Originally Posted by
choddo
This is not intended as criticism, but curiosity about the psychology of these things. I’m pretty sure I would have either slowed right down or got out into the road early in this situation because I would be very unsure that calling out is going to work (traffic noise, headphones, some people are deaf, they might not know what the call was about or if it was for them, they might just be pissed with being bossed about by bikes too many times etc)
Three points -
1. I’ve not had really good luck with hailing ahead to pedestrians. Their responses in terms of movement are unpredictable especially if wearing earbuds and startled. Dogs on retractable leashes are worse. Just better to pass with wide margins. The Varia Radar can be very helpful here and any time you need to change lanes.
2. The benefit of the radar is it helps interrupt your scan when a car approaches from -500’ behind. That gives you maximum warning time to understand their intent and to find an escape if you need one (just like driving a car) or to relax as you see them slow and/or go wide.
3. It’s important to understand what the radar is telling you. It will tell you if there is a vehicle that is gaining on you. It will not tell you about a vehicle that is pacing you and, as such, it’s not a substitute for a rearward look with either a mirror or looking back. In point of fact, just using only the radar to see a spot in traffic could easily be fatal if a car were pacing you close off your rear tire. A car that is pacing you will disappear from the Varia display.
All that said, it’s a fantastic tool. As Ray Maker says in his reviews of these products - there are two kinds of cyclists: those that have the Varia and love it and those that haven’t tried it. I’ve used them since they first came out years ago and I wouldn’t ride without one.