Never used one, but I would think you could then give it a little bit more room.

---

Strava

1. You know it is coming before you can hear it. Gives you a little more time to move over a hair, so you don't act so twitchy.


1. On a farmroad that I ride a lot, there is a narrow shoulder, so I take the lane. It is a long, not too steep descent, so I am going 30-35mph. It is loud enough that I cannot hear much, but the last time a farm truck buzzed by, I knew it was coming and it still gave me a startle, being so close. Since it wasn't a surprise, absolutely no problem. Had it been a surprise, at the very least, I would've twitched a bit...not good. BTW, I was tucked down a bit, head closer to the stem and clearly heard the radar beep and never needed to look down.
2. It gives you an approximation of closing speed, color coded, so you know how much time you've got to move over, if you choose.
3. If you are in a bike lane littered with debris or drains and need to cross over, you can glance down and see when it is a good time for an actual headcheck.
4. If you are in a group and riding in the front, people behind you can see your light blinking and they know there is a car coming and can do the same as above (without as much detail, of course).
5. It sends out a radar signal. People with radar detectors will slow down and be extra aware.
6. It is a light. Cars see the light.

If none of that resonates with you, fine. Don't get it. The simple consensus is: the vast majority of people who ride with them love it. I'm sure other people will add other good benefits.


Better yet, go to a store and ask this same question. Then, ask them honestly: "Can I try it out for a couple rides and return it if I don't like it?" Most will oblige. Make up your own mind with actual experience.

Good stuff, thanks for take ng the time!

I own one and even with Varia I still use a mirror. So I don’t actually count on it to save my life. Lol. With that said, I don’t like cars “sneaking up on me” and passing. I appreciate the warning as I would when a friend warns “car back”. It gives me the chance see if the car is giving me space and affords me a chance to adjust.

I’m glad I bought it.

How does it not pick up the other cyclist in your group? I would think it would detect and warn you of any object around you, big or small.

---

Strava

It doesn’t pick up something as small as another bike and rider. Needs to be something at least the size of a small car.

---

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

I'll tell you what it's done for me over the last 2 years.


I wont ride without it. Does it make me "safer" probaly not, because I think a car is going to run me over, it's going to run me over. But psychological, I feel much safer. I atleast "know" it's there. There's just something about knowing it's going to alert you when a car is there and not know when a car is there. For that alone it's worth it to me.

I also ride with my athletes at different rides and it can be synched with other garmin riders, so in that instance it makes the whole group aware of cars (as long as I'm within the paceline for it to pass along the signal).

But to me it's easily made me feel much safer on the roads. If only because I feel safer, even if I'm not truly safer. Is it going to stop cars, no, is it going to alert cars, yes it is. Can they still miss my big ass red flashy light, yes and it can still run me over.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Those are well thought and good reasons. I had the same question as the OP thinking it had no defensive purpose other than kissing your ass good bye. Thx for the detailed response!

I dont know if next generation Varia's have improved to add aubible beeps, but the 1st generation was silent and includes a head piece that shows you the car approaching....you have to synch it with Garmin Edge's to get the "beeping"....The beeping is the important part imo. I never actually look at the device to see the cars approaching, I just wait for the "beep".

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I tried one as a demo. Pretty worthless where I live and ride. I'm being passed (over taken) by a vehicle every few seconds on average. It goes nuts. Mirrors are the same problem - information overload.

I'm sure both have their place where most of us ride, just not for me.

---

"...the street finds its own uses for things"

I wouldn't ride without it. I ride alone, 99% of the time and it alerts me when a car is behind me which gives me time to move over and/or sit up and look behind me.

I just got the new version a month or so ago. I love it!

I ride alot with my friends on back country roads where you might see 2-3 cars in an hour. More than once in the past we have been riding 2-3 abreast when a car has snuck up on us, and became agitated because we didn't know they were there. This usually ends with them gunning it to get past us, scaring the crap out of me. Yes, we could ride single file against the side of a back country road, but given the fact you almost never see anyone, I'd rather ride along side my friends so we can chat. Obviously on busy roads, we don't ride like that.

The Varia helps me know about the car back there, before they get up behind us. I move to single file position, and they pass. No drama, no one(us or the driver) is upset. Also, I've seen some back road drivers think it great sport to sneak up on us, and then hammer the horn or something. I never get snuck up on with the Varia.

Also, it's been helpful when needing to make a turn, but having to look back into the sun for traffic. No, I don't rely on the Varia for making a turn, but if helps give another piece of information to use in making a decision, when the sun is in my eye looking over my shoulder.

I've found it less useful on the shoulder of busier roads. It helps my awareness, which I do appreciate, but like you said, they either see you or they don't, and you're in pretty much a fixed position on the shoulder. I still think it has added value as my old tail light sucked, and the light on the Gen 2 is actually quite nice.

The new gen does beep. I never thought about having the other guys link to it. I may try this.

I have had it triggered by another rider a couple of times, but it's so rare it hasn't been an issue.

It's a winner, I'd buy another one.

Most of the roads I ride on have a nice shoulder and occasionally I need to move over due to something I need to avoid like trash or even tree root bumps. Just knowing I have no cars behind me gives me confidence as I quickly glance back anyway and have not once been surprised by a car. Sometimes I will need to take a left turn and my friends will yell clear, but I already know the road is clear to begin moving over. Again I will look anyway, but it is really nice that I have clearance.

I've been riding my tri bike the past few weeks and doesn't have room the the Varia. It is so disconcerting not to 'know' cars behind me or passing me.

I've been using it since the first one came to market. I NEVER ride without one if I am on the road. Specially it excels on country roads, I recently got the second version and love the shape and longer battery time.

The Version 2 (RTL510) will pick up other cyclists, as long as the approach is =>10km/h faster than you're moving. Although other cyclists aren't usually a worry.

Here's my take on it. Easily the best product I've used/purchased this year for the rides/roads here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az6_XX9bIMs

---

Shane Miller - GPLama
YouTube | Web | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Strava

V1 also picks up cyclists as well, as long as they are coming up pretty quick...+10kmph seems about right.

I doubt the signal will go too far, but the closest two or three riders may pick it up. Unless you ride tight, it would be annoying, constantly having the warning pop up saying: Varia connected.

In my original post, I mentioned it is useful to other riders because the light starts blinking differently when it picks up cars. So, the person behind you will see your varia light start going haywire and knows what is about to happen.

It doesn’t make you safer just more technology for Garmin to push on dumb money triathletes thinking they are safer and will swear to their death they are safer. I’d rather not know if a car is gon hit me.

6 riders deep so far. If your doing a "paceline" ride it would really be a no brainer, and you'd never lose signal. But this is coming from an coaching prospective who coaches as I have my elite team train together in a group of no more than 8.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Herein lies total arrogance. Yeah, I'll bite if you're going to brand people dumb. Let's agree to disagree here.

Yesterday riding with my wife. Windy conditions. Big open road. No shoulder. We ride single file while out training, maybe two abreast briefly. Knowing there's a car behind me (or, us) means I won't pop out to ride next to her until it passes. Even if I can hear 'that one car' I can quickly see on the radar there's another behind it, or behind that one too. You can't hear two cars. Let's say in a state of fatigue I head check, only see one car, only hear one car, I wait for it to pass, step out... bam. I put myself in more danger than I needed to. Yes. My issue here. BUT. Having more information at my disposal to make better decisions is a good thing. It's not dumb. It's not a cash grab by Garmin.

Does it make me safer? Yes. Does it stop a car from hitting me? No, but that doesn't negate the purpose of it.

---

Shane Miller - GPLama
YouTube | Web | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Strava

Actually this isn't a cash grab as this is one of their few true "safety" devices. A cash grab is making a creating another $650 bike computer...this device? Furthest from that.

But carry on.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Be more aware or stay out of the road that’s common sense. If you need a piece of technology for that then so be it still doesn’t make you safer you just think it does.

Just so we can have an intelligent conversation about this....have you tried it? Or you just talking out your ass?

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Slowtwitch needs upvote, downvote, assvote ratings for posts.

---

Shane Miller - GPLama
YouTube | Web | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Strava