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Garmin Varia RTL515 Radar With Tail Light

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

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(231 customer reviews)
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User submitted reviews

Review by Ted

Reviewed 5/20/2022
by Ted
Portland, OR
Overall Rating
Life saver

I bought this from REI and it works great with my Wahoo Roam. This is one of my best safety devices - worth every penny.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by jodieakins

Reviewed 1/28/2022
by jodieakins
Casual Cyclist
mississippi
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Nice extra measure of safety

It is great to have an extra set of eyes behind you providing that feeling of safety.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 1/28/2022
by Anonymous
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Prompt service, works great, setup required 12 minutes with Garmin CSR to properly pair.

This is a great product to help you more aware of your surroundings as you cycle. Ultimately, it provides you and those with you a safer riding environment.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 12/13/2021
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
Rtl515

Great gaget

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by M. Andrada

Reviewed 11/25/2021
by M. Andrada
San Francisco bay Area
Value Rating
Overall Rating
0 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Dont drop device on a hard surface.

Dont drop on a hard surface. It may nor power back on.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Gerrit

Reviewed 11/18/2021
by Gerrit
Palm Harbor, FL
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Excellent product

Very glad that I bought the Garmin Radar tail light. It's great knowing when a car comes up behind me.

Excellent

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by IMFletch

Reviewed 7/25/2021
by IMFletch
Cycling Enthusiast
gresham, Oregon
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Fantastic

This is one of my favorite pieces of cycling gear and its one that all cyclists should own. Easy to set up and operate, I don't ride on the road without it.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Swags

Reviewed 7/22/2021
by Swags
pennsylvania
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
Safety

The added safety on the road is worth the money. I'm in the front of the pack calling out "car back!"

I now have the rear visibility to improve the safety of our club.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by MikeT

Reviewed 5/23/2021
by MikeT
San Jose, Ca
Overall Rating
Would not ride roads without this !

This is a game changer - it is extremely helpful to know cars are approaching- absolutely do not want to ride without it now ! Get one ASAP

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Purple

Reviewed 5/17/2021
by Purple
Ohio
Overall Rating
Recommend

Incredibly simple to use, super bright light, and works flawlessly. Don't ride without one!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by nestor

Reviewed 3/26/2021
by nestor
seattle wa
Overall Rating
it's worth the money

...it's very helpful especially making you aware of vehicles behind you when paired with the right garmin computer...alerts you and drivers behind you because of the red flash it emits

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 3/4/2021
by Anonymous
edinboro, pa
Overall Rating
Best invention since the GPS

Audible and visual feedback well in advance of cars approaching from behind, reduces stress and need to crank your neck to look behind.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Thunderhawk

Reviewed 11/12/2020
by Thunderhawk
Cycling Enthusiast
Encinitas, CA
Value Rating
Overall Rating
Total game changer

Total game changer. I know now when I need to look over my shoulder when a Tesla sneaks up on me. Love it!

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Jeroen

Reviewed 10/19/2020
by Jeroen
Oceano
Overall Rating
Awesome light

Light is supper bright and is working great as advertised

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 10/23/2020
by Anonymous
Overall Rating
Amazing product.

Very happy with my new Varia Radar. Feel a lot safer on the road in addition to work extremely well out of the box. Would recommend again to any enthusiast.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 8/30/2020
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Value Rating
Overall Rating
1 of 1 customers found this review helpful.
total game changer, get one.

obviously tells you when cars are approaching so you can move over, but especially helpful on the down hill so you can take curves wide when the coast is clear.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Eric

Reviewed 6/21/2025
by Eric
Portland, OR
Overall Rating
Essential, works well with Wahoo

This is one of those, 'didn't know how much I needed this,' purchases. The radar picks up cars further back than your ears can hear. I feel much more aware of what's behind me at all times. Can't imagine riding without it.

It works well with my Wahoo Bolt 2, though it doesn't remember my preferred flash settings (takes 15 seconds to configure pre-ride).

Battery life is fine. I can get several rides out of one charge if I'm only doing flash alerts. If I'm also using it as a persistent rear light it needs to be charged by the end of the ride.

Included seat post mount uses silicon bands to secure. Better clamp-based options out there.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Anonymous

Reviewed 6/9/2025
by Anonymous
Cycling Enthusiast
Portland, Oregon
Overall Rating
I've come to rely on the extra set of eyes this radar light provides.

Great piece of tech. This is my second one. The first one stopped recharging after several years. I bought the same one again.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by nyc2pdx

Reviewed 7/28/2024
by nyc2pdx
Cycling Enthusiast
Portland
Overall Rating
A must-have for any cyclist

Was on the fence about shelling out for this - I considered myself a very aware cyclist. The RTL515 proved me wrong, big time. My senses cannot beat a radar system this accurate. Under most circumstances, we cannot hear a car coming up behind us if near one or more cars already. Both engine, bike, and road noise make it nearly impossible. With more electric cars on the road now - it's even more difficult to detect. This radar will pick up an approaching car/motorcycle/cyclist/etc just under 500 feet away. 2-3 seconds before you hear it, no matter how good your hearing is - the radar will alert you beforehand. Alerts can be setup on the head unit via tone and / or on-screen. Additionally, you can be alerted via the Varia phone app through vibration or tone in the jersey pocket. Which makes this a standalone product that doesn't require any bike computer. I use it with the 840 - it forms an ANT+ network with the UT800 front light - allowing for full control from the computer. Although this is not new tech by any means - Garmin's put a lot of work into it. There frankly is no price on the peace of mind these products provide.

Thank you for your feedback.

Review by Thejudge

Reviewed 1/3/2025
by Thejudge
Marietta, GA
Overall Rating
It's a learning curve

After observing my friend using his Varia radar light, I had him hook my Garmin Edge to his light and got to experience first hand as long as I stayed close to him. My wife asked what I wanted for Christmas and the deal was done. Installed easily, but then had to learn a few things as the pictograph directions are sketchy. Luckily my buddy knows all about it. I especially enjoy that if one is not paying close attention it will chime and let you know another bike is coming up faster than you are.

Thank you for your feedback.

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