Bought the Garmin Varia to aid when riding. It works great with my Garmin 530. It's nice to know that car's are approaching from the rear before you can hear them. Great out in the country on the narrow roads giving you time to make decisions.
Just picked one of these up a couple of weeks ago. Used points to knock the price down. But this is a must have item for any cyclist. Whether climbing or descending, you have awareness of cars coming behind you. It has been 100% accurate so far...the only downside i've noticed has been when two cars are too close together (tailgating), the device doesn't always catch it. But considering how much we spend on bikes and equipment, this is the most important safety add-on i've come across. Been riding in Colorado and i feel so much safer. highly recommend.
Easy to install, pair to Garmin cyclocomputer. Beep clearly heard when vehicle approaches from behind @ 150 feet. Can easily follow vehicle getting closer as a while dot on right side of computer...turns green when vehicle safely passes. Will show multiple vehicles approaching...even noted a neighbor approaching stealthily on his E-Bike....
The RVR315 offers excellent situational awareness. It sees cars you can't see in a mirror - the one approaching from out of the sun or the second, third, fourth, etc. cars in line behind you. It tells you how many cars, how far back, and how fast they are approaching. It announces their presence once they approach within 150 yards. This radar helps you be more aware. And being more aware, you can be both more safe and more courteous to drivers. I won't ride without this pod. Never ever a false all clear. Occasionally, it will give you a false alert - either a BIG cyclist coming up behind you or a road sign oscillating in the wind. But false alerts aren't a big deal.
I previously used the Varia 510 radartaillight but, when riding alone, I always wanted a much brighter taillight than the Varia offers. (I have a Dinotte Quad Red that I use when I'm alone.) When this radar pod became available, I bought it the first day. Now, I get the benefits of Garmin's radar and the brightness of my Dinotte taillight at the same time. Best of both worlds.
This radar is great as it integrates well with the 1030 plus to show traffic closing in. the alerts are sufficiently loud to provide adequate warning and the view shows the closing rate. much better than a mirror alone
I bought this model because I already have a rear light. I have it pair to my Edge 520+, and it let me know of incoming traffic from behind. I feel a lot more secure when riding on the road.
Works great! Integrates with my Wahoo Elemnt seamlessly. Especially helpful as I live and ride in the country. Makes my rides infinitely safer. Should be standard on every bike sold in America! Thanks to Garmin and Wahoo for making avail across brands. Always love ordering fr BTD, never had a prob and LOVE the points!
This is a must have item for all road riders. Gives ample warning of cars approaching from the rear - beats constantly checking a mirror. Never be surprised by a passing car again!
More a 3.5 star I�d say. Works well with my Wahoo, and I appreciate that the screen will show multiple cars and change from yellow to red when cars are approaching at high speeds. I�ve ridden with the Varia for about a month now, and I�ve only had two cars pass me that weren�t detected and didn�t show up. That said, often times other riders show up as cars, so this thing isn�t flawless and there is no way that I was able to research to adjust sensitivity. That said, I�d rather false alerts than missing a car completely. Do not rely on this thing to be 100% accurate and use it more as an added alert system to help be your eyes behind you, and it should do you well. It�s not a replacement for alertness and common sense.
Now, Garmin, let�s talk about the post mount on this thing, or more accurately the �security� rubber O ring and recesses on the unit. That is a garbage solution. I�ve seen friends units fall off multiple times from road chatter. For the cost, the lack of security on the fit is inexcusable. I�ve taped over mine to ensure it won�t fall off, and would strongly suggest others do the same. Otherwise, it�s a handy piece of kit.
My first ride with this radar detector and it was extremely useful. It easily mounted to my 2013 speed concept seat post and it easily connected to my Edge 520 bike computer. Out of the few dozen cars that passed me from behind, it warned me about every car. For the Edge 520, when there is a new car approaching, there is a short beep and the outer edges of the screen turns Red. Once the car has passed, the screen goes back to normal. If there are several cars in a row, there's only the 1 beep but the outer edge of the screen remains red until all cars have cleared. I was surprised at how handy this radar is and felt safer with it. I no longer need to constantly turn my head back to check for cars and can concentrate on the road ahead.
