get notified as traffic approaches and how many vehicles there are within 253 feet behind me. I can see the speed of their approach and I am notified when all is clear. Also, the light flashes more intensely and quickly while traffic is approaching and so it provides better information to the drivers behind me about my presence. The only downside experience I had was a with the Garmin 830 controlling the light, type of flash and turning it off. Now, I could intervene on the head unit and reselect the flash type I wanted, but turning the Varia off that became a problem, surprisingly. It turns off the light when the Varia is switched off but leaves the Varia's Bluetooth on which runs down the battery. I did find the command in the settings to turn this feature off which works better for me.
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Reviewed 3/10/2022
by Tom
Cycling Enthusiast
Santa Cruz, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
2 of 2 customers found this review helpful.
All the other reviews are true!
All the reviews raving about how good this product is are true. I feel naked riding along a public road without this gadget. Now with that said, in true Garmin fashion it is grossly overpriced for what it is, but I think as a safety device it still delivers enough value to be a good buy. Just don't pay full price for one.
Battery life has been fine for me as long as I remember to charge it every couple of rides. (I ride almost every day)
The mount is crap. Buy a proper seat mount and you will be much happier and your device will be much more secure. I strongly recommend the BUP Labs mounts. They are excellent.
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Reviewed 2/6/2022
by Gary
Cycling Enthusiast
Palm Desert
Value Rating
Overall Rating
2 of 5 customers found this review helpful.
Great Item fffor on coming traffic cofirmation
I just came back from a 3.5 hour ride. The radar worked great and helps on the left turns.
I have a back neck therefore my neck twisting is limited. This is an added safety feature for me along with a good rear view mirror.
The drawback is that I only had a 3% charge left in my edge 520 when I got home.
A longer ride and it may stop functioning due to the edge battery being drained.
My back up is the "Ride with GPS" app on my phone
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