Garmin Varia Purpose

[bikerboy337]

I was in the same boat, i never understood why the Varia or rear radar would be helpful. Then i decided to take the plunge and its been the best thing, way better than I can imagine.

I ride mainly solo rides, on low traffic country roads. The Varia gives me a huge piece of mind while riding, identifies every car thats passing and allows me to scoot as fart right as i can when they are close then ride more in the road when i know theres no traffic.

Anyways, I have 2 kids, 10 and 13, and ive thought a lot about the risk of riding on the road, the varia has given me a piece of mind and makes me feel much safer on the road. For solo country riding its been amazing for me....

[openwheelracing]

does it work well with Garmin 130's small screen? Same function as 530 and larger?

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by bikerboy337

I was in the same boat, i never understood why the Varia or rear radar would be helpful. Then i decided to take the plunge and its been the best thing, way better than I can imagine.

I ride mainly solo rides, on low traffic country roads. The Varia gives me a huge piece of mind while riding, identifies every car thats passing and allows me to scoot as fart right as i can when they are close then ride more in the road when i know theres no traffic.

Anyways, I have 2 kids, 10 and 13, and ive thought a lot about the risk of riding on the road, the varia has given me a piece of mind and makes me feel much safer on the road. For solo country riding its been amazing for me....

It doesn't even need to be in the country out of nowhere. Works great in the suburb. As long as you are not in the city with traffic the Varia shines thru and thru.

[NHAero]

Imagine that the fart pisses them off though

Originally Posted by bikerboy337

allows me to scoot as fart right as i can when they are close then ride more in the road when i know theres no traffic.

[ripvanrando]

I find the Varia very helpful on very narrow, high speed country roads. Once I know a car is coming, I give a little drunken-like wobble whilst observing the driver in the mirror. Almost always, they move over. I give them a friendly wave. On roads with a shoulder, I'll just cross the fogline when a car is coming and then get out of the glass back onto the road when they pass. In these situations, for me, it is a very nice adjunct to a mirror. Yes, overly cautious. I was clipped on the shoulder by a motor vehicle's mirror. I knew there was a vehicle behind me and I was on the far right, I just assumed they saw me. And, they did not stop as I went into the field. On busy roads, I think we are just at the mercy of motor vehicles and can't see how a Varia helps at all

[cp43]

Can you charge the Varia while using it?

I occasionally do rides longer than the stated run time of the Varia. I'm hesitant to buy one, get used to having on normal rides, then have it die part way through a really long ride. My Garmin Edge allows for charging while in use, letting me ride longer then the battery would usually last.


Thanks,

Chris

[Upcountry]

Originally Posted by cp43

Can you charge the Varia while using it?

You cannot... I mentioned this a bit earlier in this thread, and its a pretty big shortcoming considering the less than stellar battery life. Once plugged in to the USB port the unit will shut down and charge(no flashing, no radar).

[cp43]

Originally Posted by Upcountry

You cannot... I mentioned this a bit earlier in this thread, and its a pretty big shortcoming considering the less than stellar battery life. Once plugged in to the USB port the unit will shut down and charge(no flashing, no radar).

Thanks, I must have missed your earlier reply.

Chris

[lavi]

This place is like the slowest click bait ever. There have been multiple threads about this light, and others (I have Bontrager Flare RT)(atmo, the Flare has the best flash pattern for visibility).

I've read through every post.

I now am mounting a Varia to try out.

I hope the OP, or someone, is on a commission split with Garmin.

[KonaSS]

Originally Posted by Upcountry

You cannot... I mentioned this a bit earlier in this thread, and its a pretty big shortcoming considering the less than stellar battery life. Once plugged in to the USB port the unit will shut down and charge(no flashing, no radar).

You can change the flash mode for extended battery life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTLIeaRKN6c

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by rain dogs

do people find it confusing with other cyclists vs cars? I heard it doesn't distinguish???

Originally Posted by ripvanrando

I have never had mine go off with another cyclist. ???

My understanding is that the radar is registering the speed differential -- i.e., it's not enough to simply ride behind a Varia to have it sense you, you need to be riding behind at a significantly faster speed in order to set off the detection.

That way you can ride in a paceline and never have any other cyclists set off the radar, but a car approaching at 2x the paceline's speed will definitely show up.

I have on occasion set off my wife's Varia when I was sprinting to catch up to her just as she was slowing down. In theory this also means a motor vehicle could sneak up on you undetected, but I have yet to encounter a driver who's that patient just to fcuk with some roadies.

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

It doesn't even need to be in the country out of nowhere. Works great in the suburb. As long as you are not in the city with traffic the Varia shines thru and thru.

I think they are still useful in heavy (city) traffic. For instance, if you need to make a left turn, you don't have to continuously look over your shoulder waiting for a gap in traffic. You can wait until the Varia shows a gap, and then look over your shoulder once to confirm.

[fried bake]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

I think they are still useful in heavy (city) traffic. For instance, if you need to make a left turn, you don't have to continuously look over your shoulder waiting for a gap in traffic. You can wait until the Varia shows a gap, and then look over your shoulder once to confirm.

Excellent point. I should add that the Varia is not foolproof as vehicles that match your speed do not show up. Nonetheless, it aids decision making as it’s tiresome constantly looking over one’s shoulder. With the Varia I tend to look over shoulder only when planning turns.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LJohnny]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

My understanding is that the radar is registering the speed differential -- i.e., it's not enough to simply ride behind a Varia to have it sense you, you need to be riding behind at a significantly faster speed in order to set off the detection.

That way you can ride in a paceline and never have any other cyclists set off the radar, but a car approaching at 2x the paceline's speed will definitely show up.

I have on occasion set off my wife's Varia when I was sprinting to catch up to her just as she was slowing down. In theory this also means a motor vehicle could sneak up on you undetected, but I have yet to encounter a driver who's that patient just to fcuk with some roadies.

And on this note, anything coming up to you, slowing down to match your speed will “ghost” in the radar until they increase the speed to overcome you.

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

In theory this also means a motor vehicle could sneak up on you undetected, but I have yet to encounter a driver who's that patient just to fcuk with some roadies.

It has happened to me many times on long mountain descents, where I was traveling roughly the same speed as a car. Toss in some blind corners, and it's pretty easy for a car to sneak up on you. You just need to be aware of the limitations.