Varia rear light worth it?

[si_c]

The 515s lit modes are:-
- solid high intensity light will flash when a vehicle approaches,
- solid moderate intensity light will softly flash when a vehicle approaches ("peleton mode")
- high intensity slow flash will flash quickly when a vehicle approaches ("night mode")
- maximum intensity occasional flash will flash quickly when a vehicle approaches ("day mode")

So anyone concerned with the variable flashing issus should use either of the first two.

I mostly use Day Flash mode, it's really noticeable during the day, and during the night makes you very very visible.

There is a further mode of standby with neither the light or radar working , just battery drain compared to being off.

Sort of, the drain is still very low in standby so not really worth worrying about, but the advantage is that when you turn your head unit on, the light will come on immediately as well and if you have an ANT+ front light the same. It's actually a really nice feature and one you appreciate quite a bit after a while, if your head unit is on, your lights are on.

Bit odd that there is no radar working no light option.

If you have a Garmin Edge or other device which supports light networks, you can set the Varia to individual mode, then turn the light part off. This will leave the radar running. It's how I do it on my Edge 820 or 1030+ but honestly I think it's easier to leave in day flash mode, the light gets 16 hours of battery life in that mode there or thereabouts so you wouldn't save much battery so you may as well leave it on.

 

[mjr]

I mostly use Day Flash mode, it's really noticeable during the day, and during the night makes you very very visible.

Very visible to other road users you just dazzled with a "maximum intensity occasional flash"? 🤔

 

[cougie uk]

Very visible to other road users you just dazzled with a "maximum intensity occasional flash"? 🤔

It's a bike light. It's not a lighthouses.

 

[Mike_P]

In plain terms with mine sat along side me
1. Solid red light and which apparently changes to a flashing light when a vehicle appproaches
2. A very very slightly dimmer solid red light and which apparently changes to a flashing light when a vehicle appproaches
3. A solid red light which flashes with greater intensity and which apparently changes to a quicker flash when a vehicle approaches (does the solid red remain?)
4. A flashing light which changes to a quicker flash when a vehicle approaches (seen it do whilst I was sat on bench)
5. Standby of which the benefits have been set out by @si_c but my 530 simply gets into a twist setting up a light network it has found then saying it cannot find the light network Have told it not to look for a light network. Can confirm mistakenly leaving the Varia in standby for a week will pretty will run the battery down

 

[mjr]

It's a bike light. It's not a lighthouses.

I know. Councillors don't complain to me about being dazzled by lighthouses.

Tell you what, you go out in the dark, set off one of those Max intensity flashes in your face, then tell me how soon afterwards you can see the bike again. If that Garmin is even pound shop light brightness, it'll be 5 seconds, in which time a 50mph car covers about 110m.

 

[classic33]

I know. Councillors don't complain to me about being dazzled by lighthouses.

Tell you what, you go out in the dark, set off one of those Max intensity flashes in your face, then tell me how soon afterwards you can see the bike again. If that Garmin is even pound shop light brightness, it'll be 5 seconds, in which time a 50mph car covers about 110m.

But, to use that well used & abused saying, they'll have been travelling too fast to to be able to stop within what they can see to be clear. There's very few cyclists doing 50mph on roads under their own power.

 

[mjr]

But, to use that well used & abused saying, they'll have been travelling too fast to to be able to stop within what they can see to be clear. There's very few cyclists doing 50mph on roads under their own power.

They could probably see 110m before someone illegally dazzled them.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Um ... there's a big difference between setting off a flash in your face and seeing one from 100m. Inverse square law and all that.

 

[classic33]

They could probably see 110m before someone illegally dazzled them.

There's a light that can dazzle a driver at that distance, small enough to fit on a bicycle run on internal batteries! And can be bought for £150.

Where can I get one?

 

[Mike_P]

I've had my Varia on Day mode in the evening on my ebike which has built in lights that are a solid light only and not had any motorists clearly annoyed. Not sure what the illuminance difference is between the different modes but any difference is only slight compared to other lights which can be dazzling, bright or dullish on different modes.

 

[mjr]

Um ... there's a big difference between setting off a flash in your face and seeing one from 100m. Inverse square law and all that.

I was suggesting the motorist would travel about 100m while dazzled, not that it triggers at 100m range. My concern is that the distance between motorist and cyclist could be much less than 100m when the flash fires. If you've got a Varia, what approaching distance (s) do the Max intensity flashes fire at, in that mode?

 

[cougie uk]

I know. Councillors don't complain to me about being dazzled by lighthouses.

Tell you what, you go out in the dark, set off one of those Max intensity flashes in your face, then tell me how soon afterwards you can see the bike again. If that Garmin is even pound shop light brightness, it'll be 5 seconds, in which time a 50mph car covers about 110m.

Dude. Have you heard of car headlights. You will have a FIT I tell you.

 

[mjr]

Dude. Have you heard of car headlights. You will have a FIT I tell you.

They have to be dipped when there's oncoming traffic. The Varia don't dip, does it?

 

[classic33]

They have to be dipped when there's oncoming traffic. The Varia don't dip, does it?

The Varia would be on the rear, facing the rear, red and not white.

Currently no requirement to dip your vehicles rear lights, that I'm aware of.

 

[Alex321]

The Varia would be on the rear, facing the rear, red and not white.

Currently no requirement to dip your vehicles rear lights, that I'm aware of.

Very true, but there IS a requirement (far too often ignored) to not use rear fog lights except in conditions of severely reduced visibility. Thay can be seriously dazzling when used incorrectly.

But having said that, the Varia isn't nearly as bright as even regular car tail lights. Its' maximum brightness (Day flash mode) is still only 65 lumens. I believe most regular car tail lights are between 100 and 600 lumens, with some going as high as 1000. Brake lights and fog lights start at around 1200 and go up to as much as 2000.