Looks like a good product and a worthy competitor to the Varia.
Looks like a good product and a worthy competitor to the Varia.
There is a podcast called Geek Warning on escape collective. They review it in the first 10min of the latest episode
The Magene radar was already a pretty serious competitor. Bryton a little bit less so, but I believe their last update fixed many of the issues.
But Trek will have better distribution, so there is that side of the argument.
Maybe after my RTL 515 dies but just got it as a warranty replacement for my 510 which Garmin warrantied even though the warranty was up. Good customer rations adds allot of value to the Garmin! They also did not have any 510’s and sent me the 515 instead.
The Magene radar was already a pretty serious competitor. Bryton a little bit less so, but I believe their last update fixed many of the issues.
But Trek will have better distribution, so there is that side of the argument.
The Bryton (with the update) is very good. I have not encountered and missed or error readings. Maybe range is better on other brands but I find it acceptable. Just bought a second one for under $100usd.
There is a podcast called Geek Warning on escape collective. They review it in the first 10min of the latest episode
That wasn’t exactly a glowing review so far!
guess i’d have to look into it. i’m already sort of committed to the garmin ecosystem, and i find that generally my varia “just works,” so i’m not sure exactly why i’d switch. maybe if trek can offer this at a great price?
guess i’d have to look into it. i’m already sort of committed to the garmin ecosystem, and i find that generally my varia “just works,” so i’m not sure exactly why i’d switch. **maybe if trek can offer this at a great price?**This was my take too. In my experience, the Garmin Varia just works with no drama. And it has been around for many years. I would be perfectly open to something else, but that something else would need a compelling difference, like much lower cost, to pull me away.
Do any of the competitors have the camera like the most recent version of the Varia?
Garmin 515 is still the king. But Garmin fumbled the ball with the camera version, read some reviews before just getting a 515. The Car Back may be best of the non-Garmin radars though if you dislike Garmin and want something that may be supported long term.
There is a podcast called Geek Warning on escape collective. They review it in the first 10min of the latest episode
That wasn’t exactly a glowing review so far!
Ageed. They didn’t have much good to say other than it was likely a more margin profit area for the dealers. Price is the same as Garmin, shape seems more boxy and they really panned the accuracy of the Trek model as it didn’t pick up traffic well in it’s current state. I can’t imagine why one would pick the Trek over the Garmin unless it was from the dealer pushing their higher margin product.
The Bryton (with the update) is very good. I have not encountered and missed or error readings. Maybe range is better on other brands but I find it acceptable. Just bought a second one for under $100usd.
Yeah, I was about to buy an Garmin to replace mine that had very poor battery life, and but saw an Amazon deal for like $70 for the Bryton. I also don’t like that the Garmin still uses MicroUSB charging, and the Bryton USB-C. I hate micro-USB - personal thing. Come on Garmin, it’s 2024.
It’s not quite as good as the Garmin - slightly underperforms in picking up a chain of multiple cars. Car positions can jump around in that scenario, etc. But overall it’s just fine. No regrets.
I think the biggest, if only complaint I’ve heard (and had myself) of the Varia is that the battery life is too short, like 3hrs runtime, maybe 3:30-3:45 if you’re lucky.
A longer-lasting Varia would be a real game-changer, or heck, even one with a well designed clip-on battery attachment to run it for 6-8 hrs would be really cool.
And yes, I know you can just buy two of them and just swap one for the other if you want the long runtime that badly.
I think the biggest, if only complaint I’ve heard (and had myself) of the Varia is that the battery life is too short, like 3hrs runtime, maybe 3:30-3:45 if you’re lucky.
A longer-lasting Varia would be a real game-changer, or heck, even one with a well designed clip-on battery attachment to run it for 6-8 hrs would be really cool.
And yes, I know you can just buy two of them and just swap one for the other if you want the long runtime that badly.
5 hours ride time with mine and still charged enough to ride the next few days. Maybe you need a firmware update?
I think the biggest, if only complaint I’ve heard (and had myself) of the Varia is that the battery life is too short, like 3hrs runtime, maybe 3:30-3:45 if you’re lucky.
A longer-lasting Varia would be a real game-changer, or heck, even one with a well designed clip-on battery attachment to run it for 6-8 hrs would be really cool.
And yes, I know you can just buy two of them and just swap one for the other if you want the long runtime that badly.
5 hours ride time with mine and still charged enough to ride the next few days. Maybe you need a firmware update?
It probably varies how much traffic passes you - my friend just got a new one and on similar routes as mine he gets the same runtime as me - he def complains about it because he’s training for IM and often runs out the battery.
I think the biggest, if only complaint I’ve heard (and had myself) of the **Varia is that the battery life is too short, like 3hrs runtime, maybe 3:30-3:45 if you’re lucky. **
A longer-lasting Varia would be a real game-changer, or heck, even one with a well designed clip-on battery attachment to run it for 6-8 hrs would be really cool.
And yes, I know you can just buy two of them and just swap one for the other if you want the long runtime that badly.
Nope! I’m using the Varia I bought back in '19 and I had it burning for a 5 and 1/2 hour ride yesterday. I do run it on blink (not solid).
PSA: I always run it on the road and I have it on my gravel bike just in case I end up riding a stretch of busy road. It gets muddy and dusty on the gravel bike and I’ll wipe it off before using it on the road. Before yesterday’s ride I gave it a really deep clean. To my surprise I noticed it was picking up cars a lot farther away than what I had gotten use to. Keep it clean for maximum range!
My Varia is getting pretty long in the tooth, so i don’t know how long it lasts now. But I have gone on 8 hour rides with it in the past in blinking mode. My 520 dies long before the Varia does.
My Varia is getting pretty long in the tooth, so i don’t know how long it lasts now. But I have gone on 8 hour rides with it in the past in blinking mode. My 520 dies long before the Varia does.
I have had good battery life with my original unit, but it eventually got a bit older and the battery was a bit sketchy, so bought the new model and no problems there.
One thing that really is interesting is that none of the typical gear reviewers like DC Rainmaker/ GP Lama etc have said a word about this Trek unit… that seems very odd. The Geek Alert podcast did not give a very positive review though.
Another anecdote from me - I did a century ride recently, and purposely did not turn on my Varia for the first 4 hours, as I figured I’d save it for the final hours when I’m more fatigued and there are fewer riders around.
Tons of Varias in the first 4 hours, seemed like well over half the riders had them and they were all chirping. I could just follow their chirps for cars on the country roads.
In the last few hours after I turned mine on, seemed like I saw very few of them on or chirping anymore. Yes, there were fewer people around, but it went from like everyone having them on to literally nobody except me - several groups I rode with in the last few hours - NOBODY had a functioning Varia except me. They were there - just ‘off’.
Ageed. They didn’t have much good to say other than it was likely a more margin profit area for the dealers. Price is the same as Garmin, shape seems more boxy and they really panned the accuracy of the Trek model as it didn’t pick up traffic well in it’s current state. I can’t imagine why one would pick the Trek over the Garmin unless it was from the dealer pushing their higher margin product.
This 100%, I actually heard this exact thing from a bike shop owner, Garmin does not give shop owners big margins, but Trek does, so shops will be pushing this, as a consumer though I would absolutely go with the Garmin, this is something that has to work all of the time, not just most of the time.