Eyes in the back of your mind: The Varia RCT716 combines bicycle rear light with radar and camera. We have tried out what it is good for on the road.
Garmin has launched the Varia rear light radar, popular with frequent cyclists, in a new version with an integrated camera. The included bracket fixes the bulky Varia RCT716 to the seat post, it can be easily removed. Adapters are included for oval and D-shaped road bike seat posts. According to the manufacturer, the rear light shines with 5 lumens. Outside of Germany, Garmin sells a variant with a brighter daytime flash mode (RCT715), which, however, is not StVZO-compliant.
Warning of cars approaching from behind
The radar of the RCT716 detects vehicles approaching from behind from a distance of almost 150 meters, displays them via Bluetooth connection in the associated app on the iPhone, an Android smartphone or on a compatible bike computer and plays a warning tone.
Garmin Varia RCT716 short test (3 pictures)
No more frightening overtaking manoeuvres: The RCT716 shows the vehicles approaching from behind on the smartphone display and plays a warning tone.
The camera simultaneously records what is happening on the back, at a maximum of 1080p (30 fps). A microphone is on board. Videos can contain a time stamp, speed and/or GPS coordinates, the latter being provided by the smartphone or certain Garmin bike computers from the Edge series.
The RCT716 films either continuously or only as soon as the radar detects a vehicle. The supplied SD card only holds 16 GB, the Varia overwrites the oldest recordings as soon as the space runs out.
The user can save the clips, which are no longer than 5 minutes, via the app, and accident detection should also automatically secure the events. The viewing angle is similar to the iPhone ultra wide angle. License plates can be seen in day shots, but it quickly becomes difficult in the dark. The camera of the RCT716 cannot keep up with common action cams, especially since 4K and image stabilization are missing.
Unreliable WiFi access to videos
As usual from the Varia series, the radar worked very reliably in the test and protected against frightening overtaking manoeuvres. The camera can be switched off, so the battery of the RCT716 should only last eight hours instead of the usual five with the rear light and radar active. After a three-hour drive with continuous video recording, the charge level had dropped to below 50 percent.
Manufacturer: Garmin // Dimensions: 10.7 × 4.2 × 3.2 cm // Weight: 147 g // Radio interfaces: Bluetooth, ANT+, WLAN (the latter only for app access to clips) // Waterproof: IPX7 / / Included in delivery: bracket, three adapters for seat posts, cable ties, USB-C to USB-A cable // System requirements: iOS 14.1, Android 5 // Price: €400
Access to the videos via the Varia app is via a direct WiFi connection, which often only came about after several attempts and restarts – frustrating. The clips are almost indistinguishable in the app and load extremely slowly. After all, the RCT716 can be read out as a mass storage device on Mac, iPad and PC via the USB-C port, which it also uses to charge up electricity.
If the high price and the unreliable app don’t deter you, the RCT716 gets a bike dash cam in addition to the rear light and the great radar, which might help you get better maps in the event of an accident. As with car dashcams, continuous video recordings can violate data protection, but are still permissible in individual cases in accident proceedings.
