Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread

Jan 10, 20 12:31

Post #1 of 60 (9096 views)

This thread is going to be curated by me (a little), by fredly, and by exxxviii. We are going to answer your questions and host any discussions you have about products in these categories. Excluding electronic shifting or dropper posts, if it requires electricity, and if attaches to stems/handlebars, or to seat posts, saddle rails, seat stays, this is what we're covering here. Head units. GPS units. Front-facing lights. Rear blinkers. Rear radar, such as the Garmin Varia we just reviewed. These conversations are what this thread is for. Wahoo ELEMNT family. Garmin Edge family. LIght & Motion, Cycliq, Leyzyne, like that. When we publish a front page review, we'll push people to this thread. So that's it. If you're locked & loaded, let fire. Otherwise, this thread will just hang around here until questions arise.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Last edited by: Slowman: Jan 10, 20 12:32

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 13:03

Post #2 of 60 (8998 views)

This is coming at the perfect time. I realized, while driving the other day and coming across a cyclist coming toward me in the opposite lane, just how attention-grabbing a front blinking light is. I always ride with a rear one, but am going to get a front one too. But it seems that most front lights are designed to see by, and not be seen by. So, perhaps some recommendations on this topic. Personally, I use and like my Light and Motion rear light, so maybe one of those is best?

Further, I just got a new bike that had "aero" or perhaps rather ergo bars (it is a 2020 Felt VR Advanced Ultegra). I don't have much space to put on the front light. It like the cleanliness of the under GPS mount, but that adds about $60 dollars to a front light purchase! Thoughts?

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [lightning33] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 13:21

Post #3 of 60 (8982 views)

I also have the Light and Motion (front and back) however have yet to figure out how to attach the rear light to my Cervelo P2 seat post without the light ending up at an angle. Based on the Varia article wondering if the Garmin Varia mount would work. Has anyone used this and/or have other suggestions.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 13:36

Post #4 of 60 (8964 views)

Well timed. I'm starting to think about getting a dedicated head unit. I was going to spent some quality time over on DCR's sight...figuring out the right choice.

I've always just used my 920xt. But, every year it gets a little harder to read. Plus, I want to get a varia and the 920 doesnt support that.

I don't want to spend a crap ton, though. I'm not looking for live segments, awesome mapping, or any of that. Most of my sessions are structured, and I always use tp workout builder, garmin calendar sync to my watch for every session.

Thoughts?

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:03

Post #5 of 60 (8906 views)

For "easy to read" it's hard to beat the Wahoo Element family of head units.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Pettrifier] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:04

Post #6 of 60 (8903 views)

I used the L&M Vis 180 Pro on my last bike, which was a Cervelo with an aero seat post. L&M, at least for that light, makes an aero seat post adapter that worked like a charm.

Which light do you use on the back?

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:10

Post #7 of 60 (8899 views)

I hadn't really considered a non garmin option. Any downside to stepping outside the garmin ecosystem?

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [lightning33] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:11

Post #8 of 60 (8897 views)

I have the Vya. I did contact L&M and they indicated there was no aero seat post adapter.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:20

Post #9 of 60 (8886 views)

Tom_hampton wrote:

I hadn't really considered a non garmin option. Any downside to stepping outside the garmin ecosystem?

Maybe if you plan to integrate with Garmin Varia radar and/or lights. Though Wahoo supports the radar (only recently), I don't think they support Varia lights.

Otherwise any difference in feature set only extends to thinks you said you don't care about.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:54

Post #10 of 60 (8873 views)

Ok. I meant more from the perspective of having another web interface to deal with: garmin connect, wahoo, trainingpeaks. Does wahoo support training peaks workout builder?

I guess I could continue to use my 920 for the structured workouts... Hmmm.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 16:55

Post #11 of 60 (8870 views)

Tom_hampton wrote:

Ok. I meant more from the perspective of having another web interface to deal with: garmin connect, wahoo, trainingpeaks. Does wahoo support training peaks workout builder?

I guess I could continue to use my 920 for the structured workouts... Hmmm.

Oh yeah, you get TP workouts on 'em, well integrated with all the major sites.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [lightning33] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 18:04

Post #12 of 60 (8842 views)

For a “be seen” front light, I’ve found 100+ lumens works well in daylight.

You can get any number of small, low cost front lights that meet this and mount unobtrusively using silicone straps. Another option is a traditional headlight in flash mode (good option if you already have one, overkill if you don’t).

Personally, my front light is mounted under the stem. Good spot unless you have a torhans or such that blocks it.

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Titanflexr] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 18:10

Post #13 of 60 (8837 views)

Never really considered under the stem. Does having it set back that much get it blocked by the head unit in an out-front mount? Do you happen to have a pic of that set up?

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [lightning33] [ In reply to ]

Jan 11, 20 21:24

Post #14 of 60 (8781 views)

Blockage hasn't been a problem (it's far enough down, see below). Having it in line with the head tube is also a bit cleaner aerodynamically and visually (though I don't have a visual cue that it is on/off without waving my hand in front).

For road bikes, there are lots of front lights that strap on the handlebar beside the stem.

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Post deleted by Administrator [ In reply to ]

runner66

Jan 12, 20 5:44

Post #15 of 60 (8713 views)

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [trail] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 8:10

Post #16 of 60 (8673 views)

trail wrote:

Tom_hampton wrote:

I hadn't really considered a non garmin option. Any downside to stepping outside the garmin ecosystem?

Maybe if you plan to integrate with Garmin Varia radar and/or lights. Though Wahoo supports the radar (only recently), I don't think they support Varia lights.

Otherwise any difference in feature set only extends to thinks you said you don't care about.

i'll let you in on a SECRET just about no one KNOWS. we have a front page on this site! ;-) that just reviewed the varia. i believe the question of lights was broached, tho what wasn't mentioned in the review - but was by someone who replied the article beneath it - the the faster pace of the light pulse as cars approach.

what was displayed in the review (which fredly wrote) and i thought this was a singular benefit to the piece, were images of the varia functionality displayed on 3 head units - 2 x wahoo and 1 x garmin - using a single varia's signal. like this one:

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [runner66] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 10:21

Post #17 of 60 (8643 views)

Quote:

I bought the Wahoo Element mainly because the display is so easy to read. Couldn’t be happier with it. I am going to pick up the Varia now that it is compatible with the Element. I would highly recommend the Element.

Folks who are interested in pairing with the Varia Radar should definitely keep in mind that the black and white screen on the Elemnt (as opposed to the Elemnt Roam and/or Bolt) will mean that you don't get the color change synched to oncoming traffic speed function on the main screen of the device as you do on the other units. The LED display in some ways makes up for this, but having ridden with both I was surprised to find how much better I thought Radar worked with a color screen.
This is mentioned a bit in the article Slowman references above.

Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [lightning33] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 13:59

Post #18 of 60 (8604 views)

I got a Garmin UT800 last year when I had to do a few pre-sunrise training rides before my A race. I picked mainly because of its marketing: I already had a Varia Radar and they used the term lighting network.

I am very happy with the dark performance of that light. 800 lumens is plenty for moonless roads with a tree canopy. And, I like that the Garmin HU will adjust the lighting based on speed and ambient light to both conserve battery and provide visibility. When the sun came up, it automatically switched to flash mode.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Pettrifier] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 14:02

Post #19 of 60 (8602 views)

I am pretty sure the rubber band version of the Varia mount would work on a P2 seatpost for other uses. It is pretty standard. They give you a selection of inserts for different shaped seat posts and different length rubber bands for different sizes. None of the rubber bands are long enough for a very wide seatpost, like in a Felt IA.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 14:11

Post #20 of 60 (8601 views)

Tom_hampton wrote:

I'm starting to think about getting a dedicated head unit...I don't want to spend a crap ton, though. I'm not looking for live segments, awesome mapping, or any of that.

It is tough to beat the value of a 520 Plus if you only want core features. Amazon has them on sale for $214 now. That gives you the color screen for best Varia experience.

Other than that, no real downsides to having a non-Garmin bike HU and Garmin watch. If you consolidate your activities into an aggregator like Strava or TP anyway, another web and mobile UI are not a huge deal.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 14:25

Post #21 of 60 (8591 views)

Quote:

None of the rubber bands are long enough for a very wide seatpost, like in a Felt IA.

The "trick" for when the rubber bands aren't long enough is to girth hitch a couple of them together.

Tech writer/support on this here site. FIST school instructor and certified bike fitter. Formerly at Diamondback Bikes, LeMond Fitness, FSA, TiCycles, etc.
Coaching and bike fit - http://source-e.net/ Cyclocross blog - https://crosssports.net/ BJJ instruction - https://ballardbjj.com/

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 19:22

Post #22 of 60 (8534 views)

I use my gravel bike for commuting to and from work. Have a Fly12 at the front (yes it can be fitted to the double decker bar of the Grail, on the lower bar just next to where you put your thumb) and a Fly6 at the back.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [exxxviii] [ In reply to ]

Jan 12, 20 22:18

Post #23 of 60 (8516 views)

Thanks. Yeah, the Amazon pricing us what git me started thinking about it. Then this thread popped up.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Jan 13, 20 1:42

Post #24 of 60 (8490 views)

I bought a gamin Varia, because I love the concept. Unfortunately it’s not as useful as I’d hoped due to the fact that the alert on the edge 520 is not loud enough for me to hear. I have to keep checking, which means it’s not anymore useful than a mirror. The point of it was supposed to be to alert me when I’m not checking. So my question is this: Are there any head units that have a louder alert or even better that have volume control?
By the way another down side that doesn’t get mentioned is it really drains the battery life of the edge 520, though maybe more of an issue for me because I have an older unit, so battery life is already compromised.

Re: Bike Head Unit Info, Bike Nav & Bike Safety Products: A Curated Thread [AndyCaleb] [ In reply to ]

Jan 13, 20 3:53

Post #25 of 60 (8461 views)

The volume on the Wahoo Roam is sufficiently loud to get my attention every time it detects a vehicle. Much louder than the Wahoo Elemnt. Have not used the Varia with a Garmin head unit.

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