Garmin takes the wraps off the Varia RCT715, a tail bike light with a radar and camera built in.
Garmin’s latest piece of hi-tech kit for cyclists is a Varia RCT715 tail bike light which comes fitted with a radar and a camera.
The radar will alert cyclists to approaching vehicles from behind from up to 140 metres away with both visual and audible notifications.
Vari RCT715 also has a built-in camera which captures high-resolution video of everything a cyclist cannot see.
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The camera captures footage at up to 1080p/30 frames per second (fps) during any ride.
And like a dashcam, the bike light comes with automatic incident detection. This means it will swiftly save footage in the event of an accident. It saves footage from before, during and after the event.
Let’s not forget that the Varia is first and foremost a bright tail light for your wheels.
It has daylight visibility of up to one mile that the firm said means drivers can see you before the radar sees their vehicle.
The firm said that the new kit is designed to provide cyclists with peace of mind during any ride, day or night.
If you pair the device with the Varia app you can easily access video footage, transfer videos or customise camera settings, such as data overlays.
As well as the app, the Varia is compatible with Garmin smartwatches and the company’s Edge cycling computers.
The Varia RCT715 features up to four hours of battery life with radar and tail light on solid high or night flash and up to six hours with radar and tail light on day flash – all with the camera continuously recording at 1080p.
The Varia RCT715 has a suggested retail price of €399.99 and is available now on garmin.com.
“For years, cyclists around the world have trusted our Varia rearview radars to enhance their awareness of approaching vehicles during a ride, and we are thrilled to add the new RCT715 to the lineup of ‘must-have’ cycling safety products,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales.
“Now, cyclists can head out for a ride knowing the Varia RCT715 rearview radar activated tail light will notify oncoming cars to the presence of a rider, and the built-in camera will continuously record their surroundings and provide video evidence of an incident, should they ever need it.”
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