Bicycle Radar Experiences while Touring
 

I’m looking to get a bicycle radar for my own safety. I like to do a 4-6 week bicycle tour every summer when I can, with days averaging around 9 hours of wheel time (sometimes less, sometimes more).

Does anyone have any experience in touring with a bicycle radar? What gear did you use, how hard was it to keep charged, and what’s the longest you can expect to use it on one charge? How good was it in warning you of approaching vehicles (false positives vs failure to warn in time).

I’d prefer something that has built in taillights just so I’m getting more than one function out of it and that will also make one less thing to have to keep charged. I know I can look up specs online but looking for someone with real world experience as touring is a brutal yet honest test of any equipment’s mettle.

Thank you!

I tried to use my Garmin radar without a light on tour several years ago. The battery could never last through the day. Maybe newer units have a better battery life. I don't even use mine anymore in an urban setting. I find my ears generally give me the info I need when I need it. If I were severely hard of hearing I would place much more value on the radar. I seem to be an outlier, though. Most users seem to rave about them, though I haven't heard much from tourists. I rode the GAP and C&O trails this past summer and one of my partners was using something. I can't remember if his had radar, lights and camera all in one or if there were two different devices. He was having battery issues with something.

I don't remember any false positives however if one is riding a frontage road, the radar will likely pick up vehicles on the parallel road. Important to keep in mind the radar is detecting a faster moving object. If a vehicle slows to your speed, it will drop off the radar but still be there. One needs to be aware of that. When on a multi lane road, the radar can't tell you which lane the vehicle is in, at least mine can't.

Generally you will find a vast majority of users find a substantial benefit. Here are the battery specs on the new Garmin. I spent almost 3 Months on the road touring last year and used mine every day.

10 hours solid
15 hours peloton
10 hours night flash
24 hours day flash
30 hours radar-only

Would radar on the GAP alert one to chasing squirrels?

Good question but I didn't ask him. I did ride with someone on the GDMBR who spotted in his rear view mirror a mountain lion stalking him. He stopped and faced it and it took off. Best argument for a rear view mirror I've ever heard. I wonder if radar would've picked that up before it was too late!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a6bf3dea1.jpeg

This is a first that’s for sure. Fortunately that section was smooth enough to be able to see behind on the mirror with most of the route on single track and rough secondary roads.

The closest thing I saw to a lion during my three trips on the GAP. :D

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...83caebf5a.jpeg

As I recall, that section had been freshly graded. Reportedly, some locals said we should be more worried about lions than grizzlies.

Never tried radar and never will. Pfffft. 99% useless 99% of the time probably. If there's only 1 car or truck then my ears can figure out where they are in the lane to a couple inches I bet. But that's already too close to be dodging.
Part of my rides is 70 or 80 mph 4 lane freeways. WTH is radar going to tell me??
ALL you need is a big bar mirror like mine that's 99% awesome. The other 1% is when I don't look and maybe a wide load sneaks up. LOL.
I can see back 1/4 mile+ where I can see if they are moving over or slowing down or whatever. Then I use this to judge if an oncoming squeeze compels me to adjust my speed and or ride the last 3" of shoulder edge. Happens all the time on narrower shoulders with plenty of trucks. Then there's also I need to judge when to zip across merge out lanes in 5 second gaps. Yah it happens on my tours too.
Sometimes the shoulder is lumpy and I cheat in and out of the drive lane.
Try any of this with a fricking beep beep that's impossible to hear anyway. And no, my mirror has no jiggle, sagging may happen with older ones.
Battery lights on a tour bike?? Hilarious.

Some of the things people find hilarious are hilarious.

I have a Wahoo Trackr Radar, which I have yet to try out on a tour (that will be in July), but one feature I like is that I can set it to turn off if it isn't detecting a vehicle behind me. Once it detects a vehicle, it goes into flash mode until all is clear. Based on my rather limited local riding with it, up to four hours at a time, I estimate with a safety margin that I will get at least two days of touring out of it. My touring days, however, are shorter than yours, generally around a maximum of eight hours per day.

I also ride with a Mirracycle mirror, as I like to know not only that I have a vehicle behind me (radar), but also what it is doing (mirror).

It does not help that Perth is a very windy city so relying on hearing is a high-risk strategy at the best of times. I have had a hotted-up V8 come past me without hearing it due to wind noise. Further, I have had a dude get upset at me as I caused him to wait at an intersection for me to pass through, so he swung after me and tried to run me over. My mirror saved me that day; my hearing did not help at all due to the traffic. Thankfully, I timed the jump over the kerb to safety well.

Edit: For what it is worth, I am finding my Trackr Radar does not detect cyclists behind me. We do not have mountain lions so cannot comment on that aspect :)

I have the Garmin RVR315 (no light, somewhat affordable).

1. Nominal battery life is something like 8hrs. Turn off during lunch, perhaps recharge as well.
2. During daytime, I don't see the point of a rear light. At dusk or night, I use a Petzl Bindi (14 days battery life)
3. I really like the idea of a radar. In my case is more useful to detect road cyclist about to overtake me on a path. Is also useful to detect cars but it doesn't replace rearview mirrors - if a car slows down and matches your speed (frequent when car can't safely/legally overtake), its signal often disappears. I believe this no longer applies to the most recent models which show "trailing" objects.

4. Seems to be like a silly gadget until you get one, but once you do, there's no going back. It may not be *actually* safer, but somehow is very satisfying.

frank opinion here on rear radar systems, I hope you are open to other views.

while I totally embrace and get the concept of new technology, I have a bunch of serious concerns about radar use based on a lot of years on two wheels (motorcycles, bicycles) where a high level of situational awareness keeps you alive.

-developing situational awareness at all times should be a second nature sort of thing, relying on a battery powered device to "warn you" imo has pitfalls where one relies solely on this device (not developing good survival instincts on your own, battery failure, equipment failure (this last one probably very very rare)
- a good mirror gives you very important information more than just "there is a car coming" -- crucial information, such as -- is the car pulling a trailer, are they close to the shoulder? Is a car partway in a turn behind hugging the shoulder? Is the hugging car coming behind you pulling a trailer that is sticking out even more? Is the incoming vehicle a RV probably driven by old people renting it and not really good at judging the width and or have left a door step unfolded sticking out like a leg chopper offer (Ive seen this many a time, had some fricken scarey close calls).

-Is the rear incoming big truck moving over for you, so now you can relax?
-Is the rear incoming truck going to meet up with you just as the other oncoming truck is going to meet up with you and all three of you at exactly the same time on a narrow road, ie trucks can't move over, can't stop fast enough, so you have to make a split second decision to just get off onto the grass (has happened many times with me, the mirror made this a no brainer, not a life threatening situation -- of which I have had a number before using mirrors while bike touring

this sort of stuff
and then there is just plain handy example of mirrors being useful, like keeping an eye out on your riding buddies

when we drive cars, and especially motorcycles, it is a really good habit to glance in rear mirrors regularly. I do it all the time driving, just to be aware of what is going on around me.
While bicycling, to not have a visual idea of whats going on behind you is bonkers and just increases the percentage of possible risks.

I'm all for driving aids and new technology. Rear proximity detection in cars is super useful, rear cameras make parking easier and safer. ABS and stability control safe countless lives. Lane detection and blind spot aids are fantastic.
Bike radar stuff is fine in concept, but it has limitations and it costs money that I would rather put into other bike touring budgets.
But Im open to it, just wanted to put out some honest opinions on what it doesn't do
I could easily see having it in future when it is much more commonplace, much cheaper and battery life is not one more thing to have to think to charge (a real factor in bike traveling)
cheers

these wide range of actual user experiences touches on all of our battery powered doohickies doesnt it? New models perform better generally, but all battery powered devices do decline in battery performance over time, just over a few years often, so as consumers we have to be aware and accept this.

I got my first bike gps, a garmin unit, three years ago, and was very aware that newer, better models would show up---and sure enough, the growth of solar aided models happened right after and I am glad that I went for a moderately priced model as I knew that within 5 years tops, my gps would start to be outdated in performance and battery realities -- not any different than any computer, cell phone etc that we own, so that's okay.
There are some solar gps models now for about the same price as my regular Garmin, that can nearly work all the time solely on solar, so a huge advantage on off road trips where access to plugs is more limited.

So with rear radar, it stands to reason that this interesting safety aid will go the same route.

I guess the main thing is to hopefully take the multiple, solid opinions here that a good mirror is a big plus for our safety.

I hope for the fellow asking opinions takes this into consideration as well.

I SHOULD own one of these. Greater safety is never a bad thing but darn, that would be another thing I would have to attend to and I have more than enough “stuff” now that requires charging each evening…..argh

GP Larma update video on the new Garmin Varia 820 radar.

Y
 

I getcha on the charging fatigue; I DoorDash on my bicycle during the year and I have five lights (2 wheel lights, two rear lights, and a headlight) to keep charged in addition to my power brick and my phone. Bicycle radar seems worth it from a safety standpoint. I have a helmet mirror but when I’m fatigued at the end of a long day of riding, I forget to check it as often as I should.

Doesnt the Wahoo Trackr have a mode that still flashes when something is detected behind, just not as bright? This seems like a good mode for conserving battery and if the radar malfunctions you would still be broadcasting some kind of light to the rear.

I believe it does ... high and low flash. The low-flash mode has a claimed battery life of up to 20 hours.

I think it’s called “radar mode”, in that it’s not flashing till the radar detects a vehicle, then flashes. I thought I had read that the Wahoo Trackr did this but did not see it as a flash mode when I looked up the unit on the website. I had also read the new RearVue 820 has this, but also do not see it as a flash option in the manual. The High Flash mode on the Garmin 820 states 24 hrs.

The general response from regular users of bicycle radars is overwhelmingly positive. Understand that these forums are disproportionately represented by a much older demographic than the typical cycling community, which explains the preponderance of concerns about charging and the preference for mirrors. You can easily get 16 hours out of an older model and 24 hours from the current Varia 820. Charging is just part of everyday life, and frankly, I don't understand the phobia. I usually tour with a phone, a Garmin Edge 1050, an iPad, and a Varia. I usually also carry a battery pack that charges through the device; it's always full, and if power is disconnected, it completes charging on the device.

Try getting all that crap on an airplane now. LOL.
BTW .... And they just cut the max for those storage batteries.

I just returned from a trip in Laos which involved numerous flights with both major and regional airlines without a hint of an issue. The only change is no rechargeable batteries in your checked bags. LOL.

Do you really believe they are going to ban rechargeable batteries on airplanes?

So you tour without a phone, bike computer, laptop or equivalent or a rechargeable tail light?

This is the reason I've come to dislike additional gadgetry and why I will fight till the very end before having to get electronic shifting, new gps head unit, the varia radar etc.. I always forget to charge things and then don't have them when I need them.

That's a big reason why my bike lights have way, WAY oversized batteries (99 Wh at 7.2 V). I can forget for a long time and usually I won't run out of juice before I eventually remember to charge them.

Also since my phone is a better navigation device than any GPS head unit would ever hope to be, I don't want to clutter my handlebar with a garmin unit just because of Varia. I gets really full with a bar bag, light remote, phone mount and bell.

Luckily there are fairly good drop bar mounted mirrors these days.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...958601857.jpeg
Not sure about the clutter you speak of?

If you need to charge your phone anyways, much more frequently than a Garmin, what’s the difference if you charge another device or two.