Bought the Garmin Varia "Perfect for commuting"

Hi

 

i have just recently bought the Garmin Varia its a very good device and well worth the money to let you know when people are behind you on country roads.

 

if you do a lot of commuting i would strongly recommend it

My first one was returned as it couldn't recognise a Toyota Lancruiser at 10 feet!

However the replacement is truly amazing. I still use a mirror (Rearviz) strapped to my wrist but I find I only glance at it just before a manoeuvre as the Garmin Varia is so good.

I love the way it shows the number ov vehicles coming up behind you but the way it turns from amber, if the vehicle is doing a sensible speed, to red, if the vehicle is coming up fast.

It's a fantastic safety feature and worth every penny.

Very interested... which varia and what edge do you have?

i actually don't have the edge at all because i use a nyon instead i would have no use for that but i have the Garmin varia bundle

My first one was returned as it couldn't recognise a Toyota Lancruiser at 10 feet!

However the replacement is truly amazing. I still use a mirror (Rearviz) strapped to my wrist but I find I only glance at it just before a manoeuvre as the Garmin Varia is so good.

I love the way it shows the number ov vehicles coming up behind you but the way it turns from amber, if the vehicle is doing a sensible speed, to red, if the vehicle is coming up fast.

It's a fantastic safety feature and worth every penny.

 

From now on i will make sure my Garmin Varia is charged before i go out anywhere a very handy device to see drivers at any time of the day

 

i was going to buy a good rear mirror but there is no point in buying it because at night time it useless the Varia would be more use to me because it would be able to pick up traffic in heartbeat and it would make

me more safer on the road

Very interested... which varia and what edge do you have?

 

i will admit i do in generally feel a lot more safer when on the road that i know where cars are behind me which is always a good thing nothing worse then someone comes behind you and you don't know they are behind you

I have a Garmin EDGE. Does this unit provide some form of display on the computer? Also, is there an audible warning? If so does that come from the radar unit itself or from the computer? The audio on my diary is very poor, barely audible.

I have a Garmin EDGE. Does this unit provide some form of display on the computer? Also, is there an audible warning? If so does that come from the radar unit itself or from the computer? The audio on my diary is very poor, barely audible.

It works on some edge computers. I think it gives audio and visually up the side of the screen.

Going to order one from halfords at £137 .

I have a Garmin EDGE. Does this unit provide some form of display on the computer? Also, is there an audible warning? If so does that come from the radar unit itself or from the computer? The audio on my diary is very poor, barely audible.

 

 

i think you would have to buy the back radar which is about £130 and then you would connect it to your edge and then it would show when someone is behind you

 

i believe you have to connect it via Bluetooth i haven't read awful into it because i have bought the bundle instead which works fine for my needs due to have the Bosch nyon display

It works on some edge computers. I think it gives audio and visually up the side of the screen.

Going to order one from halfords at £137 .

 

Thanks, I might be interested. Please post a review when you've had chance to use it for a while.

It works on some edge computers. I think it gives audio and visually up the side of the screen.

Going to order one from halfords at £137 .

 

i hope you are happy with the Garmin Varia i personally couldn't go out the door without it attached to my bike now because it good that you have a head up when someone is behind you on the road

 

For example yesterday i was cycling down the road and car was about 140 metres behind me and i was cyling along and i pulled over in this lay by because it was perfect time to pull over i just let the car passed and carried on cycling if i never knew that car was behind me

 

i probably would of never of stopped and carry on going down the road and had make the driver wait till it i was able to pull over for them it does make life more easier because you are not in their way their not in my way just pleasant cycling

A good review here..

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dcrainmaker.com/2015/10/garmin-varia-radar-review.html/amp

It would seem that the radar receiver doesnt beep but if used with a compatible edge device it doers. Although the beep on mine is a bit insignificant but hopefully that can be turned up..

I was "lefted" 3 times today which made up my mind to get one.. I do have a mirror, but its a drop handlebar bike and looking in the mirror needs a definite "eyes off the road" look down to see it, so in busy traffic I dont look at it much.

It would seem that the radar receiver doesnt beep but if used with a compatible edge device it doers. Although the beep on mine is a bit insignificant but hopefully that can be turned up..

I was "lefted" 3 times today which made up my mind to get one.. I do have a mirror, but its a drop handlebar bike and looking in the mirror needs a definite "eyes off the road" look down to see it, so in busy traffic I dont look at it much.

 

 

That is correct the Varia doesn't beep at all it will just flash at you when you are cycling along which is always good

 

i have find at night time mirrors are a waste of time and not worth bothering with at all the Varia would be a lot better option and of cause you can see how many cars are behind you when you are cycling too which is always handy to have too

Just ordered. Collect Wednesday. Will report how it works on the garmin edge.

I'm tempted to get one as was nearly killed one night last month when indicating right and a Mercedes driver decided he would try and take me out.

I'm tempted to get one as was nearly killed one night last month when indicating right and a Mercedes driver decided he would try and take me out.

 

Well put it like this steve a won't be going out on the road without one now because it clearly shows you how many cars are around you and how far they are away from you which is always handy to know.

 

One thing you can say is you cannot put a price on safety on the road when you are cycling it could save your life when you are cycling

 

other good feature it has it can tell you how fast the vehicle is coming towards you too which is good to know when you are out on the road when you are cycling

 

The one thing i do like is if a car is behind its goodbye to them creeping up behind you and nearly

knocking you off and their is normally no room to get passed you or either push you in a hedge

 

Well i must admit i do enjoy cycling more now i do have the radar to use for when i am out on the roads when i am cycling i never been a fan of mirrors really especially at night time they are a complete waste of time and no point bothering with them at all really because you cannot see thought them at all so they are just pointless least with the radar you can clearly see what is behind you

 

i would say roughly when you are cycling on a figure you are 90% more alert when you are cycling on the roads

Garmin Varia Radar the good and the bad..

Been using this and have come to some conclusions..

First the Bad, well not really bad but ..

The name Radar suggests something akin to an air traffic control with a system that can "see" things behind you, when actually this isnt the case, and if it was it would see all the parked cars and much more. What it really does is note the difference in speed of car approaching from behind, but the downside is that if a car follows at the same speed as you then it doesnt see it at all, so in conditions of stop start and slow moving traffic it is unreliable. in fact if a car slows and follows behind it disappears of the radar.

Now the Good.

This unit picks up cars long before they can be seen in a mirror at at least 100 yards away and gives a clear representation of the speed of the approaching vehicle(s) ( Garmin says up to 8 but I have seen 5, which in itself is amazing). and when paired with my Edge 100 explore it gives a muted beep and takes over the right side of the display showing dots representing the cars. Just the barest if glaces is enough to see whats there which is especially good when turning right at junctions.

Would I recommend it? Yes 100%

Does it make me feel safer? Yes absolutely.

Will it replace my mirror? No, it cant be trusted !

Garmin Varia Radar the good and the bad..

Been using this and have come to some conclusions..

First the Bad, well not really bad but ..

The name Radar suggests something akin to an air traffic control with a system that can "see" things behind you, when actually this isnt the case, and if it was it would see all the parked cars and much more. What it really does is note the difference in speed of car approaching from behind, but the downside is that if a car follows at the same speed as you then it doesnt see it at all, so in conditions of stop start and slow moving traffic it is unreliable. in fact if a car slows and follows behind it disappears of the radar.

Now the Good.

This unit picks up cars long before they can be seen in a mirror at at least 100 yards away and gives a clear representation of the speed of the approaching vehicle(s) ( Garmin says up to 8 but I have seen 5, which in itself is amazing). and when paired with my Edge 100 explore it gives a muted beep and takes over the right side of the display showing dots representing the cars. Just the barest if glaces is enough to see whats there which is especially good when turning right at junctions.

Would I recommend it? Yes 100%

Does it make me feel safer? Yes absolutely.

Will it replace my mirror? No, it cant be trusted !

 

 

I'm very happy with mine and i always make sure it charged up before i head out somewhere because it such a useful device to have with you

 

with using the Garmin bundle you are unable to hear any beeps which

is not great really it would be good to hear the beeps when you are cycling down the road to make you more aware when something is behind you

Tested mine tonight on a 10 mile ride. I felt safer and happier i knew what was around me. It's not perfect, but very good for price. Yes i'll be using my other senses when traffic is around as it doesn't like sharp hill crests and lost traffic for a few seconds.

 

I think we are all saying we are happy with varia, i know i am.

Tested mine tonight on a 10 mile ride. I felt safer and happier i knew what was around me. It's not perfect, but very good for price. Yes i'll be using my other senses when traffic is around as it doesn't like sharp hill crests and lost traffic for a few seconds.

 

I think we are all saying we are happy with varia, i know i am.

Be interested to know how long the battery will go for on a longer ride

I usually do about 20 miles plus, but weather arghhhh!. It says about 3/4 hours on box so that's plenty.

Are people still happy with the Garmin Varia,

 

I was out early Friday morning on a single track road ,very windy could not hear anything when a school bus came up behind me ,I sensed something behind looked behind caught sight of the back end of the bus ,moved over as far as I could and the front wheel caught the grass ruts and I ended up over the handle bars, hand ,elbow and knee all with road rash ,knee has now swollen up and very painful.

 

I understand that if the Varia is connected to an edge devise it gives of a warning beep and a disply on the screen how loud is the warning.

 

I had no mirror but have ordered a couple to try and get one to fit with my ergon gp3 grips

 

Cheers

Chris

Hi Chris.

I find it excellent. I think the beeb sound depends on which garmin you couple it to and on my 1000 explore it isn't too loud but visually it's impressive ,especially at night .

It's no substitute for mirrors because it notices the difference in speed so anything behind that is going at or near the same speed as you it won't see it. There needs to be a speed difference of at least 6mph, but ideally 10mph.

Thanks ,I am looking to buy with the edge 520, can you ware a single ear phone with the edge devices