GarminVaria RTL515 Radar With Tail Light(Return to Product Page)

I've been riding for over 15 years on the same, primarily rural roads and know the traffic. However, in the last year, I added a mirror, which is suitable for looking behind but wasn't convenient. I purchased the Garmin Varia RTL51 5 Rear Radar on sale, and using it in conjunction with the mirror has brought back a comfort level to riding on the roads again. The Varia alerts me to an approaching vehicle (or vehicles), which I can check in the mirror, and then alerts me when traffic has cleared - good for multiple vehicles, especially trucks with trailers. I find the combination of radar and mirror immensely helpful and reassuring in providing another layer of safety on the road.

I've been using this bike radar for a while now, and when I compare this to other less expensive options, the radar cone (the triangular detection area) the radar covers is larger, and accuracy is a bit more precise when detecting oncoming rear traffic.

As with any threat detection system, the rider's eyes and ears are the best.

What a great piece of gear. The radar brings your situational awareness to the next level.

Garmin Varia RTL515 Radar With Tail Light is a great product. Family was a little concerned about my safety on the road, so they wanted to get me this light for my birthday. BTD had a great deal and discount over the holidays. Their price beat the most popular online store. BTD delivered even faster than Prime. - The light/radar is awesome. It turns on when Garmin computer turns on, and off when Garmin computer turns off. I choose the irregular flashing light setting that turns off almost completely when there is no traffic and it gets brighter and faster when cars approach. That is a great feature. My computer display shows all cars and vehicles approaching at any distance, and turns yellow, and red according to speed, plus green when is all clear. I prefer to hear the different beeps as well. My bicycle mates do not seem to bother all the sounds, they can also interpret the sounds by now. They even have an option to pair their devices to my light/radar. I love it.

I bought one early on and have been using it continuously until just recently after surviving multiple drops from my recumbent bike bag while cruising over bumps at 20+ mph, I dropped in onto my concrete garage floor and it became unreliable. I nursed it until my new one arrived, and ordered a backup just in case. BTW, I got one for my wife�s recumbent Catrike too. The Garmin picks up cars just after I can see them in my mirror. So, if I have not seen by the time it beeps, it�s time to react to the car. It keeps me warned on expressways and multilane residential streets of high speed vehicles.

Always thought my hearing was good enough to hear traffic coming up from behind me. It took only one ride with the Varia to appreciate the benefit of having radar. Let's me know traffic is approaching before it can be heard. Also shows when multiple vehicles are approaching. It easily paired with my Garmin 530. Had my wife drive up behind me while I was riding and she noted the high visibility of the light. Definitely an essential part of my riding gear to be used on every ride.

Although it is easy to quickly look behind you and/or use a helmet mirror, there are instances when you have to focus on the road ahead, the route, your training plan etc.. Wind and road noise can obscure the sound of oncoming cars, I found that having an alert on the head unit was a huge safety advantage when your focus is divided. Also the light on the unit pulses quicker the closer the vehicle is to you, giving the driver a visual clue as well. I have installed a Garmin quarter-turn mount on all my bikes so I can use the Varia Radar every time I ride. In my opinion it is an indispensable bit of tech.

Did you live without it before? Could you drive without one now? Yes of course, but it's REALLY nice not having to crane your neck around to confirm no one's there. Same thing with this radar. Drivers are increasingly distracted so on the road, I like having a tail light. I also like bombing descents as fast as possible, and taking the lane makes that easier. Having a quick glance at my head unit confirm there's no cars behind makes bombing descents that much more enjoyable.

I waited until after all my riding partners had a Varia to get on one for myself. I wish I'd gotten it sooner! All those years I spent trying in vain to use a mirror connected to my glasses! The Varia integrates seamlessly with my Hammerhead Karoo 2 computer which detects it the same way it would a HRM or cadence sensor. When a vehicle approaches from behind, a vertical band appears on the left of the Karoo that tells me how many vehicles and if a car is coming REALLY fast, it flashes a red alert. It also picks up other cyclists if they are "closing" on me to help me be aware and avoid crashes. The mount it comes with is adequate, but if you're gonna use it on more than one bike, I would recommend separate mounts for each bicycle as it isn't easy to put on or remove the mount. Oh, and I've used a taillight for a long time so having the functionality in this unit is also a big plus and the fact that it shines more brightly when cars are approaching is pretty neat!

Been riding for 30 years - don't know how I survived without the Varia radar. My new confidence in situational awareness on the bike cannot be overstated. The unit performs superbly as it detects overtaking motion (car, cyclist, runner?!?) LONG before you can even see it over your shoulder. And it has not returned a false positive yet nor missed any overtaking vehicle (the device detects overtaking motion, not "presence").

The only negative is the mounting: it sucks for aero seatposts, and I can't imagine it's any better for round seatposts. The device is secure and snug to the seatpost (aero or round) but will NOT stay in place; it is constantly rotating to the left or right. Fortunately there are a plethora of aftermarket 3D printed mounting solutions.

My third Varia taillight, the 510 lost ability to hold a charge for a whole ride, the replacement 515 went 4 years and began acting like it wasn�t charged when it was. The new one works perfectly as expected, I�ll figure 4 years from this one as well. As far as the Varia radar taillight I really can�t imagine anyone riding road without one. A basic requirement for safety.

This product was an instant success, I smile as I see cars coming up from behind, and can prepare with enough notice. Addicted to the safety aspects after one mile, truly a game changing product. As important as riding with a helmet for added safety on the road. Expensive, but would pay twice the price for what it does and how it improves the quality of every ride. Easy to link to my Garmin display with plenty of battery power for a 100 mile + day ride.

I recommend using the Varia in conjunction with a dropbar end mirror, or helmet mirror, for knowing what's behind you. The Varia syncs cleanly with my Wahoo Bolt head unit, and is mostly accurate.

The Varia's cons are: 1) If a car/truck is keeping pace with you, it won't show up. It needs to be gaining on you. So, sometimes the car shows up on the screen only as it's passing you. 2) Ghosts. The vehicle icon stays on the screen sometimes even after there's no longer a vehicle behind you. Seems to happen most after making a turn. 3) "RADAR ERROR". I get this message occasionally, maybe once per ride. The quick fix is to Dismiss the message. Then it starts working right again, usually.

I suffer from double vision and struggle to look behind me to the left. That's not good for me or those I need to alert to "CAR BACK". The Garmin radar works really well. It even alerts you to multiple vehicle approaching. The only problem I have is that the red alert is not very bright when wearing sun glasses and the audible alert ought to be louder.

This RLT515 is a replacement for the RLT510 that I had been using for almost 4 years but sadly lost. It looks virtually identical but also now includes bluetooth and "peloton" mode. Unfortunately I've been having problems with my new unit throwing "0:FC" errors somewhat randomly during my rides. Some rides it performs great while other times it gets so bad that I have to disconnect it from my Edge 1040 solar. For instance I went for a 3 hour ride recently and it was fine for the first hour and a half then is started throwing the error several times a minute which is both frustrating and dangerous. The error came up probably 30 times in about as many minutes so I just disconnected it from my headunit and used it as a dumb light.

I never had these problems with my old unit and would go back to it in a heartbeat if I could find it. Searching the Garmin forums made it seem that it's a software issue and Garmin is aware of it. I love Garmin hardware but their software is utter garbage, hopefully they take care of this soon.

Today was my second ride using the Garmin Varia. I really like it because it warms you about cars that are behind you from a very long distance. All that information is shown on your Garmin head unit. The view on the screen contracts and there is a dot that shows the car as it approaches you. I feel much safer knowing what is going on behind me and this device works very well. I did get a sensor error message once for a short time. But it resumed working as it should shorty after. I'm glad I bought it.

This is a great safety add to my bike. It has never failed me. I ride in hilly, rural farm areas and I am sometimes surprised by cars showing up behind me. This radar made that a thing of the past. The integration with the Garmin 1030 plus is nice. It stays in a low power mode but when an alert appears it goes to high flash. It is a tad overweight and needs USB-C like all other Garmin products otherwise it is an excellent light and warning system. I would definitely recommend it if you are thinking about getting one. BTD had a great sale so I could not resist.

I have been using this on my road bike and absolutely love the radar feature. It notifies you right on the Garmin computer screen letting you know cars approaching from the rear and also gives an audible alert. Really helps to keep you informed of traffic behind you.

Be seen day or night and be aware of anything approaching from behind. I never ride without it. A must for every cyclists.

If you�re looking for more safety and want to know what�s coming behind you this is the product you should have attached to your bike. It definitely sees everything that�s coming towards you and gives a warning you do need a garmin computer for it to work properly.