The Garmin Varia RTL515 is a product I consider life-changing, no really, and it’s on sale for Black Friday. If you’d rather cut to the chase, you can jump right to the deal. For those that aren’t convinced by that compelling argument, don’t worry, I’ve got more to say. Keep reading and I’ve got solid reasons for telling you about this, I just want to make sure we are starting with an understanding that I absolutely love this light, think everyone should get one, and never leave the house without it.
Let’s back up a bit though. I’ve been writing our buyer’s guides covering the best bike lights for a few years now. I asked for the assignment after spending far too much time riding from my house deep into winter. At that time of year, it gets light late and dark early and my rides meant starting and ending with a light. I’m also the person who frequently has a new idea about riding through the night rather than carrying anything to sleep with. Regardless of my reasons though, I’ve seen more lights and tested more lights than almost anyone. I’ve got a bin of lights that I can dig through at any moment looking for the perfect light for every situation. The Garmin Varia RTL515 is still a standout and definitely my most used light.
What is the Garmin Varia RTL515?
There are two parts to this question because there are two parts to this product. The RTL515 is one part light and one part radar. Let’s start with the light part though. This is the most straightforward.
The light section is at the top of a rounded rectangle measuring 3.9” / 98.6mm tall by 1.6″ / 39.6 mm wide. Most of that space isn’t dedicated to the light though. The light itself is roughly .1” / 2.7mm round and sits behind a fresnel lens. The centre section is clear while the outer rings of the lens are frosted. There are also clear red side lenses that allow light leak and visibility from either side.
In terms of raw power, the light is not the brightest available. There are four modes available including solid, peloton, night flash, and day flash but the brightest choice is day flash. In day flash mode Garmin uses an irregular flash pattern at 65 lumens making it the least powerful light in my list of the best rear bike lights. Remember though, lumens is a measurement of power and not a measurement of brightness….
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