Originally Posted by
datlas
I was not really serious about getting a Varia pre-COVID because almost all my rides were club rides. But now I am doing mostly solo rides and that may continue for quite some time, so the Varia makes sense. I have connected my Garmin 130 to friends' Varia radars on a group ride so I get what the device does and I think it is worth considering for solo riders.
Originally Posted by
Bah Humbug
I love mine. I got the new one (515?) just to guarantee getting a new example with a battery that hasn’t been aging on a shelf for a year. The new features are indeed uncompelling.
The bing thing is that it definitely sees cars behind me way before I can hear or see them. The only times I can look back and see them first is on LONG straights, and then still I’d have to turn and look to see them. Usually the Varia beeps at me first. It’s great.
Originally Posted by
WhyFi
Garmin now has a radar unit without a light - that makes it a little more viable to pair with a light/camera combo unit. Then again, the changing flashing pattern for approaching vehicles is a compelling feature of the Varia, to me.
In sailing, whenever there is a significant loss of life or property at sea, there is an expert investigation and a public report. As a result, the root causes of bad events are uncovered and there is continuous appraisal and development of gear and procedures. The information is disseminated by the media and through certification courses required by authorities for things like offshore racing. A lot of doctrine also comes from the maritime industry who pay huge insurance bills and have international conventions on safety.
All that makes gear choices really easy, if expensive, and the use case for each item is established by testing, experience, and real world data. I wish to hell we had something like that for cycling beyond, "wear a helmet."