Magene L508 Vs Garmin Varia RADAR: Half the Price, Just as Good?

[@ChinaCycling]

I always thought bike radars were 'cool' but not really useful. However, after using one it totally changes the way you ride on the open roads. Definitely feel more confident and don't mind increasing the volume on the bone conducting headphones, etc. because you're a lot more aware of what's going on behind you. Very impressed. Link to purchase in description!

[@quasimal]

I don't doubt what you're saying, but, have you considered just putting a mirror on your helmet? I find that a $10 mirror on my helmet is _amazing_ for awareness, I feel like it'd be better than a radar in most scenarios.

[@slowcyclist4324]

Try seeing a car 140m away in your small 2 inch mirror 😉 But let me guess, you’re probably riding a bicycle from 2015 and before, on a rim brake, absolutely hate electronic shifting, and constantly bemoaning the slow death of high end mechanical. Oh, and never integrated cabling too while you’re at it.

[@quasimal]

​@@slowcyclist4324 Nah, the mirror is on your helmet, basically floating in front of your eye, so it takes up a pretty big part of your field of view. It's a much larger image than if you had a mirror on your bar ends, or for comparison, in a car. The main drawbacks are that you look like a dork having one, and it's easy to nab onto something when not wearing the helmet. As for the rest, I have disc brakes and ride a build I put together in 2021 that I use for everything. Electronic shifting seems great, I just can't afford it. I have no idea what "high end mechanical is".

[@galenkehler]

One of these days I'll have to try it, but it still seems like a gimmick. No one has ever been able to explain a useful safety aspect. I can understand if you're correlating speeds and close pass/aggressive driving with a camera but even then there isn't a system for reporting to the police.

[@waisinglee1509]

@@quasimal I'm in an FB cycling group for older folks so we've been around the block more than a few times. There has been nothing but tons of positive reports on the Garmin rear radar.

[@flooooooo0686]

The flashing pattern is terrible in comparison to the Garmin which keeps flashing super bright until all cars are gone. This one only flashes once even if many many cars are still behind you. 20 lumen is not enough during the day. Most ppl ride with 150-300 lumen day flashes. I expected more, even if it would cost the same as the Garmin. Good to see someone creating finally a radar alternative anyway!

[@TheNeelonRokk]

The Varia (516) was a game changer for me, should have gotten it way earlier (in hindsight). My "problem" is, wind noise cancels out a lot of other sounds for me, so especially on the quieter country roads this thing is just perfect. My hearing is just fine btw.

[@EdNelson]

FWIW, the Varia App for your phone connects to the device and will transmit the sounds through any listening device. For obvious reasons, I would only recommend using bone conducting transmitters. It works very well for me.

[@EdNelson]

FWIW, the Varia App for your phone connects to the device and will transmit the sounds through any listening device. For obvious reasons, I would only recommend using bone conducting transmitters. It works very well for me.

[@TheNeelonRokk]

@@EdNelson I use it paired with my (Garmin) head unit, not using phones or headphones while on the road. Traffic is hairy enough at times as it is. 😐

[@rcdogmanduh4440]

Yes he was saying in addition to the head unit have the app running also. Then a single ear bone headphone is heard over the loudest wind!

[@azngouki]

I have the Garmin radar and love it. It has given me the confidence to ride on the road especially after getting hit by a car. I'm no longer constantly looking back to check for cars especially on windy days or long descents.

[@glennoc8585]

Why would you be constantly looking behind though? Do you pull off the road everytime a car approaches?

[@1sigmabikes]

Another great video, Joe. I just picked up a small shipment of these for my store, along with the RideNow tubes from your prior video. I don’t want to say that you are informing my inventory decisions, but it’s starting to look that way…

[@ChinaCycling]

Very cool! Haha. Where are you? I wanna know next time I'm riding there, I should at least be able to inflate my tires for free, right?

[@ChinaCycling]

Ah, if my internet detective work is correct, you're in Toronto. Looks like a good range of goods, but you stock the wrong company's wheels. ;) ;)

[@1sigmabikes]

@@ChinaCycling i feel id be in Xiamen before you are in Toronto!

[@1sigmabikes]

@@ChinaCycling You are correct sir - I am in Toronto. There are a few companies in Xiamen, such as Winspace, who are pulling off the impossible by making superior wheels for a lower price. Although I am not currently carrying Lun at the moment, I feel I am in very good company 😃

[@surfnut64]

@1 Sigma Cyclist Could you provide contact details for your store? I'd like to drop by. Couldn't find a way to contact you directly.

[@benverschaeren6467]

My L508 arrived yesterday, it's awesome. I always said if garmin hit a price point I'd get it they never did, and then Magene came along with a really nice product. The only downside is they don't sell their mounts separately, so I'm going to have to find 3rd party mounts for all my bikes.

[@piotrkol91]

Got mine 2 days ago as well! Great product so far!

[@jeffreyreed6056]

The Magene Radar is still working well and the brake function is useful, in my opinion!

[@Hambini]

Pesky Mig 28's. PMSL

[@urbanlarsson8252]

Interesting that it have motion sensors to put it in sleep mode while stationary and indicate as a break light when you slow down, and hopefully not at downhills. I can see in the video that it has some ghost cars, or doesn't indicate properly if two cars are too close to each other. I have the Garmin and I must say it performs perfectly. If another cyclist catch up on me and then stays behind it still indicates it for as long as he stays there. If a car 100 meters behind has a moped just behind him, it still indicates both of them reliable. If I have stopped it indicates people walking very slowly, or if a carry my bike backwards it indicates for everything, so very sensitive to anything that approaches at any speed, without any false triggers, ghosting or other problems. I would like to see if Magene has the same error free detection. Garmin also automatically stops to alert if there's a long queue of cars behind, I think it might be three or more, so you don't have to listen to a continuous alert tone for each car. But then my Garmin 520 computer doesn't give a "all clear" signal when all cars have passed, and I instead have to keep looking at the computer to see when it goes green. I would like Garmin to add that but it isn't related to the actual radar. What will be common to all radars are that some cars have radar blockers, they send out radar signals to block speed cameras by the road side so that they cannot detect the speed or registries a low legal speed. My Garmin then triggers the car to start transmit the block signal and then my radar stays quiet when one of those cars approaches. So do not rely 100% on that there's no cars behind you when you sway out to the middle of the lane. I've also noticed that if there are cellular tower right next to the road it can sometimes block out the bluetooth connection to the radar, but that's probably the computer that gets interfered. If I would like Garmin to add something else it would be a sleep mode triggered from the computers GPS and an indication that says that the radar are compromised and interfered.

[@PatrickLino]

Got one coming from Magene hopefully soon!

[@LTBlightthebeam]

Lemme know if you get any false negatives.

[@ChinaCycling]

Ka-chow!

[@PatrickLino]

@@ChinaCycling LOVE YOUUUUUUU!

[@richarddavies2902]

Literally ordered one of these from Toabao a couple of days ago! Annoyingly it isn't shipping until the 24th! Really cool product, and thanks for the review :)

[@ChinaCycling]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@dongbeidaishu]

Thanks for the video. Went out and got one. Took seconds to connect to my wahoo. Picks up all those crazy meituan couriers on their ebikes. Price at the shop was the same on taobao

[@ChinaCycling]

Glad I could help

[@MrBillboeing]

Cool, thanks for reviewing Joe.

[@maximme]

excellent. Never thought this product exist. Definitely getting Magene

[@Matjaz1247]

In Europe you can find 162 EUR lowest price for Garmin Varia (New) while Magene Radar from official Aliexpress store costs 158 EUR. There is no brainer which to purchuase. I will definatelly go for Magene if price was diferent.

[@bikesandstufff]

Yup. I just bought the Varia for 163€ a few days ago, and was upset that there's a cheaper option available all of a sudden, and behold, it costs exactly the same as Varia

[@yipkk]

Ordered one, can’t wait to try it out

[@viljamip]

The price, 163€, in Aliexpress shipped to Finland (free shipping) is about 10€ cheaper than Garmin from Bike Discount. I’d consider this if it was significantly cheaper but maybe they already increased the price from $129?

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah, if it's only a matter of a few Euros... 🤔

[@alvaromolina5130]

For the same price (as happens to be now in Europe), which one would you go for?

[@jeffvanek3404]

Can you use the magene with an iPhone instead of a bike computer ?

[@glennoc8585]

I have a few question... Does the radar change driver awareness? Does the radar becoming a pest when you're riding to work with a constant stream of traffic?

[@bikesandstufff]

Prices are so different in the EU, both units cost exactly the same - 160€.

[@poljak012]

great video, but it would be good if you compared the brightness from a distance of 200 meters or more. Somehow it seems to me that the Magene does not have the brightness of the Garmin Varia..

[@ENDRJUZ]

Hello... Can it be paired with few items in the same time?(bicycle computers, watches)... It will be helpfull for all riders in the group...

[@shamshulamriomar8166]

Will it detect motorcycles as well?

[@mriguy3202]

I'm not the fastest rider in our town, and sometimes I wander out of line when riding popular biking roads. I'd like to have the radar to keep me safe from other cyclists and especially when riding alone on roads with a narrow shoulder. On some of our more scenic rides, the car traffic is only doing about 20 or 25 MPH so you cannot hear some of the cars approaching. I have been using a small helmet mounted mirror for 30 years and there's plenty that I miss because the mirror is pretty far away from my center of vision. I'm going to get one of these and keep the mirror. The mirror mounted on the handlebars jiggles too much for my taste.

[@kidShibuya]

Already have a Varia but good to see more radars out there.

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

Me too.

[@FixedundFertig]

wonder how the Magene Speed & Candace Sensors working with Wahoo Head units 🤔 because Battery replacement with the Wahoo Ones are HORRIBLE 😭

[@ralphinho77]

Used them on my Bolt and nog on the Roam. Works great!

[@FixedundFertig]

@@ralphinho77 uh NICE ! thanks ;)

[@steve050867]

$129 my $2 mirror on the end of handle bars works well 👍😁

[@morneauh]

Your mirror only works if you look at them. The Varia notify you something is coming. How often I try to pass people with mirror and they are unaware I'm behind trying to pass.

[@SzwedunioWiesz]

Do you plan to test Bryton Gardia R300 and domostw the whole three? 😀

[@ChinaCycling]

If they wanna send me one, sure!

[@SzwedunioWiesz]

@@ChinaCycling they declare 65 lumens and minimum 12h of battery work…

[@aydossarif-bambaydos2082]

@@SzwedunioWiesz where can i get the gardia?

[@SzwedunioWiesz]

@@aydossarif-bambaydos2082 I do not know. Not sure if it is on public sale already or only for trade shows and maybe for testers only.

[@aydossarif-bambaydos2082]

@@SzwedunioWiesz i cant wait to get the gardia, i read it can make alert sound.

[@TheCyclesport]

Well done. Great review of all 👍👍

[@ChinaCycling]

Thanks Keith.

[@yangyu9990]

Infinite Top Gun references? Me like.

[@ChinaCycling]

I am a simple man. :)

[@TenSapphires]

As a man of culture I approve.

[@WanderingSword]

Will this work with the Garmin Edge 520?

[@ali86]

Does it have the same features like Garmin Varia Radar? Which whenever it detected any vehicle, the light pattern will change to alert the driver.

[@ChinaCycling]

Yes it does!

[@keithtse6834]

Are the rubber bands included long enough for a VERY wide aero seatpost on a TT/tri bike?

[@gabrielyumul]

Yes there is!

[@dirkhunt9425]

Not available in the US :(

[@Zeben84]

Or just get a cheap mirror like the CatEye BM-45 or The Beam Corky :)

[@jarosawcymerman3495]

I have two questions re L508 1) does it work with smartphone like Varia doing? smartphone with BT. no ANT+ 2) does it work with Garmin 7/EPIX 2

[@ChinaCycling]

1) I don't think so... no app for monitoring it yet.. the app so far is just for changing settings. 2) I assume it will work fine, but didn't try myself.

[@letspepper8385]

Can you use all the functions of the Magene Radar with your smartphone instead of a dedicated bike head unit?

[@milessmith589]

Does your phone link to Ant+ ? This is the standard (like Bluetooth but it's different) that links these units to a bike computer. Additionally you need an app to then read interpret and display/alert via sound - if so then maybe 👍

[@aidanmasterson50]

Weight and battery life comparisons?

[@bikeinmotion]

The problem with taxes and aliexpress now is that it ain't so cheap anymore. Magene directly on aliexpress 136€ shipped and taxed. I can get a Garmin from onlinestores in Europe for just 149€ so I don't know if its worth saving 13 bucks...

[@antoniogoncalves2979]

Hi, from what store?

[@savllya6049]

You are right, especially electric cars, they are so quiet - a silent bike & pedestrian killer.

[@WanderingSword]

love the Top Gun clips :)))

[@ChinaCycling]

*classic*

[@dzat]

cool...good for us consumer! btw, can it detect motorcycle?

[@darkacept]

Nice to see some company's developing alternatives to garmin radar, but they need to reduce de price, at least in europe we can get the garmin for almost the same price no even 20€ difference. If we take in account delivery times and garanties to it's not really that great.

[@BARTHEZ42]

I think the same but I hope with Magene and Bryton radars on the market Garmin will consider lowering their price.

[@sadiejones7991]

I like the brake light idea the best

[@Jackerss74]

is this device suitable with all computer magene? or only a few models?

[@ChinaCycling]

All headunits that support ANT+ radars. (Almost every head unit.)

[@Countrystock]

Great to see some competition, but I'd still go for the Garmin for the proven support and updates

[@ChinaCycling]

Garmin have spent decades building their brand, so respect for that. Personally I've had dreadful experience with Garmin support (Vector 2 pedals died, they wanted nothing to do with it.)

[@yeungline]

Now I'm waiting for Magene to produce a radar camera tail light 😊

[@TerranZerg]

200%

[@hockysa]

this is awesome, market needs more competition

[@TomToken87]

Any problems with False negatives, my first ride with the L508 last week (2 weeks shipping from official AliExpress store to Australia) had some cars "disappear" from my radar display when they were matching my speed but only a few metres behind, so the radar didn't pick them up as "approaching". Not sure if it was due to me mounting the unit too low on my seat post (only just above the wheels). I've remounted it to my saddle bag but have yet to test it again due to poor weather.

[@ChinaCycling]

I had a three-wheel scooter thing that about 20 meters behind me started matching my speed and then disappeared from the list of contacts. But, this is within the specifications that relative speed difference must be 10kph. Not sure if the same thing would happen with the Garmin or not, it's difficult to reproduce.

[@MrTcardoso]

@@ChinaCycling It is not a bug, it is a feature! 😀 And I can confirm the same happens with the Varia Radar.

[@aydossarif-bambaydos2082]

@@MrTcardoso i heard the detection concept is like that

[@triatheletewolf7279]

@@MrTcardoso Yep mine does the same. It is 5 years old and needs a battery, looking at this as Garmin wants $99 to send me a refurbished one.

[@LTBlightthebeam]

I've never had a false negative reading from my Garmin. Occasional false positives are ok. Any false negatives with the Magene?

[@ChinaCycling]

When I was using both radars at the same time both units had some weird glitches, but no false negatives when using them individually. The only ocassion when a contact "disappeared" was when a three-wheeler started matching my speed exactly about 20 meters behind me. (At which point it was no longer a threat.)

[@aaronpropes9134]

Bummer that neither company has anything other than seat post mounts; anyone with a rear rack, or are too short to have the height necessary for the light is SOL.

[@tn9274]

what to check on head unit whether it can support or not? anyway more eyes on the road is better rather than down on small head unit screen seeing small car like playing a game 😬

[@tanqinxiang]

Loving how you said the Radar doesn't replace your common sense and don't make you invisible.

[@nigelmcclean4166]

Whats the bike over your right shoulder?

[@ChinaCycling]

The blue one is a flat-bar Winspace G2, the other one is a Specialized Allez Sprint.

[@ianthecyclist4868]

Allez

[@nigelmcclean4166]

@@ChinaCycling ok...i figured. Just thought Winspace might've had an alu offering

[@galenkehler]

@@nigelmcclean4166 lol winspace, famed aluminum manufacturer :)

[@nigelmcclean4166]

lol

[@Tethysmeer]

Quality of Magene is always very good. Question: does it also detect motorcycles?

[@masterpain7035]

Good question

[@TLa08]

It does. I have the Magen for almost a month now. I detects motorcycles, e-bikes and even faster approaching bicycles. I'm pretty happy with it. Only gripe I have: the mount isn't super good on an aero (D-shape) seatpost but I have another mount coming, so hopefully this fixes it.

[@sickofit6456]

B-roll framerate is low Noisy background sound desk seems dirty...

[@ChinaCycling]

I'll issue you a full refund! 😜

[@romanpramuka2703]

In term of price it's not a true here in heart of Europe, I can get magene radar at about 160€ and local shops have Garmin radar for about 180€. So is the worth getting magene radar for a little money saving???

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah, prices vary from place to place. I don't know at what point it becomes "Just get the Garmin" it will depend what features you prefer. (Auto brake light is only on the Magene, etc.)

[@ianthecyclist4868]

very informative!! TQTQ

[@Ernie_13]

Loved the video, but don’t really get it. Right after the watching, I went to check the prices and there is hardly any difference in price. Am sitting in Denmark and Varia RTL516 (newer than 510) is sold for $165 in many online shops here. And Magene is $160. Both products are on sale btw. So….am I missing something? $5 difference is no difference at all. Or are you comparing it with Varia RCT716, which has camera in and costs far more. But that wouldn’t be fair comparison. Or?

[@ChinaCycling]

Lots of people from Europe leaving comments like this. Seems the Garmin is cheaper in Europe and the Magene is more expensive leading to virtually no price difference. I used American prices for my comparison (the unit is even cheaper in China) but it seems prices vary a lot around the world.

[@2ball434]

Any news if Sensah will make hydraulic brake groupsets for their lower tiers?

[@jengjrtsai975]

What is "rear traffic warning"?

[@intellekt6940]

Can you use them to track your bike in case of theft?

[@kidShibuya]

lol how?

[@intellekt6940]

Like maybe from phone connection

[@SergioCristancho]

Great video nice comparison, my 2 cents on bike radars... 1. another gadget, yes it works yes is a game changer, but still another marketing candy we can fall in ... OR? 2. ergonomics, helmets are quite expensive and they need to really add value this kind of tech as many other MUST be included NO cost added to the Helmets, some day we gonna have a light safe well design helmet that includes light from 300 lumen back up to 1000 flash, open ear BT headphones, and in the back RADAR! yes there is a way , sure must be heavier than some actual helmets and ventilation gets tight but then most aero helmets have plenty room also most of the tech goes from bulky stuff and moves to smaller and tiny.

[@cx123456]

rear-view mirror

[@richiejames928]

Do these radars ever pick up motorbikes??

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah! In my road-side testing there were plenty of motorbikes. Usually picked them up about 20 meters later than they'd pick up a car, but pretty close.

[@zvxzw]

They also pickup faster cyclists!

[@Shel8008]

Would the radar pick up cyclists or getting interference in a group ride?

[@ChinaCycling]

I only did a few group rides with 3-4 people. It seemed to perform fine. If a cyclist comes from far back with a big speed difference to you, it may get identified as a car. False positives, but no false negatives.

[@littlevo9]

Magene :139€ and Garmin: 149€ in France i take Garmin

[@rogerw-interested]

are you relying on your hearing for electric cars? good luck with that. rear view mirror with radar for best protection with looking over your shoulder

[@TheXiamenCyclingFeed]

"Car back" - car is still 1km back down the road 🤣

[@ChinaCycling]

😂😂😂

[@ron_nor_]

Glad that now even more cyclists can afford this tech. It's worth every cent.

[@galenkehler]

Step 1: radar early warning Step 2: ???? Step 3: safety!!! No one has ever explained what exactly you're supposed to DO with the radar information, other than what you should be doing anyway. Kudos to Joe for the pothole situation, but if you're going that fast that you're coming up that fast you should be owning the whole lane anyway.

[@TrickyTree84]

Know there is a car behind you. If in a group or pair, move. Not move out for pot holes, don't turn right (in the UK) etc etc

[@greg4318]

I’m with you - the only use might be on country roads, in any type of urban setting it’s practically useless. In an urban setting, I always am as far left as possible (Australia) anyway, so how would this help……information is only useful if it used to modify behaviours. If it was telling me to pull off the road as their is a psychopath in a car behind me, that might be different. Also, as a motorcyclist as well, we are trained to do a ‘suicide check’ before changing lines on the road i.e physically turn your head and check - there is no substitute for good practice when on two wheels. In addition, I utilise a rear light that is much more powerful than the light on these radars…..I think that contributes more to my safety than this technology.

[@ChinaCycling]

Yeah, mostly useful for situations where there are few cars. On a windy descent and you wanna use the whole lane to get a racing line, obviously if there's a car about to pass you, that would be a bad idea. So, situations like that the radar is brilliant. I genuinely thought it was a gimmick before trying it, but then found it is more useful than you'd think.

[@eeul]

If it's most useful on country roads, or where there are few cars, I think a much cheaper alternative is a mirror. I've used glasses mounted mirrors from rei for a long time now and I can quickly check behind visually before commencing a dicy bit of road. Also in periodically check for cars behind and make sure that any cars behind know that I can see them. In some cases I can safely signal the car to pass, which minimises the chance of misunderstandings or dangerous situations. I'm in a part of Australia where drivers are generally friendly though. To be fair, I ride similar routes frequently and generally know where I need to check behind; the radar would come into its own if the route is not well known.

[@nicholasbluhm4100]

I think the most useful feature is not so much that you get warnings of cars behind you, rather that it changes its flashing pattern to alert the drivers behind you. While cycling, I recently moved up fast behind another cyclist with one of these (perhaps a Garmin one, I don't know) and it's flashing startled me. This is what led me to investigate these things in the first place. A standard rear light tends to have the same behaviour all the time, where as I believe the sudden change in behaviour of the Magene/Garmin is more likely to draw attention. I'll know for sure when my Magene L508 arrives 😃

[@okantichrist]

Will it tell you if that car is towing a caravan?😂

[@bobwilliamson5574]

Try using a mirror.

[@hevdread]

mate, almost half the price is is a bit of a misstatement...

[@ChinaCycling]

It's really hard to choose which currency / market to go for when doing things like this. It retails for 699rmb in China ($101 USD at today's rates.) and $129 through their USD dealers I think. "Almost half" is... well... almost? You can see in the thumbnail I went for the USA price, not the click-baity Chinese price... so, trying to strike a balance. Anyway, I appreciate the feedback.

[@hevdread]

@@ChinaCycling Ill accept it! thanks for the common sense reply.

[@mariogarciagil3567]

varia o magene

[@stevetee4145]

Get a bike mirror of Amazon for around £12!

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

You sound like you're the type of cyclist that wears the cheapest worn out faded kit with a construction safety vest, a bottom line $25 helmet, Walmart sunglasses, and the old $20 Cateye bike speed/distant sensor. Most of us aren't that type of cyclists and don't mind spending a few bucks on the sport we love.

[@zvxzw]

A mirror will show a box van behind you, the radar will show the van and the 3 cars behind him. Thought radar was just another tech toy until I got one 3 years ago - I’d rather ride without my helmet than without my radar.

[@glennoc8585]

@@wasupwitdat1mofiki94 The funny thing is most of what you said is all you need though.

[@IvanMalechko]

Nah… If it was at least 2.5x cheaper I would probably think about it. A questionable knockoff above $100 with who knows what battery life and longevity which is already not so great in original garmin… no, thanks. But kudos for making the market more competitive! Will see how it goes.

[@kyungi1]

Allez Sprint Detected.........

[@ChinaCycling]

The messiah returns.

[@pedrohack2869]

Small rear view mirror on the end of the handlebars is much better, cateye is the best one

[@wasupwitdat1mofiki94]

Guys like you, (cheapasses), always say that. I suggest putting both on your bike and use them for a couple months, then see which one you rely on more. For what the radar does it's not a lot of money.

[@pedrohack2869]

@@wasupwitdat1mofiki94 what? a view behind you is clearly better than a blip on a screen

[@davidcummings7735]

@@wasupwitdat1mofiki94 totally agree I have both on my main bike and when I transfer the Garmin to any of my other bikes I don't miss the mirror at all, however if I don't install Garmin on I feel I am riding naked.

[@ChinaCycling]

I mean I don't think a small mirror can help you see a car over 100 meters away, but whatever works for you!

[@atexnik]

Haha, I see Magene is actively promoting its crap.

[@T59-j7k]

The Garmin is $299

[@ChinaCycling]

Different prices in different markets I guess?

[@jambormbac345]

God Messengers (who are a people) are sent from God. This light with cammera is made from han. Allah give them inspiration to make it