Varia rear light worth it?

[kingrollo]

It comes in a great box......safer

 

[Petrichorwheels]

Hmmm.... the idea is not 'an initial check'; it's constant situational awareness. There is zero need to 'rely on it'. It's just there providing extra information.

mm - sounds like too much info/input to me.
And in any case I would never rely even remotely on any tech to tell me what's around me.
even relying on tech to any degree for such a thing is iffy in my view.
I do hope folk aren't riding with headphones with this.

 

[cougie uk]

sorry -
You have kinda confirmed to me that it's not a lot of use/potentially dangerous if folk start to rely on it even for an initial check (one step away from disaster)
My bike riding roadcraft is essentially what I learned when learning to drive a car* - look, signal if seems OK, look again before making the manoeuvre.

Even with car mirrors I always looked over my shoulder/to my side before moving out.

(I no longer drive by the way)

* I see this as a mix of self preservation, assertion (I have the same rights as a car) and roadcraft politeness.

Just try it as I say.

 

[Mike_P]

but in busy traffic it's going to be alerting you all the time surely?
(which was why I assume someone on this or an associated thread said it might be useful for non urban riding)

IME you get the audible alert initially and a constant red or orange display with a procession of moving vehicle symbols. The next audible alert is to say it's clear (in its opinion) and the display has gone green. If the display is orange and a faster vehicle approaches an extra audible alert is issued as the display goes red.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

IME you get the audible alert initially and a constant red or orange display with a procession of moving vehicle symbols. The next audible alert is to say it's clear (in its opinion) the display has gone green

I may be interested if it can display the eyes of the driver behind.
Plus extra info - like what's playing on their in-car sound system/how they are feeling - alert/angry? chilled? too chilled?

 

[Mike_P]

 

[Petrichorwheels]

well if I get that pic on the screen about the driver behind I'm very definitely diving in the ditch.
Do let me know if they introduce this in the next system upgrade.

 

[classic33]

well if I get that pic on the screen about the driver behind I'm very definitely diving in the ditch.
Do let me know if they introduce this in the next system upgrade.

Half the time looking back "to make eye contact", you're relying on your ears to provide some of the information you want. There's times when you can't see the drivers face because they're not looking in your direction.

 

[Mike_P]

Seems to be the thread is split between those who have one and think it is useful and those who do not and do not see the point of them Fundamentally there does not seem to be a group saying they have one and find it pointless.

 

[Mo1959]

I have good hearing and have never yet had a vehicle come up behind me that I wasn't aware of. I am far more concerned that the driver has actually seen me and is not gawping at their phone and the radar wouldn't be much help there.

 

[mikeIow]

Don’t feed the troll 🤣
Some people form their views of devices based on the need to argue, when they have never used it.
No point trying to explain: they will always bring up some whataboutery to deflect the opposing, fact-based reasoned view.

As per @Mike_P above, “there does not seem to be a group saying they have one and find it pointless.”

It is a daft price, so it it entirely normal that most people don’t have one. That £50 reduction was spectacular: although price runner shows it available for £129. What you don’t have, you don’t miss, but, as I said originally, all reviews I read were by people saying they wouldn’t ride without it now.

To my mind, it is (almost) the cycling equivalent of adaptive cruise control - where it keeps the car a distance from one’s in front, even if they lower their speed. Great safety device, I wouldn’t do without it on a daily driver, but had I never had one, I would have remained perfectly happy with normal cruise control. Others who don’t have it will feel it is an unnecessary luxury, & raise concerns over it failing.

 

[cougie uk]

I have good hearing and have never yet had a vehicle come up behind me that I wasn't aware of. I am far more concerned that the driver has actually seen me and is not gawping at their phone and the radar wouldn't be much help there.

Really? I once had a bus sneak up on me. First I knew about it was a huge shadow looming over me (we were on a hill).

As I say - see if a friend has one and you can link to their radar from your computer.

 

[kingrollo]

The cycle chat forum in general decries all these safety innovations.

And tbf there is a lot of guff out there.

But I like Varia and miss it on the occasions I don't have it.

 

[mjr]

I have tried one on someone else's bike. I think I know two people with them and they have not spread further, which is a shame in some ways because it is amusing when they forget to switch it off on group rides.

Is it a surprise reviews are positive? Not many are going to blow £130+ on it if not already convinced. Same as how you see few bad reviews of even some pretty awful expensive front lights. Emperor's new clothes.

 

[Milkfloat]

I have ridden tens of thousands of miles over two versions of the Varia. I would not ride without it and it has never given me a false negative. I get a few false positives which are not too annoying. If my current one broke, I would replace straight away. Of the dozen or so people I ride with regularly only 2 people have not bought one after connecting to mine for a few rides. People are genuinely buying them because they find them useful after testing them. They are not buying them on a whim and then refusing to admit that they are rubbish.