There's always the REI route. Typically a 1 year no questions asked return policy, but I think for electronics it's 30 days. Still solid.

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Strava

I've been using one of these for several years now.

It works 'ok', in my opinion, but despite not having used a Varia, I'd say the Varia would be likely a lot better.

The field of view in that mirror is miniscule, even close to your eye. You learn to point it in the right place pretty quickly, and it's better than nothing, but I would absolutely wayyy prefer a Varia that warns me before I even need to bother to tilt my head to see the road.

Exactly. What is wrong with being as safe as you can. Varia, mirrors, and lights. Of course there’s no guarantees, but let’s get whatever gets us some safety benefit. I always ride with Varia, mirrors (two on my Tri bike for both positions), flashing lights, and hi-viz clothing. Any of you who have had friends in bad accidents will understand the need to do whatever you can to see and be seen.

One note on Varia: it doesn’t give you much extended battery life once the head unit indicates low battery (flashing), like maybe only 10 or 15 minutes. I just make sure to charge it every week.

Every week? I charge after every ride, so there's never a concern about a battery running out.

I've seen some mirror setups that look like a hazard if you crash. The worst offender looked like a straight metal rod, with adjustment thumb screws on it. It wouldn't take much for it to go in to your face/eye in a crash.

OP, try the radar and get back to us.

You can be focusing on riding, like avoiding a pothole, and still get a beep indicating an approaching car. A mirror requires you to take your eyes off the road. Sure, the radar gives more info if you look, but man it is a game changer. Beep: look when it is safe to do so. Plus it doubles as a taillight. And flashes faster when a car approaches. That alone is huge for safety.

Just get the radar. The only time it is not useful is when there is a constant stream of cars. I avoid such roads.

I'll have to try it. But I just don't quite get what it'll do for me. I ride my line. If a car is going to run over me, it's going to run over me.

Agreed with rocket, depends on where you ride. I typically go for rural roads with little traffic so I can just be in aero and more in the middle of the lane just hammering intervals away and when the thing beeps, I get up, hold the side and glance behind me (mirror would be a good supplement but I hate the helmet attachment and havent gotten around to figuring out a good one for the tt bike) and let them pass (or run me over, I guess...if they wish) but at the very least, I am avoiding pissing off cars by waiting until they're close enough to hear or honk for me to move over.

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

I find the Varia absolutely invaluable on descents when I am using all of my half of the road for the racing line through corners, the wind noise means I can't hear cars behind me, and I really DON'T want to take my eyes of the road for even a mirror check.

In rural areas, the Varia gives me confidence to ride in the lane and out of all the #$%^ on the shoulder, and move over when the Varia alerts me. It also lets me know if there is more than one vehicle approaching, which is something that sound alone (or a mirror) won't tell you.

In urban areas, I remove it, because the constant alerts are a distraction.

Fucking hubbards......

I certainly am tempted, it's not like I don't spend that much every other week on some bike-related shopping spree anyway...

My riding is 5x per week commuting on a 25 mile round trip, mostly urban. Then the usual long spins at the weekend, usually on my own, on quieter roads. I guess I should just try it and see.

Everyone except the captain of the Andrea Doria values radar.

I moved from Japan with slow car traffic to Germany. Even though my xt920 does not support Varia, the high speed car traffic made me think.

I know OP wants a fight but you could do both.

With Varia you don’t need both.

And who cares about the money anyway

Spending money on triathlon is a feature not a bug

Same for me. Where I keep my bike I've got a small charge station for my Varia, Wahoo and front light. I've gotten in the habit of immediately charging them after every ride. No worries about ever dying on a ride.

If your urban roads are steady traffic, then you won’t get much benefit from radar (or anything) on those. When I am on high traffic roads, I assume I will always be passed and ride accordingly. It is the roads with moderate to occasional traffic where the Varia sings.

I have one of those little mirrors and used it once and never again. Just too small. I now have 2 Varia's, the first model and the latest. I feel naked riding without the varia. I can be riding in a bike lane or even a wide shoulder and when a car approaches, I will often times mover over a little for some added safety from the passing cars. I always wondered if the drivers notice that. Sometimes there is an obstruction in front of me and I need to move into the car lanes. It's nice to have an idea of the lane is clear of cars. Of course I will look anyway, but for me, 100% of the time, the varia was correct.

Yesterday on a bike trail, it was funny that I got a vehicle alert despite the fact cars aren't allowed on the trail. I turned my head and it was a e-bike going about 28 mph while I was doing about 25 mph (downhill underpass).

I've been using a brake hood mirror for over 20 years. I won't ride the roads without it. I've read the comments on the varia and I'm glad that it makes its users feel safe. That's what the mirror does for me.

This is the part of the anti-Varia argument I don't understand. I ride almost exclusively on rural roads and rarely have any negative experience with a driver. Even at 60mph, it seems like it takes about 10 seconds to get overtaken from the time of the Varia beep. This is 10 seconds you have to glance back, see if the car is getting left or see if the dot is slowing down (yes, you can tell this once you get used to the Varia). In 10 seconds, I could put myself in a ditch or get to a safe position in a worst case scenario. I always look back multiple times if I need to until I'm sure the car has acknowledged me.

If the car isn't getting over, you have time to slow down and put yourself in the ditch that you didn't have before. We have a right to be on the road, but the reality of the situation is that you do have to take some responsibility for your own safety when you're in the more vulnerable position.

Glancing back is required on Varia to judge how safe/unsafe the pass is? I can SEE exactly what's approaching continuously with the mirror - surely that has to be an advantage in situational awareness?

I don’t ever glance back w Varia. That’s my whole point of using varia. And so for me yes I can still get run over. Cus I’m not going to glance back to see what the car is actually doing.

What the varia does for me is to alert me and “get in position” so that a normal passing car I will pass. IE- get over correctly or ride single file etc.....it’s perfect for a small group ride as they can all sync it w their garmin.

If I need to glance and look into eyes of driver to not get run over every time I’ll just need to quit. So yes I can still die and I don’t think this is going to save me. But what it has done is given me confidence on the roads to be safer.

You guys who say it’s worthless or etc awesome. Me and a whoooole bunch of others will keep enjoying it.

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

I said it above, but the light blinks faster as cars approach. No mirror does that. But mirrors have their own benefits.

The altered blinking rate is very helpful for safety and increasing the chance that a texting millennial (discussing free range avocado toast with their bff) will see me.

First, I'm not anti-Varia. I just don't quite understand it. I think I need to try it out.

But my strategy for rural roads is somewhat different than yours. My general strategy is to ride where I think I should be, and make myself as visible as possible. And I try to be as predictable as possible to passing cars. It sounds exhausting to me trying to gauge the behavior of every car coming from behind and being prepared to make split-second "ditch or not" decisions. In 20 years as cyclist (with 10's of thousands of rural miles) I've never once ditched because of a car coming from behind (I've also never made contact with a car). I've twice ditched because of cars coming head-on in the wrong lane.

Now I could see some possible benefit in some scenarios that I think other posters have mentioned. Sometimes I put myself smack dab in the middle of the lane of narrrow roads with no shoulder. And in those cases I could see it being helpful to know when cars are coming up behind so I can do the courtesy pull-over well in advance. Particularly silent cars like EVs. That might be worth it, though I've never considered that to be much trouble for me. But sometimes you don't know the effort you put into something until it goes away.

And I don't think there's any need to be defensive about using a Varia, or feeling you have to justify it. If you feel it as value for you or makes you feel more comfortable, by all means use the hell out of it.

Great input on this thread. Convinced me to buy a Varia and just ordered. Particularly this piece on descending. On windy descents if you want to actually...descend...you have to take the road. I of course always feel completely exposed when doing so, though. Will be nice to have some piece of mind knowing there is no car behind. And if a car does approach, I'll just slow down, tap out, go to the shoulder or side of the road and live to fight another day

Not so sold on the blinking light. As far as I know, a blinking light actually makes it more difficult to judge distances, and drunk drivers may be drawn to them.

There are settings to change it to always-on. Though, it seems like most rear bike lights flash.