I ride is relatively busy areas where it seems to me the radar would be constantly showing incoming rider/vehicles.

I assume this is the radar you mean? Seems like a helpful guy to have around. Maybe a bit emotional at times.

Maybe, maybe not. I think yes in a heavy urban traffic environment it can be less handy but in my case the light it provides is quite nice and alerts other drivers or people behind you that you are there so it can maintain a solid light and then a little pattern when they come closer and back to solid. I say some of the time I know someone is coming behind but in some cases it is nice to know.

I find my Varia radar valuable. There are times when I turn off the audible alert, but the graphic on my Wahoo still displays, and is helpful for seeing what's coming if I need to cross traffic lanes to make a left turn (for example).

Audible radar alerts in town are so annoying! You can mute them, but having to pay attention and do multiple clicks/scrolling on the Wahoo Bolt to do that is really inconvenient, and then you have to remember to turn them back on once you’re out of town. Managing audible alerts on the Varia is the most frustrating element of an otherwise really great device.

I would be greatly appreciative if Garmin enabled the ability to geofence an auto-mute function. That’d be great for someone like me who rides out their front door, through town, and out to the countryside. When gathering up in town for a group ride, having to hear the mulitple radars from everyone’s bikes beeping is really stupid, but if you turn it off, you might wind up in a situation out on the road, as I have, when you get surprised because you forgot to turn the audibles back on.

This issue is the greatest opportunity for Garmin and other radar manufacturers, IMO.

Absolutely buy the radar, a couple of cameras as well.

Misspellings in thread titles can be so much fun. Lucky that wort wasn't misspelled as wart

Mine was somehow uncharged yesterday.

I initial urge was to commit suicide, but instead I decided to ride off-road.

I still missed it, because I am used to having it alert me to the local Hells Angels on Santa Cruz mountain bikes.

PS: They are on sale for $150. I've never met anyone who regretted getting one.

Yes, if you ever have to move out of the bike lane, e.g., to avoid obstacles or to turn left.

Another pre-formatted thread:

Title: Is xyz worth the money?

OP: I don't think it is.

Responses: Here are several reasons why xyz is useful ...

Next up ...

OP: Rejects all suggestions

Probably

I agree. Also be sure to get a drone that will broadcast to a heads up display so you can see a birds-eye view of you and everything around you. Spend the extra money on the deluxe display with the rangefinder.

Warning: The following are opinions of my fingers, and are not meant as a put down of anyone or triggers to woke-sensitive peoples of the net..

Radar = YES, stop asking, too many threads already on this subject.

Camera = Possible evidence against you in court ! How many of you running cameras also run stop signs and/or red lights? If you have to use your video 'evidence' in court, the other side will damn well demand the rest of your video(s), including all those naughty things you did. And no, you can't legally delete all the untidy bits. Jus' sayin'

That's what I think would be valuable.
But, do you trust it enough to cross the traffic lanes without actually looking?

Can you easily hear the audible alert in normal ambient cycling conditions - wind noise, road noise, traffic noise? Or do you need to have a computer that will give you a visual ($$)?

On second thought, I would say that a Varia RTL-515 (currently C$200+tax) is most definitely worth it in view of the almost C$2,600 that the OP had recently spent on a second set of wheels + disc rotors + cassette for a recently acquired bike.

Should I be looking Aftermarket? - Bike Forums

No. But I trust the radar's ability to tracking multiple closing vehicles better than my own.

The radar unit itself does not make audio alerts; that is accomplished by the associated iOS app or GPS headunit.

I always verify with my own eyes before moving, but if the display is showing a stream of cars, I know that I have to wait. I've had it show me things that weren't cars, but it's never not identified a car.

For me, the audible tone from my Wahoo Bolt is definitely loud enough, even around vehicle traffic or riding fast. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same for other head units. The advantage of the audible is that I don't have to look at my head unit. For most cases, this is the preferable setting. It's only if I'm in a situation where it would be altering nearly constantly that I mute the audible.

Ah, so there's more than just the radar unit. I was thinking of getting one for my wife, but she is not interested in a handlebar mount for her phone (and from my personal experience trying one for a while, I would never encourage her to use one). She just uses a basic Cateye computer for mileage, time and distance info. She has no inclination or need for any other data. I'm assuming a GPS head unit with capability would be several hundred dollars added to the cost of the radar unit.

I'm not sure what the cheapest compatible head unit is, but yes, the Varia radar is not a stand-alone device.

about $200 CND

The one with integrated cam may be best ?

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6023-2...RoC89gQAvD_BwE

Yep, that's the one to get.

Although (as you correctly noted) there has been numerous threads on radars, you have still somehow failed to comprehend or recall that these are all rear-facing radars (which may or may not also be equipped with a camera). How does a rear-facing camera show that one has run a red light or a stop sign!?

The Varia with the camera has a shorter battery life.

Umm, by showing me moving through an intersection with a clear red light behind me?

(similarly, and isn't this obvious, showing me moving through an intersection without stopping when the unique outline of a stop sign is present.)

Given the cycle time of traffic lights and the (relatively) slow speed of bicycles, a rear-facing camera doesn't give you a very reliable indication of traffic light status when you enter an intersection.

isnt video time stamped? The traffic lights are on a grid. They know what time they changed