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TECH NEWS
2022 Garmin Varia RCT715 - 1Garmin’s Varia RCT715 adds camera to bike radar system
Two years after the last update, the Garmin Varia radar system has now, with this new RCT715 model, got a camera to sit alongside the radar and rear light. There is automatic incident detection so that footage from pre, during and after an event will be saved.
The headline addition to the RCT715 is the camera which Garmin says will “sharp, clear video during a ride” at 1080p/30fps. Alongside this, the Radar is claimed to be able to detect vehicles at up to 140m and the rear light is supposedly visible up to a mile away.
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With the inclusion of the camera, Garmin is seemingly looking to increase its standing within the commuter market. The previous Varia Radar systems worked very well out on country roads, but the sheer volume of traffic in towns and cities meant that the constant stream of alerts sent to a rider’s head unit when on busier roads could become frustrating.
The integration of a camera, however, could be ideal for frequent commuters due to the simple fact that the RCT715 incorporates 3 devices into the space of 1 and on many bikes, seatpost space is at a premium. Having a rear-facing camera is common among regular commuters and as our regular Near Miss of the Day series highlights, having evidence of an incident can help with a claim.
Garmin says that the camera will record in 1080p at 30fps which is usually sufficient for catching number plates and enough detail for a claim. But what we will have to wait to see is how the camera performs on rough surfaces and in low light as both of these factors regularly feature for most commuters.
Garmin patents rear-view bike camera triggered by approaching dangers
From what we can see, there have been no changes to the rear light or the radar system over the RTL515 and that is a good thing, because when he reviewed it earlier this year the beam received plenty of praise. The radar is claimed to be capable of picking up an approaching road user at 140m, given a clear line of sight and while we weren't able to test the actual distance, Iwein was impressed by its performance.
Review: Garmin Varia RTL515
The rear light is still claimed to be visible up to a mile away and as with the old model, the light changes its flash mode when a road user is approaching you from behind. Here, the idea is to make you more visible as a vehicle gets nearer.
Battery life on the RTL515 was impressive at a claimed 16 hours, but the addition of the camera has unsurprisingly left a bit of a dent in that figure. Garmin says that the unit will run for “up to 4 hours of battery life with radar and tail light on solid high or night flash and up to 6 hours with radar and tail light on day flash – all with the camera continuously recording at 1080p.”
The Garmin Varia RCT715 will set you back £349.99, nearly doubling the price of the RTL515. We’ve got a test sample on its way to the office so we’ll have a review for you very soon - if you're already sold, you can already buy it on Garmin's website.
What do you reckon about this new camera/light combo? Let us know in the comments as always.
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48 comments
£350, which is near half the cost of the bike I bought 7 years ago, and actually more expensive than my n+1 commuter, to buy something that records footage that most police forces now seem to completely ignore... yeah dont think I'll bother
OMG OMG OMG. I was litterally about to order a 515.
Bins his Fly 6 - orders this.
@Cycliq. This is what happens when you make a lazy Gen 3 update to the Fly 6. The 600 pound Gorilla in the market comes along and eats your lunch.
Edit : Bugger - Retailer Websites not listing it yet @1300 on 18th May
double edit: wiggle had it in the early afternoon and sold out by tea time.
Garmin's website is listing it with 1-3 business day delivery promised.
I'm excited about this product too, but a little bit sad (as owner of the previous Varia) that it appears to have a "new" bracket interface. Could mean splashing even more cash on a bunch of attachments.
Hope it works too, obvs.
Ah, I didn't even notice that - I've just forked out for a third-party seatpost mount to replace the rubbish Garmin rubber-band mount. Hopefully they've improved the design this time so I can stick with the one in the box.
On sale now with retailers, and unusally for Garmin kit, loyalty discount applies at Wiggle.
Curse you! Thats my Wallet £300 lighter!
Sold out in one day. Someone wants it!
It's also showing on Sigma Sports now, but seems they aren't applying loyalty discount to the product.
I already have the previous model, but I might swing for one of these. I'm not currently running a rear camera because with all the other stuff on the bike, there's just nowhere to easily/securely mount one. I've been eyeing up the Fly6 for the same reason, but I didn't want to lose the radar - this will be perfect. Looking forward to the review.
On a cycling weekend, the dropped seat tube and very long seat post provoked comments about how if they went a bit further there would be more room for all the stuff that gets put there.
I've moved my tools into a bottle cage holder as an ass-saver didn't like my bag, and I was struggling to fit light and Fly6.
I've done more-or-less the opposite. I used to use one of those cheap mounts that clamps on to the saddle rails for the Varia, a camera mount on the seatpost, then put tools and tube spares in a bottle-cage toolkit.
I missed the second bottle (and also had issues fitting an ass-saver above the Varia), so I've replaced the bottle-cage toolkit with the smallest saddle-bag I can find that fits everything, bought a third-party seatpost mount for the Varia and had to ditch the rear camera. Pretty much every mm of the bars and seatpost has got stuff strapped/clamped to it.
It's pricey, but this new version of the Varia is the only way I can see me getting a rear camera back on the bike without somehow attatching it to myself.
I have considered getting a rear camera like the fly6, but love my RLT515 and can't use both. For anyone who doubts the usefulness of the radar, I too was in your camp until I used a buddy's. It is awesome, especially on really low traffic roads were cars coming up on you is less common (like gravel)
It's a shame they dont let you try before buying as I'm really not sold at all on the radar part,If I'm on low traffic roads which I am alot, and I dont clock theres a vehicle behind me, that's on me for not keeping my awareness up imo, if I'm on high traffic roads, what can I do with the extra information anyway.
And if you felt knowing something behind you was crucial to have, get a handlebar mirror they dont cost £350.
Now if the radar calculated passing distances, that I might be more interested in, but just having another bit of tech to replace a simple analogue shoulder check is not for me worth the outlay. Tech geeks may love it, but it needs to practically & realistically be of use to me before I spend that kind of cash.
The radar is brilliant in my opinion. On low volume roads, it tells me a car is behind way before I realise, especially with quiet electric cars these days, so I have time to prepare for it. On high volume roads, it keeps me informed of how many cars are behind without having to constantly look over my shoulder meaning I can concentrate on the road in front of me and manoeuvring whatever the town/city centre throws at me.
As for calculating, just gauge where the dots on the screen are. If it is at the bottom, car is c140m behind (which is quite far when you check), in the middle it's c70m and when its at the top, the car is right up your arse.
I'm so use to it now, I don't always look at the screen when the radar goes off, just listen for the beeps it makes to know what's behind me without needing to look behind.
It does I believe and also claculates closing speed and prints it on the video. Both currently exposed by a Third party app but we can but hope that Garmin expose it themselves.
and if the device is stationary, closing speed = vehicle speed. could be an interesting way of doing traffic speed surveys.
no I dont believe it currently calculates the aspect that this vehicle that starts behind you then passed within randomly plucked from air value of say 1.5metres of you, because it would need radar that angled at the very least away from just the rear facing view, if not sideways and maybe abit more forward as well too and then calculate how that all fitted together which is something you cant just write to a fit file on the fly.
what I want is a close pass radar detector
What I want is not to be close passed, so despite having the excellent Varia Radar and a Fly-6, all that tech is not as effective as a £1 white plastic 15mm tube, perpendicular to the seat post, to show the spacially challenged what the minimum passing distance is. They notice it and avoid it. Job done..
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