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Today September 2021

Does anyone have experience with the Garmin Varia radar? Seems like folks who have them love them, but can't imagine they'd be much help in city traffic.
 
Does anyone have experience with the Garmin Varia radar? Seems like folks who have them love them, but can't imagine they'd be much help in city traffic.
Everyone I know who has one, loves it. Ditto for the reviews, most of the reviewers I trust love theirs and it seems to work extremely reliably. Probably my go-to source for quality reviews is DC Rainmaker. His only complaint was that the radar would pick up nearby trains or planes when he was riding parallel to an active runway or train tracks.

The new version has a peloton mode that dims the rear light so your riding buddies don't get blinded by the light. It is one of the last few upgrades to my dream bike that are left. Both, Garmin and Wahoo cycling computers support Garmin's Varia radars. (Perhaps others, too, but I don't know.)
 
Does anyone have experience with the Garmin Varia radar? Seems like folks who have them love them, but can't imagine they'd be much help in city traffic.
I have had all 3 versions of the Varia, I would not go with out now, works great I have had no issues with a false negative I a car there and not knowing. With the 515 and and IQ field you get some extra data. I would not want to ride with out it now.
I still have all three and still work no issues,
I did lose one I do not know how, I just noticed it after a while.
I only charge it up once a week daily commute about 30 min each way, and a long ride on the weekend.
 

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Cool they're using those custom inflate fit packing for bikes now.
 
A friend's plan for today was to ride up to, around and back from Chichibu. That would have been over 200 km for me. But when we met, at Fuchū, the sky looked threatening; so we forgot about Chichibu, instead keeping it short by first going to Itsukaichi and then deciding stage by stage. And so: Itsukaichi, Hinohara, Kōbu tunnel, Uenohara; then back via miscellaneous hills, Dōshi dam, and Onekan. Somehow I felt slightly off, like the earliest stage of a mild cold, And so I didn't have any mental energy to take photos. Didn't see any wild animals this time, and, surprisingly, the oddest sight was along the grass verge of the Tamagawa cycle path somewhere in western Kawasaki-shi: a woman going for a walk with her tortoise.

Total 171.5 km.
 
Due to weather, soccer for my kids, dance for my kids, etc - I still have not gotten a ride past the neighborhood...

I am now thinking about how to finish the bike - I need bottle cages, possibly a bit more road worthy tires (since there are few gravel options locally), and a new garmin mount for my lights. The finishing kit on the bike is a bit chunky, but I want to ride it a bit and have a feel for evectly what I want in astem and seatpost setback before replacing the stock Salsa stuff that is on it now.

Chris King makes cage i know would like on the bike - but open to other ideas
Contemplating a barfly garmin/gopro mount - I have found I prefer the plastic over the K-edge metal options.
TIres - I can go up to 700x40 - but thinking maybe a panaracer gravel king or straight raod with a set of GP5000 500x32.

Open to opinions - my plan is to use this as my "go to" road bike. The Trek will remanin the group ride bike and the RItchey will be my magic carpet ride bike.
 
Rain done here--still wet but will dry off in an hour or so.
 
Chris King makes cage i know would like on the bike - but open to other ideas
I love these, a bit on the pricier side for sure, but indestructible and I never get bottles accidentally drop no matter how rattling the riding may be. and the color scheme matches, no? that's most important
 
King cages are cheaper in the US and I considered them - so nice to know you like them. They will stay on the short list so far.

I love these, a bit on the pricier side for sure, but indestructible and I never get bottles accidentally drop no matter how rattling the riding may be. and the color scheme matches, no? that's most important
 
King cages are cheaper in the US and I considered them - so nice to know you like them. They will stay on the short list so far.
I use the stainless versions of the King Cage bottle cages that @luka recommends. Very happy with them. They look good, don't rust and hold the bottles safely. The stainless version weighs 20g more per cage than the Ti ones, at roughly 1/3 the price.
 
I use cheapo cages (alumin(i)um, I presume) from Minoura. I've no idea what they weigh, but it seems very little. I'm happy with them. But then I'm happy with my Tiagra RD too, so there's probably something wrong with me.
 
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