Garmin Varia, Trek Carback, Ravemen, Blinkies | Which Should You Use?

Should you use a bike radar like the Garmin Varia, Trek Carback, or one of the alternatives? What about front solid and blinking lights like the Ravemen FR300 or an inexpensive front and rear light set from Amazon?

You can order the products reviewed in this video using these links to stores I’ve vetted and recommend:
► Garmin Varia RTL515:
BTD (BikeTiresDirect) – https://tinyurl.com/nrhjby2n
Performance Bike – https://snp.link/197153f1
Sigma Sports - https://tidd.ly/3X1XwoK

► Trek Carback:
Trek - https://snp.link/cc68de14
Sigma Sports - https://tidd.ly/3Af3rxx

► Ravemen FR300:
BTD (BikeTiresDirect) - https://tinyurl.com/ydsvf9wr
Competitive Cyclist - https://snp.link/1de5e1c2

► Kroozie Bike Light Set:
Amazon - https://amzn.to/46L2auz

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Video chapters:
00:00 The key questions about using bike lights and bike radar devices
01:06 Introducing the Garmin Varia, Trek Carback, Ravemen FR300, and Kroozie light set
01:29 Disclosure – Not paid or compensated to do this comparative review of bike radar and lights
01:58 What and how enthusiasts use radar and lights
02:33 What role bike radar plays in my efforts to ride safely
03:45 Why the Garmin Varia RTL515 is the benchmark vs the Magene L508 or Bryton Gardia R300L
05:03 Gamin Varia or Trek Carback? My bottom-line recommendation
06:50 What’s coming in the rest of this video
07:32 Road test: Garmin Varia vs. Trek Carback
08:12 High visibility situations – long, straight, flat road
09:26 Detection comparisons
10:25 Time between radar notification and vehicle passing
12:08 Time between when rider and vehicle are notified
12:44 Low visibility situations – just past the top of a hill after a corner
13:42 Detection comparisons
19:56 Radar detection differences from height
21:08 Radar detection differences from alignment
21:45 Display differences on Wahoo, Hammerhead, and Garmin computers
24:16 Comparing a Garmin Varia radar tail light and Kroozie non-radar tail light
27:02 Ravemen FR300 front light
29:52 Comparing the Ravemen and Kroozie front light
32:42 The $2 dollar solution to increase your visibility and safety
33:20 My recommendations and key takeaways

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Disclosure
In The Know Cycling is ad-free, sponsor-free, subscription-free, and reader-supported. If you want to help keep it rolling without any added cost to you, buy your gear and kit after clicking the store links in the description box and on the site. When you do, we may earn an affiliate commission to help me cover the costs to create and publish our independent, comprehensive, and comparative reviews. Thank you, Steve.