As many of you that have been on rides with me know, I have been using the Garmin Varia Radar for a few years. I think it is one of the best tools I have on my bikes, whether they be road, gravel or even mountain. In fact, I rarely go for a ride without my Varia. Garmin recently came out with a new version of the Varia called the RTL510. I thought that I would enlist the smartest guy I know, our very own MMC Ambassador, Pete Armbruster, to give us a review of the new Varia. By the way the Varia, as well as all Garmin products are available from MMC.
– Harry
This is Garmin’s second version of rear-facing radar. It combines the radar function with a daylight visible tail light. As with most new products, you can find numerous reviews on the web.
As vehicles are overtaking you from behind, the radar portion of the unit displays a moving dot on the screen of compatible Garmin computers. If you do not have a Garmin, you can purchase an optional bar mounted display. You can purchase just the unit/mount itself or a bundle with the unit and a small display. The tail light brightness is rated at 60 Lumens (just slightly less bright than the Bontrager Flare R Rear Bike Light which is 65 Lumens). Physically the unit is about 3.75 inches tall and 1.5 inches wide.
Varia RTL510 Front and back view
The unit’s long size can make it a bit hard to mount. For example, when mounted below the seatpost clamp, it can interfere with the rear break. Or, when mounted above the seatpost clamp, it can interfere with saddle bag. The unit mounts to the bike’s seat tube using a standard Garmin quarter-turn adapter. It includes both a round seatpost mount as well as an aero seatpost mount, and it is held in place with a rubber band.
Varia RTL510 seatpost mount
Pairing the unit to your Garmin is straightforward, using the same method as pairing any sensor. Once paired, you’ll see a small WiFi looking icon in the upper right corner. This means the unit is working and paired. You can also pair it as a bike light. By doing so, you’ll be able to have the light portion of the unit automatically turn on when you power on or start your Garmin device (ditto for powering it off).
Note: you have to turn the radar on manually, which also turns on the light, so I don’t see much value in pairing the light.
With the unit paired and mounted, you’re ready to ride. As a car approaches you from behind, the Garmin unit will beep, which notifies you that a vehicle has entered range of the Varia radar. Additionally, a little white dot will appear on the side of the Garmin screen, representing the approaching car, which will start moving along the track towards the top. You’ll also see colored bands along the side of the unit that change color, indicating the approach speed of the vehicle (Yellow for low speed, Red for high speed, Green when it’s all clear). The white dot and color bands will disappear once vehicle traffic has passed. Note: the dot and colored bands do not block any information on the display.
The battery life varies based on the selected light mode, about 15 hours for flashing mode, and 6 hours for steady on. The battery is recharged via a micro-USB charging port.
What I like:
- Provides rider with a little more info about their environment. I’m all for any additional safety I can get.
- Not too useful on busy roadways with lots of traffic, but I found it very helpful in light traffic areas to alert me of occasional approaching traffic. I also found it useful when I encountered debris in the bike lane and have to move into the traffic lane.
What I don’t like:
- Currently not compatible with non-Garmin cycling computers
- The units long size can make it a bit hard to mount (can interfere with saddle bag)
- Uses a standard Garmin mount and rubber bands to hold it in place. Note: Garmin makes an optional seat post mount and there are some aftermarket mounts available
– Pete Armbruster, MMC Ambassador