Rear Radar / Light

[andrew-6xade]

Does anyone use one of the above from either Garmin or Wahoo?

If so, worth the money?

[eyebeebe]

Yes, Garmin RTL-515. Consensus of the people I know who have them and online more generally is that once you've got one, you'll never ride without it.

Reviews e.g. DCRainmaker, suggest that the Wahoo one can be a bit flaky. I would go Garmin. They integrate with Wahoo and Hammerhead as well as Garmin head units.

[andrew-6xade]

Thanks, the Garmin makes sense given it's cheaper and I have an Edge 530 head unit.

[Mutts]

I've got the Bryton Gardia R300L. I use Bryton bike computers anyway.
Works great, have it set as constant red light but when i picks up a car it flashes.
Appears as a vertical strip on right hand side of the display (Bryton S800).
If a car comes speeding up to you it flashes red on the screen.

Downsides to it, if a car comes up behind you and matches your speed before overtaking it things the car has overtaken you and drops the alert.

And its only £99 from the amazon.

[LM240]

I personally don’t know what a radar adds in terms of safety.

I’m always aware if there is a car behind me. Do you change your riding if there’s a car behind you and waiting to overtake?

If one does decide to come speeding up behind you, what is the radar doing to increase your safety? The radar won’t stop the car hitting you if they aren’t good drivers!

I’ve usually got a flashing red on regardless of time of day, so don’t need a radar to switch anything on.

Each to their own, but I just don’t see what they add.

[Dracoro]

As someone who is hard of hearing, they are brilliant.
Even with OK hearing, in many cases you only hear a car when it’s close anyway when ideally you want to know a more in advance.

[S100HP]

I've got a Varia. Was skeptical at first and borrowed one. Ridden for years, always thought I was aware of cars behind me etc, but it just gives you that peace of mind. Can't really describe why, but it gives you warning far far earlier than your ears can. It can spot a car a mile off. It also shows how quickly they are approaching, so I might sit a little further out than I normally would then as they close in move a bit further left, just giving myself a bit more space

I'm now one of those who wouldn't ride without one, having ridden for 20 years without one.

[stargazer30]

My varia saved me getting wiped out the 2nd ride out with it on. My own fault, turning right and I hadn’t heard the car. I saw the warning on my edge 530 head unit and aborted the turn just as he passed me.

I’ve now got a wahoo head unit as it’s as loud as hell. That way I can hear the varia warnings too!