I did a "select all" in reader mode and pasted since the site wanted me ro sign up to read the article.
www.bicycling.com Rear Radar Lights Are Essential Safety Gear for Road Riders. Can the Low-Cost Bryton Gardia Really Compete With Garmin and Wahoo? 6 - 7 minutes
Rear radar lights are quickly growing in popularity among road and gravel riders. These little gems track vehicles approaching from behind and notify you via your cycling computer or cell phone.
Admittedly, I was skeptical about whether I even needed one myself. But after a very close call with a truck six months ago that left me a bit shaken, I promptly installed one on my bike. Since that day, I haven’t clipped in for a road ride without a cycling radar.
After my recent story “I Wouldn’t Ride Without a Helmet. Now I Won’t Ride Without Radar Either,” and my review of the Lezyne Radar React System, a few Bicycling readers and friends reached out to inquire about more affordable alternatives. While $200 to $250 for top-tier radar lights from Garmin or Wahoo might seem like a small price to pay for extra safety, some people do not have the budget right now. So, we decided to get a couple of lower-cost options and try them ourselves.
Radar Light Bryton Gardia R300L
Gardia R300L Pros
Lower cost option than big names.
Low weight.
Cons
Some initial pairing issues.
The first lower-priced option to arrive at our door is Bryton’s Gardia R300L. This radar has a slender profile, similar to the popular Garmin Varia RTL515. And at 70 grams (without mount), it weighs 7 grams more than Wahoo’s Trackr Radar. However, the Gardia weighs a single gram less than the RTL515, 16g less than the Trek Carback, and beats the Lezyne Radar Drive by a whopping 45g.
Out of the box, attaching Bryton’s radar to your bike is rather straightforward. It comes with a seatpost mount (including an adaptor for aeroposts) and a mount to hang the Gardia from your saddle rails. Although the Bryton uses a quarter-turn attachment, frustratingly, it is not the same as the Garmin or Wahoo mounts. And while similar to each other and to Bryton’s, none are the same. So, be sure to double-check compatibility if you plan to use the Gardia R300L with an aftermarket mount from brands such as KOM Cycling, Sheehy Labs, or Neat Components.
bryton gardia app Tara Seplavy
The Gardia app displays vehicles’ approximate location.
After mounting the Bryton radar to my bike, I charged it up, downloaded the Bryton Gardia mobile app, and updated the R300L’s firmware. After that, the device was ready to pair with my head unit. The Bryton Gardia app can also serve as a display for the R300L if you don’t have a cycling computer—or want to use the Gardia on your commuter bike, for example. (Note: the R300L radar uses the Bryton Gardia app, not the Bryton Active app.)
Connecting the Gardia R300L to head units was more tedious than my initial setup of Wahoo’s radar. But it was similar to issues I encountered pairing the Lezyne Radar React. Initially, neither my Hammerhead nor Wahoo computer could “find” the Gardia when attempting to pair. After resetting the computers and the Gardia (hold the power button for 12 seconds and allow it to cycle through its modes), my Wahoo Roam v.3 connected to the Bryton.
Connecting to the Hammerhead Karoo took a bit longer. First, I needed to move away from other ANT+ and Bluetooth devices for it to show in the Karoo’s sensor menu. Then, the Gardia connected, but as a speed/cadence sensor rather than a radar. Only after resetting the Bryton and Hammerhead again did the two pair. Attempting to pair the Gardia with a Garmin smartwatch also ran into the same speed/cadence sensor issue.
However, some of my connectivity issues could be due to the sheer number of things paired to my Roam v.3 and Karoo computers. I have about 30 devices—power meters, electronic drivetrains, heart rate monitors, heat sensors, lights, and radar units—currently paired with my computers. (This is admittedly a test editor problem more than an issue most riders will face.) My colleague Tom Messina has a Roam v.1 with four connected devices; the Gardia paired with it on the first try without any issue.
bryton gardia mount Trevor Raab
The unit’s slim profile and low weight are big wins. Plus, it comes with an aeropost adaptor.
At $130, the Gardia R300L isn’t much cheaper than the $150 on-sale price of the Varia RTL515—but it’s a full $70 lower than the Varia’s suggested retail price. Plus, the Bryton unit sometimes pops up at a discounted price. (It was recently available for $85.45 as a Black Friday promotion.)
The Gardia arrived while I was traveling before Thanksgiving. And since the weather has been cold and snowy here for the past few days, I have not had an opportunity to use the Bryton for any long rides. But I’ve used it for some commutes to and from the office.
So far, the Gardia works as advertised and is similar to the Lezyne radar in around-town use. I need to test it simultaneously with the Wahoo Trackr Radar (our test team‘s current favorite) on the road to see if there is a noticeable difference in the detection range or if I experience any false negatives (not detecting a vehicle) with the Bryton radar.
I will report back on my findings after I do some long rides to test the battery and evaluate the Gardia R300L’s use in real-world conditions. Member Exclusive: Check Out Our Top Cycling Stories
Headshot of Tara Seplavy
As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.