Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

My Varia Radar when cycling on country roads. Not as useful in the city.

Duck18 wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 7:34 pm

My Varia Radar when cycling on country roads. Not as useful in the city.

Absolutely. I am always on rural roads and the varia is always there.

computer_athlete wrote: ↑

Sat May 07, 2022 8:43 pm

Edit: Just to be clear, I'm not saying the wind chill won't apply to me. I'll take the coolness factor into account when choosing what to wear or buying new clothing — thanks!

'
You've put your finger on the issue. It's not so much the uphills where you're working, it's the downhills where you pick up speed. Oh, and those nasty windy winter days when every direction you turn is a headwind Brrr!

Don’t leave home without a light they say…

In my experience a very fallible technology still.

I generally always use a flashing light at the rear, and at the front, more to improve my visibility to others than to illuminate the road or path.

I thought that I had found the perfect “flasher”for the sort of riding that I do.
Not very expensive, very compact, easy to charge, Specialized brand.
Used it for the last 2 years, with a supplied elastic retainer.
The retainer works well, but because of my lack of dexterity it useally ends up on the floor on the first attempt to secure it to the seatpost etc

Then a revelation- I noticed that most saddlebags have a little band at their rear end, and the light can be pushed into this space without needing to mess around with plastic bands that can fly across the room as you apply it

I thought that this was a revelation - until I noticed on completion of a ride that the light was no longer attached to the saddlebag.
Such is life.

So the next ride I thought that I would “use” another light from my collection of bits and pieces.
A Lezyne.
Don’t use it so much because it is quite bright and could annoy the rider behind.
Left it on charger overnight and attached it.
Pushed the on button, nothing happened. Flat as.
Did the ride sans rear light, but at least it didn’t fall off. Tried to charge it again but same result.
Looks like I need another light

elantra wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:15 pm

Looks like I need another light

I mentioned it up the page but the varia rtl515 radar/tail light is by far the best light I've owned.
Got towed around by a couple of younger, stronger blokes today. We all had radar tail lights. One a magene and us other two the garmin.
Yep the flash behaviour does change as a car approaches. I was able to see it appear on my screen and then watch the flash on the rtl515 in front of me become more rapid as the vehicle approached. A great way to be more visually prominent imo.
You do need a cycle computer too though. They both had wahoo bolts and I a garmin 1030+.
As per the thread title I will not ride without it now. On the rural roads I ride, it is that good that it is now a must have.

elantra wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:15 pm

Then a revelation- I noticed that most saddlebags have a little band at their rear end, and the light can be pushed into this space without needing to mess around with plastic bands that can fly across the room as you apply it

I thought that this was a revelation - until I noticed on completion of a ride that the light was no longer attached to the saddlebag.

I've got a few of these Knog lights for the reason they attach easily to that type of saddlebag loop, as well as the loop on the back of my trunk bag, or my jersey pocket, or lots of other places, without fiddling with rubber bands or mounts ...

Pretty much all rear lights can be attached to the loop on saddle bags e.g Blackburn bags (which also have a reflective white fabric that looks grey during daylight hours, but glows bright white at night). I attach a 200 lumen Bontrager FLARE to the loop on my bag, operation controlled through thr iGS630 bike computer. The important point to be made is not to be lured into a false sense of security with an under-powered rear light (same thing with a front light). The minimum lumen rating should be around 80 to 90 for city riding, and up to 200-400 for open road riding in the country. The Knog lights are popular, but nowhere near this. Even the extremely expensive, big and heavy Garmin VARIA light is not up to standard with being as visible as many other lights, with excessive emphasis placed on the radar feature.

warthog1 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:29 pm

elantra wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:15 pm

Looks like I need another light

I mentioned it up the page but the varia rtl515 radar/tail light is by far the best light I've owned.
Got towed around by a couple of younger, stronger blokes today. We all had radar tail lights. One a magene and us other two the garmin.
Yep the flash behaviour does change as a car approaches. I was able to see it appear on my screen and then watch the flash on the rtl515 in front of me become more rapid as the vehicle approached. A great way to be more visually prominent imo.
You do need a cycle computer too though. They both had wahoo bolts and I a garmin 1030+.
As per the thread title I will not ride without it now. On the rural roads I ride, it is that good that it is now a must have.

I am another advocate for the Varia and definitely would not leave on a ride without it.
Being hearing impaired and not wearing hearing aids while riding it is reassuring to get the ping and visual notice on the Garmin Head unit of approaching traffic that I can't hear.
A quick check of the head unit before a confirming glance over the shoulder before course deviation is reassuring and for me a major safety feature. I now won't ride without it

[quote=CmdrBiggles post_id=1609873 time=1711056709 user_id=51288]
Even the extremely expensive, big and heavy Garmin VARIA light is not up to standard with being as visible as many other lights, with excessive emphasis placed on the radar feature.
[/quote]

Heavy? It weighs 71gm
"Excessive emphasis" on the radar feature?
It is also a radar, pointing that out would seem sensible. It is an excellent feature when riding on rural roads.
Given you appear to have dismissed ot out of hand I would say it is a pretty safe bet you have not experienced how useful it is.
This short video may give you some idea.

[shareyoutube]https://youtu.be/LkPFUGfw9VQ?si=yJZfppUgcKzQK9XM[/shareyoutube]

Btw, bright enough?
https://www.velogear.com.au/exposure-bl ... -sale.html

My last rear light before the varia. I think I still have it somewhere.

CmdrBiggles wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:31 am

Pretty much all rear lights can be attached to the loop on saddle bags e.g Blackburn bags (which also have a reflective white fabric that looks grey during daylight hours, but glows bright white at night). I attach a 200 lumen Bontrager FLARE to the loop on my bag, operation controlled through thr iGS630 bike computer. The important point to be made is not to be lured into a false sense of security with an under-powered rear light (same thing with a front light). The minimum lumen rating should be around 80 to 90 for city riding, and up to 200-400 for open road riding in the country. The Knog lights are popular, but nowhere near this. Even the extremely expensive, big and heavy Garmin VARIA light is not up to standard with being as visible as many other lights, with excessive emphasis placed on the radar feature.

Which model Bontrager rear light is 200 lumens? Surely it would be heavy to run at that lumens for any decent time period? I would be careful attaching rear lights to the saddle bag loop. It will likely sway and the loop could break. I've even had a saddle bag fall off my bike (admittedly with a plastic clip on attachment to make it removable, ha.ha.).

biker jk wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:20 am

CmdrBiggles wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:31 am

Pretty much all rear lights can be attached to the loop on saddle bags e.g Blackburn bags (which also have a reflective white fabric that looks grey during daylight hours, but glows bright white at night). I attach a 200 lumen Bontrager FLARE to the loop on my bag, operation controlled through thr iGS630 bike computer. The important point to be made is not to be lured into a false sense of security with an under-powered rear light (same thing with a front light). The minimum lumen rating should be around 80 to 90 for city riding, and up to 200-400 for open road riding in the country. The Knog lights are popular, but nowhere near this. Even the extremely expensive, big and heavy Garmin VARIA light is not up to standard with being as visible as many other lights, with excessive emphasis placed on the radar feature.

Which model Bontrager rear light is 200 lumens? Surely it would be heavy to run at that lumens for any decent time period? I would be careful attaching rear lights to the saddle bag loop. It will likely sway and the loop could break. I've even had a saddle bag fall off my bike (admittedly with a plastic clip on attachment to make it removable, ha.ha.).

You won't be able to even nudge the Blackburn bag! It is very, very firmly attached, as all my bike seat packs are; we are not in the daggy epoch of the 1980s when poor quality Karrimor saddle bags dangled, drooped and rubbed on tyres (I know this, because I used such sad affairs!); the Blackburn stuff is pretty much bespoke and well made; there are others too, of course. It's yours if you can so much even bump it!

Being hearing impaired and not wearing hearing aids while riding it is reassuring to get the ping and visual notice on the Garmin Head unit of approaching traffic that I can't hear.
A quick check of the head unit before a confirming glance over the shoulder before course deviation is reassuring and for me a major safety feature. I now won't ride without it

I am also hearing impaired and do not ride with my hearing aids, but I cannot hear my Garmin Edge beep. So do wonder if I will get the full benefit from a Varia unit.

Aushiker wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:07 pm

[qote]Being hearing impaired and not wearing hearing aids while riding it is reassuring to get the ping and visual notice on the Garmin Head unit of approaching traffic that I can't hear.
A quick check of the head unit before a confirming glance over the shoulder before course deviation is reassuring and for me a major safety feature. I now won't ride without it

I am also hearing impaired and do not ride with my hearing aids, but I cannot hear my Garmin Edge beep. So do wonder if I will get the full benefit from a Varia unit.
[/quote]


You know I've been profoundly deaf for 50 years this June? I have not used a hearing aid since the early 1980s!!
Beeps and burps and buzzes are turned off on all devices I use, including the bike computers and the speed alert in the car ("what, I'm going too fast!?" ).

The primary reason I have not had an accident anywhere at anytime is the inclusion of a rear vision mirror on my helmet. I last had an accident with a tram in 1985 — quite a moving experience: I verged right and collided with the side of the tram, springboarding me left into a car passing and literally putting the squeeze on me). That mirror...I can see what people are doing behind me well before they are aware of me keeping an eye on them! I can cruise down Collins Street on a green light when pedestrians blithely cross in front of me. Ring bell, and nothing happens. As I pass them, they give me the bird. I do a u-turn: "Oi! I saw what you did there!". The look on their faces as I point to the mirror is priceless!!!

Aushiker wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:07 pm

Being hearing impaired and not wearing hearing aids while riding it is reassuring to get the ping and visual notice on the Garmin Head unit of approaching traffic that I can't hear.
A quick check of the head unit before a confirming glance over the shoulder before course deviation is reassuring and for me a major safety feature. I now won't ride without it

I am also hearing impaired and do not ride with my hearing aids, but I cannot hear my Garmin Edge beep. So do wonder if I will get the full benefit from a Varia unit.

I used to commuute with an "Italian Road bike mirror". It was on the bar end of my drop bar road bike. Unobtrusive but you could see behind with it.
Where the Garmin is superior to the mirror, is you can "see" multiple vehicles approaching. I found with the mirror the lead car could block the view of any behind it.
Yes the beep on the Garmin head unit I use is handy, but I don't always hear it.
I have used it for 10s of thousands of ks now, so it is now second nature to glance at the head unit if a car is approaching from in front. If I see one also coming from behind I do an incompetent weave when the dot is half way up my screen. Generally very effective in discouraging the car behind from close passing and sqeezing between me and the approaching car.

Don't leave home without at least a peanut butter or Vegemite Sandwich for when energy levels go down and an apply. It's good enough to have a drink bottle full of water but having something to eat calms to hunger pains if no shops are around. I always take some food......if i forget, I always suffer for it.

brumby33

Andy01 wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 5:42 pm

I might be wrong with regard to bike frames, but as a mechanical engineer,

I should know better than to spout off (presuming you’re an IEAust member. )

Do some homework!
/Edit I ran out of time here so ended up a bit blunt: there’s a raft of discussion out there on frame materials and the various trade offs. In short, CroMo (e.g. double butted 4130 - see here) allows significantly lighter frames than plain carbon steel. Aluminium struggles to hit the same weights and suffers from fatigue failure plus excessive harshness from the resulting geometries.

Carbon reinforced epoxy can get a whole lot lighter but demands a different design approach to manage point loads.
There is a reasonable discussion of carbon vs steel at Rene Herse why we love quick releases and thru axles too
The interesting takeaway is that the lightest fully equipped randonneurs are still steel.

warthog1 wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:12 pm

Aushiker wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:07 pm

Being hearing impaired and not wearing hearing aids while riding it is reassuring to get the ping and visual notice on the Garmin Head unit of approaching traffic that I can't hear.
A quick check of the head unit before a confirming glance over the shoulder before course deviation is reassuring and for me a major safety feature. I now won't ride without it

I am also hearing impaired and do not ride with my hearing aids, but I cannot hear my Garmin Edge beep. So do wonder if I will get the full benefit from a Varia unit.

I used to commuute with an "Italian Road bike mirror". It was on the bar end of my drop bar road bike. Unobtrusive but you could see behind with it.
Where the Garmin is superior to the mirror, is you can "see" multiple vehicles approaching. I found with the mirror the lead car could block the view of any behind it.
Yes the beep on the Garmin head unit I use is handy, but I don't always hear it.
I have used it for 10s of thousands of ks now, so it is now second nature to glance at the head unit if a car is approaching from in front. If I see one also coming from behind I do an incompetent weave when the dot is half way up my screen. Generally very effective in discouraging the car behind from close passing and sqeezing between me and the approaching car.

Touring cyclists and commuters still use those handlebar-end mirrors (they can also be seen on e-scooters). When I was touring, I found them to be a bit of a nuisance, banging into the top tube and sending them either out of alignment or out onto the road! I can assure you the helmet-mounted mirror has a very wide view —2-3+ lanes, and easy to pick out what is behind the immediate rear vehicle just by looking, more still if head moved left or right. When I was at uni I made hundreds of "cheap and simple" rear-view mirrors to clip onto helmets, selling through Bicycle Institute of Victoria: ingredients: a small bulldog clip, a bicycle spoke, a dental mirror, pliers, a screwdriver and heatshrink tubing. This was in the 1980s and I sold them for $10 a pop. Dental mirrors, like surgical instruments, were disposable items in professional practice; there was a small shop in Carlton that took these many varied instruments from hospitals e.g. Royal Melbourne, Royal Children's (neither were far away), Alfred and dental practices. I even scored a few scalpels! Old hip replacement ball-and-socket joints made interesting front door knockers. All this tinkering helped supplement by income while at uni with working at BIV at the time.

CmdrBiggles wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 11:40 am

biker jk wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:20 am

CmdrBiggles wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 8:31 am

Pretty much all rear lights can be attached to the loop on saddle bags e.g Blackburn bags (which also have a reflective white fabric that looks grey during daylight hours, but glows bright white at night). I attach a 200 lumen Bontrager FLARE to the loop on my bag, operation controlled through thr iGS630 bike computer. The important point to be made is not to be lured into a false sense of security with an under-powered rear light (same thing with a front light). The minimum lumen rating should be around 80 to 90 for city riding, and up to 200-400 for open road riding in the country. The Knog lights are popular, but nowhere near this. Even the extremely expensive, big and heavy Garmin VARIA light is not up to standard with being as visible as many other lights, with excessive emphasis placed on the radar feature.

Which model Bontrager rear light is 200 lumens? Surely it would be heavy to run at that lumens for any decent time period? I would be careful attaching rear lights to the saddle bag loop. It will likely sway and the loop could break. I've even had a saddle bag fall off my bike (admittedly with a plastic clip on attachment to make it removable, ha.ha.).

You won't be able to even nudge the Blackburn bag! It is very, very firmly attached, as all my bike seat packs are; we are not in the daggy epoch of the 1980s when poor quality Karrimor saddle bags dangled, drooped and rubbed on tyres (I know this, because I used such sad affairs!); the Blackburn stuff is pretty much bespoke and well made; there are others too, of course. It's yours if you can so much even bump it!

I have 2 rear lights and one is clipped on to a Carradice saddle bag, haven't had one come off yet.

I think it depends on the bag and the loop on the bag.

DS

CmdrBiggles wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 5:17 pm

Touring cyclists and commuters still use those handlebar-end mirrors (they can also be seen on e-scooters). When I was touring, I found them to be a bit of a nuisance, banging into the top tube and sending them either out of alignment or out onto the road! I can assure you the helmet-mounted mirror has a very wide view —2-3+ lanes, and easy to pick out what is behind the immediate rear vehicle just by looking, more still if head moved left or right. When I was at uni I made hundreds of "cheap and simple" rear-view mirrors to clip onto helmets, selling through Bicycle Institute of Victoria: ingredients: a small bulldog clip, a bicycle spoke, a dental mirror, pliers, a screwdriver and heatshrink tubing. This was in the 1980s and I sold them for $10 a pop. Dental mirrors, like surgical instruments, were disposable items in professional practice; there was a small shop in Carlton that took these many varied instruments from hospitals e.g. Royal Melbourne, Royal Children's (neither were far away), Alfred and dental practices. I even scored a few scalpels! Old hip replacement ball-and-socket joints made interesting front door knockers. All this tinkering helped supplement by income while at uni with working at BIV at the time.

The mirror I had was pretty unobtrusive. Fixed in position under the bar tape. It didn't move.


We all have different experiences with cycling I guess. Sounds like you have run helmet mounted mirrors for a long time.
I haven't tried one but have no real wish to have one on my helmet. The varia is mounted out back with the computer in front of my handlebar stem. It works really well for my style of riding.
You dont need to look left or right to see how many cars are approaching. They are clearly represented as dots on the side of the screen. There is an app you can install to show their speed also. I have it on one screen page but find other data more interesting on my main screen.
Importantly no false negatives in all the ks I've done with it, but I always head check first before moving right.
I did that even with the mirror too. I want a clear check before I potentially move into harms way. I have no trust in our drivers.

^^^ a fascinating accessory!
Really, I have never seen one so well integrated with the shape and form of the handlebar end.

Helmet mounted mirrors were pretty much non-existent when I started cycling in October or November of 1977. At the time with my first, heavy steel-framed Poogot, I used heavy, clunky clipped-on steel mirrors (left and right), both breaking off on my very first tour, from Gisborne to Bacchus Marsh, hitting uneven road on the long sweep into B/Marsh at which time both mirrors parted company with bike! After I ditched hearing aids forever (mid-1980s I think), that is when I began cobbling the primitive helmet-mount mirrors, getting better with each iteration (and making enough money to feed my addiction to chocolate!!). The helmet-mount mirrors we see today only came out around 1992-1993 (bought them all in Bendigo, either/both at both Daryl Gilmore Cycles and/or Harding Cycles of the day), and that's when I became a firm convert. They've been on all of my helmets down through the years — a very, very long time indeed.

You sound happy with your helmet mirrors.

If you are interested then google "Italian road bike mirror".

https://www.roadbikerider.com/italian-r ... or-review/

Can't remember where I purchased mine. Somebody on here put me onto it years ago.
I will use it again if I do some touring, so I don't need to rely on charging things

warthog1 wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 7:54 pm

You sound happy with your helmet mirrors.

If you are interested then google "Italian road bike mirror".

https://www.roadbikerider.com/italian-r ... or-review/

Can't remember where I purchased mine. Somebody on here put me onto it years ago.
I will use it again if I do some touring, so I don't need to rely on charging things

Frankly, the helmet mounted mirror is the prime reason I have not had any accidents for years and years. If it breaks off and is lost, that's it — cycling must stop, until I get a replacement. Not hard to find them now, and not expensive either.

Re the italian mirror — looks great and the review is positive too. But...after I spent $83 on bespoke 'bar end plugs by Cane Creek (:shock:), that particular mirror option will be passed up...for now!

brumby33 wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:46 pm

Don't leave home without at least a peanut butter or Vegemite Sandwich for when energy levels go down and an apply. It's good enough to have a drink bottle full of water but having something to eat calms to hunger pains if no shops are around. I always take some food......if i forget, I always suffer for it.

brumby33

Peanut butter or Vegemite sandwich ?
Yeah Nah.
Sandwiches are difficult to carry on a bike unless it’s well set up for Touring or Bike Packing

On the subject of snacks and food I side with a certain well-known Pro (Thomas De Gendt)

He was quoted (Road.CC , Dec 2019)
“I don’t sandwich when riding but I do take Gingerbread with Nutella and banana with me”

Personally I’m not a fan of gels and stuff like that but then I am not a competition cyclist.

I sometimes take jelly beans or a mini-pack of shortbread bickies on a ride, especially if it’s over 40 km distance.
These things will squeeze into a medium size saddle bag very easily.
As does a small jar of Nutella

Just gotta remember to take a spoon !

elantra wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:58 pm

brumby33 wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:46 pm

Don't leave home without at least a peanut butter or Vegemite Sandwich for when energy levels go down and an apply. It's good enough to have a drink bottle full of water but having something to eat calms to hunger pains if no shops are around. I always take some food......if i forget, I always suffer for it.

brumby33

Peanut butter or Vegemite sandwich ?
Yeah Nah.
Sandwiches are difficult to carry on a bike unless it’s well set up for Touring or Bike Packing

On the subject of snacks and food I side with a certain well-known Pro (Thomas De Gendt)

He was quoted (Road.CC , Dec 2019)
“I don’t sandwich when riding but I do take Gingerbread with Nutella and banana with me”

Personally I’m not a fan of gels and stuff like that but then I am not a competition cyclist.

I sometimes take jelly beans or a mini-pack of shortbread bickies on a ride, especially if it’s over 40 km distance.
These things will squeeze into a medium size saddle bag very easily.
As does a small jar of Nutella

Just gotta remember to take a spoon !

Yeah my bike is a touring bike with an Ortleib handlebar bag on it all the time so great sandwich compartment. or Bananas/apples etc. Sometimes when out for most the day on the bike, I get so wrapped up in the ride, I forget to eat lunch and I regret it later when I bonk.

Dried apricots, muesli bar.
Collapsible water bag 2L.
Cheap Rainbird poncho in case weather changes.
Got a great tip from bike hire place in France - cemeteries usually have accessible town water taps.