GarminVaria RTL515 Radar With Tail Light(Return to Product Page)

This is my second Varia, bought for a bike I have in a different location. I've been using the first one for about three years now, and it is terrific. The new one is the same. The light itself is very bright, and the radar works well close to 100% of the time, even most of the time when riding in a paceline, but that is the occasional time when it won't pick up an approaching car because of interference from the back of the pack. Its range is excellent, picking up an approaching vehicle from about 1/4 mile back. Highly recommend.

The radar warning is surprisingly effective. It spots cars (and annoyingly fast Cat 2's blowing by) at a distance and you can see how fast they are closing. It picks out multiple targets. It provides much better data than a mirror or looking over ones shoulder. It paired quickly with my Garmin 530. A bit expensive without a deal, but BikeTiresDirect had a nice 20% off offer that made it a better value. I have been a bit disappointed with the battery life - low battery warning at 3 hours, but I will have to try some other light settings. Documentation could be better, as if often the case for Garmin products.

I'm not familiar with other, similar units ' although there are a few. I purchased this because of my experience with other Garmin products' and it was on sale! So far, I've not been disappointed as it does everything I'd hoped for. One thing I've noticed is that if using the screen on your phone, the traffic icons are spot on' as opposed to shutting the screen off and relying on the audio alert only: in this case, there could be two cars when you're expecting only one. That said, I still use my mirror to be sure. I also like the fact that you're given plenty of time before traffic comes near you' just in case you need to do some emergency maneuvering. If you're curious about radars, definitely check this one out!

BTW: I use an IPhone 12 with the Garmin Varia app. I understand it will also work with Ride with GPS, but I haven't tried that as yet.

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.

When I saw the price drop, I decided to finally take the plunge and buy this. I have mine paired with my Edge 1040 and I am honestly amazed at how well this works. You can easily see when cars are behind you, how many there are, and also get a sense of how close they are. As soon as it senses a car, you get a beep and a red gradient overlay appears on the sides of my Edge, along with dots on the right side showing how many cars, relative spacing between them, and how close they are to you. If the car turns off before it passes you, the red gradient overlay turns green and then fades away. It's a very simple, intuitive and effective interface, that really doesn't take anything away from your normal display. I really regret not buying this a couple of years ago! Highly recommended.

I've been on the fence about getting these, but decided to bite the bullet knowing they were almost likely to get more expensive. And I really should have gotten them sooner! Integration with the head unit is seamless (Edge 540), display is clear and intuitive without overloading me with information. Not many false positives (reading cars that weren't there) and no false negatives (missing cars that were). Bonus: It does a great job of picking up smaller vehicles (other bikes, scooters) that come up quickly. Light is really bright and I have no doubt it is really easy to spot.

The only thing I wouldn't use this for is my commute--it would just be going off non-stop while I ride through the city and I'm not sure the warning would outweigh the noise.

If you have a saddle bag that potentially obstructs the radar function, I'd suggest getting a mount that affixes itself to your saddle bag and maybe a protective case and lanyard to attach to the seat rails for extra peace of mind. Surprised Garmin doesn't at least provide the saddle bag mount as standard.

No need to turn your head around for cars anymore. Visual on Garmin & audiable. But, it must be fully charged for each ride. Mine is paired w/ Edge 820.

I got this when I saw a sale pop up. I needed a new blinky for my bikes and was toying with a cheapo radar model, but this was reasonable with the sale.

So as a light, it's great. Very bright, has different modes like they all do, etc. All of the boxes are ticked there.

The radar component is a gamechanger. You don't realize how much goes on behind you, and this thing lets you know how many cars are coming, which is a great feature. Knowing one is pretty good, but however it figures out that there are 3 or 4 coming, awesome data to have.

One thing you probably never thought of is using it in a time trial race. If you want to hug the yellow line and corner faster, you can drift over and take better lines because you know the road is clear (take a quick peak just to be sure).

The one hiccup I've found is if a car is going the same speed as you. The car seemingly turns off, but it didn't, it's just not registering with the radar. You'll either get no dot back, or it'll keep coming and going and drive you nuts. So, like previous paragraph, you still have to check, you can't just rely on the beeps and dots.

Battery life seems fine, never had an issue, I do wish it had a USB-C rather than the silly Micro-USB plug. I've also had it hit with spray from my back tire in many rain storms and it is still going strong.

Easy to pair with your head unit too. No issues.

If you have more than one bike, find some mounts so you can share it around, I tried going without it, and it just feels wrong.

I've been road riding with one of these for close to 20,000 miles and it has been nearly flawless. I ride a mix of city streets, county highways, and desert single lane roads. The radar gives me a much better sense of surrounding traffic than would a combination of hearing and head-turning. False-positives are rare and seem to happen when turning right at intersections. Missed cars are extremely rare, but the RTL515 is still not a substitute for looking over your shoulder when changing lanes or passing parked vehicles.

I'm using the RTL515 with a Garmin 530 Edge unit. The dot and colored band on the side of the screen works well and is easy to see in your periphery vision or a quick glance down. It's not like you're reading a number or deciphering data to see that a car is gaining on you. It's simple and safe.

My RTL515 is a few years old, but as far as I can tell it still uses a USB Micro cable. This is literally my only gripe. USB-C is easier to use and should last longer.

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 ????????

I use this on nearly every ride, unless I'm purely on singletrack, and it's been so useful for detecting traffic that I can't imagine living without it. When my first one died after years of use, I bought another one the same day. It's especially helpful on gravel roads when it's hard to hear rear approaching drivers, and it's also invaluable when riding and chatting side by side, since it saves us from having to constantly look over our shoulders. Sometimes I think that drivers should buy these for all cyclists because we probably get over so much quicker, when appropriate.

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.

The rear facing radar warns you about approaching vehicle's at a great distance. It shows dots representing approaching vehicles and has a yellow bar meaning the vehicle's are approaching at a more normal rate of speed and a red bar warnings vehicles are approaching at a rapid rate of speed. This product by no means replaces taking a look behind you before making any evasive maneuvers, but it is an added piece of mind that I greatly appreciate!

The Varia is a wonderful and, I believe, necessary addition toward safer riding. Not only are you able to have several option for the rear light, but you get a very clear image on your GPS computer of the traffic mounting behind you.

Before the Varia, I was always guessing and mostly trying to listen to what traffic was approaching. Now I have such a better sense of what my environment is like in a split second on the bike. It allows me an initial snapshot and really eases my concerns especially on single lane roads, turn left endeavors and overall solo riding. I especially love it on group rides. I now have a better idea of what is behind me while passing others and when to hug the road. Equally, no more last second "car backs" but rather a much better heads up warning.

Wish I had purchased this earlier.

Light is compatible with my edge and alerts one of vehicles. The light is bright and has several options. Charging the unit is simple.

I didn't think I wanted or needed this, but my friend convinced me to try it. It's a game changer. The unit picks up cars well before I hear them especially on descents when wind noise blocks car sound. The display is excellent telling me the number of cars approaching and their closing speed. I love that closing speed information as I will move over as far as I can and as quickly as I can if I know a car is going really fast. A truly fantastic product.

Having my head unit show overtaking traffic means I don't have to be constantly checking my mirror. So far (2 months daily use) it's been incredibly reliable and accurate, indicating how many cars are back there and their approximate speed. Other cyclists will light it up too, if they are coming up fast. I don't think it replaces a mirror, rather it augments it and more situational awareness is safer, given the often distracted and occasionally hostile drivers out there. I have not tried it in an urban setting, where all the input might be confusing or annoying, but on the rural roads I've been mostly riding lately it's been a game changer. I should add that I got the best price I could find anywhere from BTD.

I had always seen these on other bikes and never really understood how one could justify buying such an expensive "light". After just a few rides I won't ride without this. The peace of mind I have now knowing what is coming up behind me absolutely makes this little gadget worth the price. The ability to turn the light on/off from your head unit is also an understated feature but a nice thing to have to preserve battery when you're not riding on a road.

I ride a lot of great backroads in forested countryside. At 18-20 mph It's hard to hear or see cars coming from behind so it's hard for them see me too. Rtl515 bright light and early warning radar let me be seen and ride to the side with plenty of time. Still always check over my shoulder but this added check gives me more Confidence that I don't miss anything. Great to only charge 1 instead of 2 accessories also and takes way less space than sprig and radar I used to use. . I get about 4-5 hours on a charge. Just enough for most rides.