4 ms·

I ride a bike with a Garmin radar detector that tells me when a car is behind me. Adding a vibration motor to it would be neat.

blamazon 4y ago
Question - why is either of those options better than a mirror?
- greycol 4y ago
  I would be wary about replacing a mirror and turning your head with such a system so its main advantage that you don't need to take your eyes off the oncoming road is moot. As a supplemental system the advantages would include redundancy, lack of a blind spot, and better situational awareness even when you're not planning to change lanes.
- insane_dreamer 4y ago
  because you don't have to turn your head to check; and sometimes you can't hear cars approaching (especially EVs or when there's wind that masks the sound). Mirrors don't provide full visibility and it's also harder to judge the distance and speed of approach (which the radar provides).
  - TrueGeek 4y ago
    yes, exactly this. I thought for sure the radar unit was a gimmick and I'd be returning it, but after seeing so many positive reviews I ordered it to give it a shot. It consistantly tells me there is a car (and how many) well before I hear it. With a mirror I'd have to be constantly checking which not only takes my eyes off the road ahead, it makes the ride much less enjoyable.
    - insane_dreamer 4y ago
      I hadn't considered it until I met a couple this summer who were bikepacking from Seattle to SF. They told me it was one of those items you don't think you need until you get it and then you wonder how you did without it. It's like blind spot monitoring and rear cameras on cars. I'd been driving without those for decades, but now that I have them I wouldn't buy a car without them. The Varia radar also connects to the Wahoo bike computer, which is great.
      - TrueGeek 4y ago
        Yes, that's my setup - Varia and Wahoo. I have the original Wahoo from 2015 - 7 years and they're still updating the firmware so that it supports new stuff like radar.
- girvo 4y ago
  Why not use all of them? Saves having to glance at the mirror consistently, keeping your eyes on the road in front of you, while still having the mirror to check when your other sensor tells you to
- throw0101c 4y ago
  >> I ride a bike […] behind me. > Question - why is either of those options better than a mirror? Where are you going to put a rearview mirror on a {bicycle?, motorcycle?}? Sure you can have mirrors for the sides for lane changes, but behind you?
  - blamazon 4y ago
    It's not like a car, because your person is so much narrower than the structure of a car, less of the rear view is blocked width wise. You just put them towards the outsides of the handlebars and angle them inwards a bit. With careful placement you can have really good awareness of what's going on behind you, both directly and side to side. Oddly not very common on bicycles, but mandated on motorcycles.
    - throw0101c 4y ago
      I ride a motorcycle and bicycle regularly. I generally don't focus my mirrors on right behind me. At most, when I'm at a red light, I lean over slightly to make sure the next person is actually going to stop and not rear-end me. Otherwise, while in motion, I have never felt the need for a rearview mirror on any form of two-wheeled vehicle.

blamazon 4y ago

Question - why is either of those options better than a mirror?

greycol 4y ago
I would be wary about replacing a mirror and turning your head with such a system so its main advantage that you don't need to take your eyes off the oncoming road is moot. As a supplemental system the advantages would include redundancy, lack of a blind spot, and better situational awareness even when you're not planning to change lanes.
insane_dreamer 4y ago
because you don't have to turn your head to check; and sometimes you can't hear cars approaching (especially EVs or when there's wind that masks the sound). Mirrors don't provide full visibility and it's also harder to judge the distance and speed of approach (which the radar provides).
- TrueGeek 4y ago
  yes, exactly this. I thought for sure the radar unit was a gimmick and I'd be returning it, but after seeing so many positive reviews I ordered it to give it a shot. It consistantly tells me there is a car (and how many) well before I hear it. With a mirror I'd have to be constantly checking which not only takes my eyes off the road ahead, it makes the ride much less enjoyable.
  - insane_dreamer 4y ago
    I hadn't considered it until I met a couple this summer who were bikepacking from Seattle to SF. They told me it was one of those items you don't think you need until you get it and then you wonder how you did without it. It's like blind spot monitoring and rear cameras on cars. I'd been driving without those for decades, but now that I have them I wouldn't buy a car without them. The Varia radar also connects to the Wahoo bike computer, which is great.
    - TrueGeek 4y ago
      Yes, that's my setup - Varia and Wahoo. I have the original Wahoo from 2015 - 7 years and they're still updating the firmware so that it supports new stuff like radar.
girvo 4y ago
Why not use all of them? Saves having to glance at the mirror consistently, keeping your eyes on the road in front of you, while still having the mirror to check when your other sensor tells you to
throw0101c 4y ago
>> I ride a bike […] behind me. > Question - why is either of those options better than a mirror? Where are you going to put a rearview mirror on a {bicycle?, motorcycle?}? Sure you can have mirrors for the sides for lane changes, but behind you?
- blamazon 4y ago
  It's not like a car, because your person is so much narrower than the structure of a car, less of the rear view is blocked width wise. You just put them towards the outsides of the handlebars and angle them inwards a bit. With careful placement you can have really good awareness of what's going on behind you, both directly and side to side. Oddly not very common on bicycles, but mandated on motorcycles.
  - throw0101c 4y ago
    I ride a motorcycle and bicycle regularly. I generally don't focus my mirrors on right behind me. At most, when I'm at a red light, I lean over slightly to make sure the next person is actually going to stop and not rear-end me. Otherwise, while in motion, I have never felt the need for a rearview mirror on any form of two-wheeled vehicle.