Garmin Varia, Trek Carback, Ravemen, Blinkies | Which Should You Use?

[@intheknowcycling]

Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please click the "like" button and subscribe to our channel here on KZbin. When you do, you’ll help get the word out to your fellow cyclists and motivate me to keep bringing you these independent reviews. -- Steve You can order the products reviewed in this video using these links to stores I’ve vetted and recommend: ► Garmin Varia RTL515: BTD (BikeTiresDirect) - tinyurl.com/nrhjby2n Performance Bike - snp.link/197153f1 Sigma Sports - tidd.ly/3X1XwoK ► Trek Carback: Trek - snp.link/cc68de14 Sigma Sports - tidd.ly/3Af3rxx ► Ravemen FR300: BTD (BikeTiresDirect) - tinyurl.com/ydsvf9wr Competitive Cyclist - snp.link/1de5e1c2 ► Kroozie Bike Light Set: Amazon - amzn.to/46L2auz See my ratings of the best online bike stores: intheknowcycling.com/online-bike-store-rankings/

[@ricardobellodvalle6779]

Good afternoon, thank you very much for the video. I've tried Trek's light and it doesn't convince me. The finishes are good but I don't know if it detects well. I've checked that when I have a cyclist behind me, I don't Look at the cars well. Could you please confirm if this has happened to you too? Varia recognize the cars well when there is a cyclist behind them? As for the flash that looks more powerful Garmin or Trek? I'm sorry for so many questions but I want to buy one and I don't know which of the two to decide. Please, if you are so kind as to advise me, I would appreciate it. I have so many questions. Thanks a lot

[@intheknowcycling]

@@ricardobellodvalle6779 As described in the video, I don't see notable differences in the accuracy or reliability of the Trek and Garmin radars, including the things you mentioned.

[@rickbeckner9906]

Thanks. I appreciate the work that went into to this (and all of your videos). I’m a Varia user and won’t ride without one. I may have missed it but one great feature of the Varia is rhetorical flash pattern changes as a car approaches. The Raveman looks interesting.

[@jeffreysaffir1375]

Varia with the light and a mirror off of my helmet. Wouldn't ride without both of them. Rode 6120 safe road miles last year and on pace for over 7000 this year. I like having information when it comes to cars approaching from behind. When I hear the tone and it appears on my Hammerhead I just glance my eyes up slightly and to the left to see what I am dealing with. They allow me to see if a vehicle is too far over closer to me and if so, what will be the bail point I might have to make. Riding defensively basically. They also allow me to see if it is a truck, car with a trailer, etc. that may startle me when passing if I wasn't aware. The best ride is one you come home from.

[@number6photo]

I use a mirror and front- and rear-blinky lights. To me, the mirror gives information regarding the distance, the approach speed, and perhaps most-importantly, the lateral lane position of vehicles approaching me from behind. The cyclist radar units don't produce lateral lane-position information, which I find is crucial. When I see that the approaching vehicle moving over to give me a wider berth, I know they have seen me and they are taking appropriate steps to avoid a collision. I can concentrate on the road ahead, steer around reasonably-sized objects that may be in my path, and generally don't need to pay attention to them. When I see vehicles approaching that are NOT moving over, I can scan the road ahead and see if there is room to move over a bit more to create a wider berth, prepare to bunny-hop debris/obstacles, etc. With the mirror, I can also see how many vehicles are approaching from behind, and can easily estimate the distance and the time-to-overtake. To me, that information is much more valuable than just know a vehicle is approaching and how far back it is. It's just like checking mirrors when driving a car - I would feel naked without it. Also, in my experience, a front blinky light that is ultra-bright and has a heartbeat-pattern flash sequence seems to stop motorists approaching from a side street in their tracks much more so than riding without a light. If I had to pick having just one light for daytime riding, it would be the front headlight, not the taillight. During daytime rides with my front blinky lights, I see motorists on every ride that were rolling through the stop signs on a side street suddenly stab their brakes as they notice me. Studies have shown that lights which blink around 3-5 Hz are the most-noticeable for humans. For nighttime, both front and rear are of course indispensable: one to be seen; and one to see. Regarding the Varia, just the other day I was riding in daytime conditions behind two cyclist friends - one with a Varia, and one with just a blinky light. I was 100' or so back from both of them. The Varia blink was substantially dimmer than my other friend's radar-less blinky light. My other friend's blinky light was so much more of an attention-getter than the Varia, it wasn't even close. In general, when riding on paved roads, we all expect cars coming up behind us, so I don't really understand the value of a radar on those roads. On dirt roads, where my Varia-riding-buddy usually rides his gravel bike, we don't get much traffic, so he likes the Varia's ability to warn him of the occasional approaching vehicle that he might have otherwise not noticed until it was much closer. That makes some sense, but to me, I don't really get the value of a radar when riding on paved roads with lots of traffic. I would much rather have a mirror.

[@intheknowcycling]

Thanks. Very thoughtful and useful info.

[@jax02zerotwo]

Lateral lane position with a mirror.. that is interesting information. Yes I have noticed the same with riding behind a friend with Radar and one with just a flashing light, the flashing light was brighter. I love my radar beautiful tech, but it isn't needed and I will not re-purchase it when it eventually dies. Nice comment!

[@themoodyteam]

Them blinkies are the most knocked off bike lights ever! The originals were, I think, Knogs from the 2000’s and since then they have been shamelessly bootlegged so many times 😢 I’ve a set myself and they make great backup lights, I especially appreciate the solid clip on the rear for fixing to saddlebags or rucksacks. However, they are ‘dumb’ lights and as your vid demonstrates other lights have USPs, albeit at a substantial increase in price. My go to rear light is a Bontrager RT and Trek reckon that the flash pattern was scientifically developed to be more noticeable to the human eye.

[@thefrener794]

What I have seen is with things like this is that you soon put this stuff in the background of your vision and hearing and only notice when it alerts you. So no information overload.

[@waisinglee1509]

I have a multitude of lights in all directions; both flashing and solid.

[@SolarizeYourLife]

I suggest adding a lanyard to the TalkBack... I had a spilll with a deep manhole...and the talkback broke off the mount and now is wondering the wilderness 😢

[@MacGruberville]

I recently purchased the Ravemen FR300. Really liked the features of the light. Unfortunately, I was unhappy with the way my Wahoo Roam V2 connected (on top of it). I tried a couple different adapters, but was unable to get a solid and trustworthy fit. I'm guessing the Garmin and Hammerhead fits are more secure.

[@intheknowcycling]

Did you try attaching it to the Ravemen itself without an adapter? Specifically, unscrew the two screws on top, rotate the connector 90 degrees and screw them back in? That's what I do when I use the Ravemen with my Roam.

[@MacGruberville]

@@intheknowcycling "Adapters" was not the correct term in my post. I should have used "connectors". My units came with 4 connectors, a male and female for both Garmin and Wahoo. My Roam did not connect firmly enough, causing it to vibrate when going down the road, and I felt that a good size bump would jettison it. I contacted Ravemen and they just told me to go back to the retailer and ask for other connectors. My results were only slightly better.

[@intheknowcycling]

@@MacGruberville Ah. Must be a prior design of the FR300. The one I got doesn't have separate Wahoo and Garmin connectors. There's just one on the bottom to connect to your out-front and another on the top to connect to your GPS. With each, there are 4 holes in both the connector and housing at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, two screws, and two slots in the connector to accept the GPS. I merely unscrewed the two screws, turned the connector so the slots lined up with the Wahoo or Garmin quarter turn orientation and screwed the connector back down. So it connects equally well with the Wahoo and Garmin or the Hammerhead I used in the video that had a Garmin adapter.

[@matz911mz]

how did you get the varia to stay connected to wahoo with the light off? Mine disconnects after a few secs..thx

[@intheknowcycling]

Not sure what's going on with yours. Sounds like it might be an error. With the Varia (and Carback) set to either of the solid light modes, the light goes off if the radar doesn't detect a vehicle behind it but the radar stays on. Once it detects a vehicle, the light begins to flash.

[@s1alker564]

Surprised how clunky the car back looks being from Trek. I mainly ride gravel but to get from home to the trails I get on the road and the Varia was a game changer

[@jarhead4657]

I'd get it just for the USB-C if it worked as well as the Varia, disappointed it doesnt

[@jarhead4657]

When is the Varia going toget USB-C

[@intheknowcycling]

That would be nice! It wouldn't/didn't prevent me from getting one though. Way down on the list of priorities for a radar unit.

[@jarhead4657]

@@intheknowcycling I get that but for the price Garmin really needs to update it. Everything I own is USB-C and I don't really want one device that is still micro-usb on a $200 device. Anyway discovered your site and you tube several months ago and really like your content. Rewatching your summer towards the beginning it doesn't sound like you think there is that much difference between the Varia and car back?

[@aquicktake]

IMO - the Varia task flashing is 100% more visible than the Amazon one.

[@Disrupterds]

Sorry, my life isn't worth $200.00. Maybe $50.00. I won't be using this overpriced googaw. Please stop selling safety equipment as luxury items and price them appropriately. Cycling has gotten outrageously expensive.