Features:

  • See and be seen, day or night
  • Provides visual and audible alerts to warn of vehicles approaching from behind up to 153 yards (140 meters) away
  • Tail light offers daylight visibility up to a mile away and is visible within a 220-degree range, so drivers can see you well before the radar sees the vehicle
  • Sleek vertical design easily mounts to most road-use bicycles, including racing, touring and commuter styles. Lumens: 20 solid, 29 night flash, 65 day flash
  • Requires a dedicated radar display unit or wirelessly integrates with compatible Garmin devices (sold separately)
  • Battery life: up to 15 hours in flashing mode or 6 hours in solid or night flash mode
Worth its weight in gold

While purchasing this, I was hesitant because I thought it was a bit pricey. However, after using it, I can confidently say it's worth what I paid and then some. I can't imagine taking a road bike ride without it; the peace of mind it gives me is priceless. I still look over my shoulder from time to time to make sure there are no cars, but I've so far had zero false positives or negatives with this unit.

No problem with the battery charge. I rode over 4 hours without problems.

First class safety device. It works very well both audible and visual.

Best piece of safety equipment (and the most expensive) I have ever purchased.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this thing. I have a long commute, 2 hours one way in the Pacific NW, and I ride all year round, which means in the rain most days during winter. Though I stick to trails for 60% of the trip home, I'm forced onto the roadway in several places. My mirrors are OK, but when it's really raining, they're almost worthless. This little radar tells me exactly where the traffic is behind me, how many cars, their relative speeds, and it's right every time. I can't tell you how comforting it is to look over my shoulder and not be surprised by a car flying by, because I already know it's there. There's also an alarm that sounds when a new car enters the cue, and even an old deaf fart like me can hear it over the road noise. The receiver unit is easy to see, small enough to fit just about anywhere, even in a busy cockpit (as you can see from the pic). The radar device doubles as a bright tail light, which is actually as bright as my other dedicated lights. Both use a half turn mount, so easy to get on and off, and the set up took less than a minute. I wish it didn't cost so darn much, but after using this little radar, I won't commute without it. In the dark, PNW winter, this makes for a safer commute, even in the driving rain when I can't see anything on my water soaked mirrors.

Great bright light adds value add day and all night

Excellent add-on for day and night visibility. When I first ordered these I though they would be great for the dusk and dawn rides, but they are very useful anytime, day or night, especially in areas where winding roads have limited lighting. The Edge integration is a nice plus but I really like the bundle and it dedicated display, so I am going to try that approach for a while... I feel much safer with this installed and cannot wait to get out on the road more, more often, earlier and later in the day and all the time in between.

Super

Just what i hoped for

Excellent warning system, must have.

Love this product. Easy to use. I have had no false positives yet. I struggled with mounting it as I have a seat saddle bag in it sat to low due to the bag. So I came up with a solution' to mount the Varia RTL510 to your saddlebag. Here is the solution for securely mounting to your saddlebag. Use 4 small 4 inch zip ties to secure one of the extra mounts provided to your saddlebag. Center and hold the mount with your thumb and forefinger. Use a Dremel with a 1/16 drill bit and drill 2 small holes next to each side of a mounting arm. Feed a zip tie from the inside over the mounting arm and back through and secure. Re-center if necessary and repeat the process for each of the mounting arms. Clip off the extra zip ties on the inside and your good to go. It took me about a half an hour to complete.

game changer

friggin unbelievable. cars totally respond to the radar unit. it increases strobe speed as they approach. you can literally see cars jam on the brakes or swerve way from from you. Its simply brilliant.

Potential Lifesaver

This was made just for me. My rides are on rural roads with narrow shoulders and little traffic. A rear view mirror is my primary defense and often I can hear the rare vehicles approaching. The Varia is a fantastic augmentation to keep me aware of vehicles coming up and works like a charm only because of the audio alert which the previous model did not have. I sewed the rear light (which is also great to keep me more visible) mount to the back of my under-the-seat bike bag. I can't imagine an urban rider having as much success with this unit but I am thrilled to be using it. Thanks Garmin. The instructions on the Garmin website could have been clearer. Varia is a must have for riders with less frequent traffic and though pricey, it costs less than the deductible on my medical insurance if I were to have an accident.

Improves safety and awareness.

Very interesting and helpful product, warning one early about traffic approaching from behind and with a bright back light making approaching drivers aware of the biker. Works also fine with my Garmin 520, the tracking of different cars including the distance is helpful to be aware without permanently looking back. Rather high price, but it"s worth the investment.

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