Opinions on Garmin Varia

[ColinJ]

As posted earlier in the thread I fitted the circle part of a Garmin mount to a saddle bag
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/what-have-you-fettled-today.87079/post-6544525

I will have to do something like that on my Devon bike. It is the only one I own without room for a seatpost mount.

 

[ColinJ]

I will have to do something like that on my Devon bike. It is the only one I own without room for a seatpost mount.

I removed my seatpost-mounted rear mudguard and that gave me just enough room to squeeze a seatpost mount in below the small saddlebag.

I have therefore just installed the Varia app on my phone. I tried it out inside the house with the Varia in test mode (press and hold the power button to start the device, and continue pressing until the Bluetooth LED starts flashing yellow). Alert sounds from the phone app are definitely loud enough for me to hear in virtually any conditions that I am likely to ride in.

I will have to see if the app is reliable. I read about some users having problems with the app losing connection, or shutting down. I also want to see if the phone battery drain is acceptable.

I tested the Varia/app combination on some narrow Devon lanes this evening.

I encountered 6 tractors with large trailers in one hour. The radar gave me plenty of warning for the 3 that came up behind me. Each time, it alerted me about 7 or 8 seconds before I would have heard the vehicle, which was enough time to let me pull over at a passing place or sprint ahead to get to the next one before having the vehicle right up behind me.

At first, the beeps from the app were not quite loud enough, then I realised that I had the phone's volume control turned down. Once set to full volume the beeps were loud enough for even my poor hearing.

I found that the app had to be left running in the foreground because Android seemed to make it sleep after a while if I didn't, and then it stopped responding.

I shouldn't have to worry about OLED screen burn-in because the app is pretty dark to start with and would go very dark when the phone is in a frame bag.

As for phone battery consumption... (hang on, while I check)... A non-issue - less than 1% on a 2 hour ride.

 

[PaulSB]

The problem is a vehicle behind matching your speed is no longer recognised. Plainly shouldn't be a problem but then doing a right turn is likely to result in the blast of a horn.

A horn blast for turning right in that situation might be the least of one's worries and possibly deserved.

Regardless of what the Varia is displaying there should be a shoulder check before the manoeuvre.

 

[ColinJ]

I shouldn't have to worry about OLED screen burn-in because the app is pretty dark to start with and would go very dark when the phone is in a frame bag.

As for phone battery consumption... (hang on, while I check)... A non-issue - less than 1% on a 2 hour ride.

I am now turning the brightness down on the phone before setting off. That means even lower screen 'wear' and battery charge consumption.

The Varia is really helping on the Devon lanes. I need to be watching out for gravel, potholes, and kamikaze pheasants, cats and squirrels, so it is helps to lessen the need for mirror checks.

Obviously I still do shoulder checks as required. Yesterday I was alerted to a car coming up behind me. That prompted a mirror check, and that told me that I had time for a shoulder check. I saw that I had time to sprint ahead to a gateway that I had spotted on the other side of the lane, and pull over there before the car caught up.

 

[ColinJ]

I forgot to add something about the Varia app...

When the head unit display column goes orange to indicate a vehicle overtaking at a moderate speed, the app makes a loud 'DAH-DAH' sound.

Faster overtakes are indicated on the head unit by the column going red. The app then makes a loud 'DAH-DAH-DAH' sound.