Three new releases today from Garmin for a product that for me (and a number of others) is an absolute game changer!
If you're not familiar with the Varia Radar technology
It's a little device that sits on the back of your bike
And when paired to a compatible head unit
You'll get an audio and a visual alert of what's coming up behind you, and how many there are.
I've done a number of videos on the Varia Radar technology
Which I'll link to below which shows you how it all works, and how it works with different head units.
But if you haven't seen those videos or haven't seen one of these in action, later on the video
I'll give you four perspectives of one of these new units working out on the road.
And speaking of, onto today's updates.
So three things of note here. Garmin have updated the RTL 510 model to the RTL 515.
They've introduced the RvR 315 which is exactly as it looks.
It's a 515 without the light on top.
And on the software side of things they've introduced the Varia mobile app.
The key update today to the hardware being Bluetooth support for the new Varia radar units.
This allows connectivity to the mobile app and other things as well.
I will show the Varia mobile app in action in just a few moments
But first, the specifications of the new units. Onto the RTL 515. Physically identical to the 510
It's almost impossible to tell them apart. Same weight as the older model around 71 grams here in the llama lab.
There are four light modes
There is solid, peloton mode (Which is a new low intensity flash mode. If you're riding in a bunch), night flash, and day flash.
Battery life stated up to 16 hours in day flash mode. Up to six hours in night flash or solid mode.
I do note the RTL 510 was listed as up to 15 hours. So this new one is up to 16 hours.
Not quite sure if there's any other changes then just a measurement of the battery, but given it's the same weight
I'm not sure what's going on there, but take one extra hour... I'll take that.
ANT+ light support. So you get remote control of the light and battery status on your head units. Coming in at
US$200 for that unit.
The RvR 315. Well, it's exactly as it looks it is the RTL 515 without a head or without a light!
So no light, slightly more bulky in the bottom end than just one of these units with the top cut off.
So a little bit bulkier.
But you really wouldn't know, unless you look really close. A small change has being made to the button at the top of here
So it's fully enclosed. With the other models (the bigger models) here
if you get grit or grime in those buttons they can get a bit sticky
You need to clean them out every now and then if you're on a mountain bike or something dirty. But that on the RV 315
has been fully enclosed.
Similar to the 500 if you're going back in history with me on the older units.
Battery life up to seven hours on this unit and weighing in at a US$150.
On to what they both support and that is ANT+ and Bluetooth. ANT+ can be connected to multiple units
So for example, these can be connected to a watch and a head unit at the same time
Bluetooth is a one to one connection.
So the mobile app either on the front of your bike or in your back pocket.
The Mounts quarter-turn Garmin mounts and these newer units come with three types of mounts
You get the standard round post, the arrow post, and now they ship with a d-shaped
Post mount that's compatible with those newer bikes.
Also, the Kickr bike comes with a d-shaped post, but I don't think you'll be using one of these on a Kickr bike.
Detection distance of both these get 153 yards/
140 meters so that stays the same as with the
RTL 500, 510 and 511 model.
Over to the software side of things with a new Varia app.
Supported on Apple and Android devices
Runs in the foreground with visuals audible and vibration alerts if you have it on the handlebars
I'll give you a run-through in a moment with what that looks like. And it also runs in the background
So if you have your Varia connected to a head unit on the front of your bike and your phone in your back pocket connected
to one of these or one of the newer units via Bluetooth
You'll get a vibration and audible alert. Also works through systems sound
So if you have a set of headphones on, either taking a phone call,
No sound at all, or music playing, you will get that "dit-dit-dit" tone come through.
This will also work with
Bluetooth connected helmets. These audible alerts from the mobile phone app to your headphones or a Bluetooth connected helmet will be a welcome update for
A lot of people who have complained that the beeping alert from their head units just isn't loud enough to get notifications.
Let's have a closer look now at the app in action. Ok, using the 515 in test mode
We'll see how the app responds
To the different scenarios of cars and things being detected coming from behind. Ok, so that's in test mode now
that's a single car coming at normal speed and
Clear next it's a car coming at higher speed and
Clear next is two cars
And the final one will be up to eight vehicles detected
So there's the app there and that's what you'll see on the handlebars if you're using this as your visual guide.
Pairing the unit with a Garmin 830
You can see here the single detection test
And green for clear
The fast car detection test. And clear. The twin car or two vehicle detection.
And finally if you have eight vehicles coming up behind you here's what you'll see on screen.
And finally the Wahoo Roam with the test modes single car
Scrolling up and
You note that with the wahoo units there is a clearing tone.
So clear and everything is okay behind you. Double car test
And clear. And the multi car or multi vehicle detection test.
And
clear.
Okay with the bench tests out of the way,
let's jump over here to the real world to show you the real experience of using a Varia radar out on the road.
There's a lot going here on the screen. I have a camera on front of the bike.
I have the camera on the rear of the bike.
I have a camera in the car and I have a drone shot. And enter player one!
The detection distance right there measures out to be around 140 meters so Garmin is spot on with the specifications of that.
Okay, it's around six seconds before the car does go past
and will run through the different scenarios there.
There's the past taking place right there.
That's what it looks like. A lot going on there. Let's have a look at that from a few different perspectives.
From the perspective of the car driver you can see the detection happens right there on my handlebars the
daylight flash mode looks pretty bright as the car passes and
It's gone clear on my handlebars. So that's the view from the vehicle.
The view from the rear of my bike
Detection happening right there
Six seconds later the car is passing right now.
And for me the most important view on all of these perspectives is the one that we'll encounter out on the road
Looking forward on our bike. As you notice here
We can't see the car coming because our eyes are forward on the road
And what we've rely on, is the tool such as the Varia radar app does detect right there.
I keep left.
Hold my line.
Knowing there's a car coming and it passes right there.
There was a slight crosswind on this road during filming and the Varia Radar
was picking the car up probably twice as far back as from when I could first hear the car coming.
So there it is all the details and a hands-on look
At the new updates from Garmin in regard to the Varia lineup. A few things have note here, the Varia app only supports
the newer units with bluetooth
so no support for the older units there that don't have Bluetooth.
The availability of the 515 and 315 should be within a few days from Garmin globally.
These new releases do not obsolete the older model
So if you can find an old 500, 510 or 511 (which is the 510 that doesn't flash) on the market
They're just as good! The detection distance is just as far, you just won't get those new Bluetooth updates and audible alerts via the app.
One update I would love to see though is an "all-clear" alert on the Garmin side of things. On the Wahoo head units
You will get up all-clear notification. So once something is detected coming up behind you, you get a bit [alert]
"I know something's there". And then once you get the all-clear, you can relax. Garmin don't have that yet
But I'd love to see them add that. Even just to their app.
So if you have some headphones in or can hear the phone from your back pocket with the volume up
You just get that sense of calm once it's all clear behind you. As always you can't rely on these 100%. They do not replace
Common sense and your ears and eyes out on the road.
But they are another tool that you can use to know more about your environment
And what's coming up behind you.
Now it's very rare that I bang on about how good a product is and I have for the last few years of using one of
these devices it is an absolute game changer for the roads that I ride on.
I'll occasionally be thinking of other things or my mind will be elsewhere out on the road. Having something like this
That's got my back all the time beeping at me just to remind me to keep both hands on the bars,
go left around that pothole - not right, if there's something coming and that few seconds warning is just a little bit more reassurance that
I should be doing the right thing out in the road.
No, I know it's not for everyone. People will say "do a head check", "use your ears", "use a mirror".
Absolutely!
But this added to that...
there's even better again!
As always, links below to where you can pick one of these up and enjoy the ride out
In the road. If you are a Varia radar user let me know in the comments below
It's one of those products that people absolutely love or don't understand. Let me know where you sit.
Thanks for watching this one and we'll see you soon
Mind the ditch!
You can do it mate, come on. You can do it. You can do it.
I Got you. I got you Mate
Here we go, I got you mate.
Good boy! Good boy!