Can Garmin Varia radar talk to a Wahoo ELEMNT?

[Bob Ross]

Back story: Wife was in a catastrophic crash last year, fractured her C2 vertebrae, had emergency spine surgery which fused C1-4. She'll permamently have restricted range of motion in side-to-side rotation

...and yet she wants to get back on the bike. (Eventually.)

We're modifying her cockpit to make the rider position compatible with her newly titanium-reinforced forward head restrictions, and we're adding some swanky bar-end rearview mirrors. But she loves the idea of Garmin's Varia rear-facing radar as an added weapon in her arsenal of tools to compensate for not being able to easily look over her shoulder.

Thing is, she hates Garmins. She has a Wahoo ELEMNT and loves it.

Anyone know if there's a way to get the Garmin Varia radar to talk to the Wahoo ELEMNT head unit? ...maybe to display on the Wahoo's Quicklook LEDs?

Thanks.

[kramnnim]

Yes, has been supported for a year or so now

[R3awak3n]

No personal experience because I use a garmin but there was a thread a few months ago where a few people said it now works with wahoo. Someone was saying the warning beep was a bit too low but a few people said it was fine.

[Tim Porter]

Hey Bob, I put this on VS, too, but one thing you can do short of making it work with the Elemnt is to use the additional HB unit that Garmin sells with the Varia. All it does is show the radar's input and the proximity/number of cars. No GPS or anything that the Elemnt does. Might be a PITA to have another piece of gear on the HB but I think it'd be workable. Tim

[superbowlpats]

Yes

https://blog.wahoofitness.com/elemnt-adds-varia-radar-support/

[Bob Ross]

^^^Freakin' awesome, thanks!

[DaveS]

Absolutely. I just set this up a couple of weeks ago and it was easy as can be.

[glepore]

It works great, specifically for folks with reduced rom.
I had cervical spine surgery and am in a similar boat. Your wife must be both strong and brave, not sure I'd want to ride with 4 levels fused.

[rnhood]

Yes, props to your wife for her courage and tenacity to maintain a healthy quality of life. I am very glad the surgery was successful. That is a major one.

[NHAero]

Hope this isn't too much thread drift, but I also have an Elemnt and a stiff neck. Can users say how they are using the Varia? I'm imagining that on busy roads it's not much help - if one is being passed every two seconds, it's your mirror that's going to tell you if a vehicle is headed your way.

[laupsi]

Thing is, she hates Garmins.

The more I use my Garmin Egde 520 the more I too, “hate” it! Cannot figure out how such a huge/successful company can get by w/such god awful engineering.

Best wishes to you and your wife!

[dem]

Hope this isn't too much thread drift, but I also have an Elemnt and a stiff neck. Can users say how they are using the Varia? I'm imagining that on busy roads it's not much help - if one is being passed every two seconds, it's your mirror that's going to tell you if a vehicle is headed your way.

I got a Varia for xmas and am using it with my ELEMNT.

So far I find it of limited use - it is pretty much in "YOU GONNA DIE" mode all the time (when it detects a fast closing vehicle it goes beepbeepbeep!)

I think the test will be when I switch up bikes and if I miss it or not. But mostly it's just beeping away on straight roads, and in the mountains the roads are quieter BUT very twisty so my ears are better than the radar at detecting cars coming up behind me.

I imagine it is heavily dependent on your roads, terrain and traffic levels.

[Old School]

I got a Varia for xmas and am using it with my ELEMNT.

So far I find it of limited use - it is pretty much in "YOU GONNA DIE" mode all the time (when it detects a fast closing vehicle it goes beepbeepbeep!)

I think the test will be when I switch up bikes and if I miss it or not. But mostly it's just beeping away on straight roads, and in the mountains the roads are quieter BUT very twisty so my ears are better than the radar at detecting cars coming up behind me.

I imagine it is heavily dependent on your roads, terrain and traffic levels.

You can turn the beeper off.