I literally placed an order for the RCT715 and after watching THIS SUPERB in-depth review I cancelled it! I still have the RTL515 so I’ll keep using that until a better version of this camera is released. Clearly the camera tech needs improving on it (which can’t be completed with software updates) but my biggest problem and what I expected it to have is a live view camera. I expected it to somehow connect through the Varia app in my phone (and maybe head unit) and be able to stream the live video which to get a visual of what is behind me at the time while I’m riding is so useful. This only records footage to view later once uploaded. This Lama guy knows his stuff!

Garmin, this is simple; bring back the Virb team!! v2 needs to be a Virb 4k stabilised, PD USB 3 gen 2 C with full ANT+ support and Virb edit apps. Shane, great review, thanks again but I can’t purchase this monstrosity. My Virb ultra and RTL515 work fine but I wouldn’t mind if they were all one seamless unit which this isn’t

I ordered it the minute it was listed and canceled the order after seeing the first review. I would have gladly paid if it were only satisfactory. I love the Varia so much that I refuse to ride without it and I have wanted this since the first day I bought the Varia. I will continue to wait for something that really works.

Man. Like so often with Garmin, great idea, iffy execution. Would be a total winner with a better camera. The Varia 510 remains one of the very few indispensable pieces of kit I own. Thanks Shane!

I love love love your thorough reviews!

OK, this is exactly what I expect of a thorough review!..Cheers, mate!👍

Great review thanks for all of the detailed information!

This was the best product review I jave seen in a LONG time. You answered all of my questions very well. Thanks!

Great review Lama!

Great review. Thanks for the skip ahead on the time line 👌👌

Thanks for the comprehensive review. Think I'll be sticking with my RTL515

Great review as always. I'm on the RVR315 with a separate and much better light than the RTL515 has and based on this review I'll be staying in that configuration for a long while yet. Thanks Shane!

I want the smoke screen option! I was super excited about this 30 minutes ago, now I'm going to play my Banjo.

I have the RVR315, so they do exist in the wild. The reason was that I was already using the Fly6 as a rear light and camera and there is only so much space on a seat post. Even if two lights each with different dual functions would have been nice there's not enough vertical space. All three in one sounds great.

Great honest review👍 That's what I want.

Another great review. I have just been using a ToooCycling DVR80 rear camera with my Radar 515.

Great Review and thank YOU for taking the time to do this very detailed review! I have the RTL515 and will be upgrading to the RCT715 AFTER all of the bugs and issues are ironed out (via firmware). It has great potential and I’m sure it will do exceptional ONCE everything is resolved. Thanks 🇺🇸

Learnt so much from your channel, great garmin IQ apps and devices introduction , thank you for making gamin newbie more enjoying riding 🎉

Going to wait for the updated version. Great idea. I love that radar, it’s great specially in single lane roads that are heavily traffic by dump trucks.

Great video… on point! Will wait to version 2.0 updated

Thanks for the review - I guess I‘ll stay with my bar end mirror ! 🤙

that sound test was smooth

Thx Shane, great stuff like always :-)

Excellent, thank you for this

So that’s why you rode on remembrance Drive! To record some “those monsters” action! Thanks again Shane, so good and informative as always!

Thanks for looking at the numbers plates especially, this would be my main use case after having had an accident with a hit and run scenario last week. It seems like the image quality here is not really good enough to work reliably even during daylight...

I got the RTL515 the best purchase I’ve made , perfect for warning me on oncoming vehicles so I can get a heads up and get prepared, even picked up a monster cyclist in TT mode behind me 😀, think I’ll use a go pro on a rail seat mount for now, great review as always Shane 👍🏻

I love the bash of Cycliq and Garmin in one go at the end haha

Awesome review as always! Glad I watched this video before purchasing, I'll stock to my rtl510 for now. Garmin sure dropped the ball on this one, should be atleast 2.7k with image stabilization and better integration especially with Garmin head units!

great review!

Great review! I am soooo tired of UKposts product pimps. You gave an honest review!

I just bought a RTL515 and I couldn't see myself wanting the camera, so much happier my purchase in the light of this release.

As per all your reviews another great one. Thanks. I have a Varia and it does a good job. However, this new iteration appears to offer very little to warrant stepping up to it. Aside from needing to offer a better camera it would also be better if it were to provide a calculation on the speed of an approaching vehicle, particularly in a critical incident situation. As your review indicates - Don't take this to market Garmin. Rather, back to the drawing-board and perfect it further

Thank you for this honest video. I just bought a Varia 715 without checking your review and I am having the same experiences in April of 2023 that you warned about in 2022. This thing is a lot of extra money and weight in return for a camera that I can't figure out how to use. What a waste this thing is. And yes, I avoided the various iterations of the fly camera because of friends' experiences.

For the camera part, it would be nice to have 1:1 comparison with the Fly6. Thanks for the review!

You and the camera button…I’ve been watching you for years and never laughed like that

Saved me wasting money on this until they sort it out properly. I love my varia 515 so will wait until this is what it should be. Thank you Shane!

In spite of this review I decided to buy this device. I live in far east country of Poland where dash cam is a "must be" and the idea of having one combined with radar was too appealing. Even though Garmin logo on it (sorry, but my exp with Garmin products are exclusively bad.... so far). After updating Varia to latest firmware (5.1) and pairing with varia app on android phone, I went for short test ride (14km or so) with camera configured to work just on radar activity. My observations are: 1. Preview speed: previous and thumbnails is sufficient. Previous are loading instantly with no delays, although they have resolution is lowered. I also suspect (although can't prove it yet) that the speed here depends on the number of files stored on the card. But that to be checked further 2. Download speed: yes, it is still bad. DesFit tip of disabling bluetooth works and download accelerates but it is still rather slow, considering that it is done via dedicated wifi connection on dedicated WiFi channel with no other devices co-existing and very good radio conditions. I consider this as a flaw/buggy of the design. Clearly, Varia can't deal with wifi+bluetooth co-existence. So either it is a bug or they used the cheapest Chinese chip to handle wireless connection. This way or another -> true Garmin experience ;-) 3. Connectivity: there is one annoying but - varia app can be connected to the device only if the lamp is shining. If I switch to mode where light is off, both bluetooth and wifi get disconnected. Even though LEDs indicate that bluetooth is active. It seems that Garmin's wifi requires the light ;-) I can almost hear Garmins manager instructing developers: "user should be able to connect only if the light is on" :D Anyway, standby mode is useless for bt/wifi user. 4. False positives. I was absolutely surprised by amount of those. I can understand and accept it if I ride on dedicated bike line along the road. That's fine. If the bike like goes on the opposite side of the road, that's becoming weird. But if the bike road goes like 20m a side the road and is separated with double fence from it... it becomes annoying. In addition, during this one 30min ride I already had one "ghost" report - there was literally nothing behind me and warning was triggered. Maybe it was a tree or bird... i don't know 5. Plates: I was able to read every plate so far, even with 80km/h speed difference. Perhaps we use better/bigger font for plates in Poland. 6. The device is constantly emitting high frequency noise (feep). On the bike I can't hear it, but when browsing the content at home it is audible. Moreover, it seems that blinking light generates clicking sound which you can hear when watching the recordings. One blink, one click :D 7. Last thing, which is maybe just my preference. The disco (blinking) mode which is activated on radar activity is a very good idea for the day, but in the night time it is annoying/disturbing and may bling. I think that during the night the solid or pulsing light is a better option as it gives a constant information about my position to drivers and it is not as glaring as blinking one. Sorry for the long comments, I had to throw this out ;-)

I was so hoping that this would be exactly what cyclists needed in a rear camera, maybe if they can improve on the video image and the software with updates I'll purchase but it really seems like a complete waste at the moment. Thanks for the great review!

Great review.

Well. After watching your review Shane I am not going to be the guinea pig I will stick to the original light even though that is what I wanted a video camera light but I shall not be putting my hand in my pocket for one of these at the moment. Cracking review and one that I can trust. thanks for that👍

Disappointing results! Thanks for the review, phenomenal test scenarios. Awesome.

Thank you sir. Still runs longer than new fly6 and appears better sealed (an issue with the cycliq). Didn't know that they sold a radar-only model. may go get that to fill out my post without filling up my post (bag - radar - fly6). Take care. -U10 PS - Helicopter Tape over lense.

"Aint nobody got time for 720" Amen sir! Lol.

I went for the radar only model as I’d just bought an exposure rear light so didn’t need the led version. I can see the appeal though. I suspect there’ll be quite a few firmware updates coming along soon to get the rct usable

Thank you

I have had two previous Fly6 and now a Varia510, so I was interested to if they’d succeeded. My experience with the Fly6 was that on those few occasions I wanted to use it I couldn’t read the numberplate. That looks as bad. As regards image stabilisation: my cheap wifi home camera has built in person and vehicle detection. Even if the image stayed bad but it stamped number plates on it It’d be okay. Even if it did it after downloading using servers/AI I’d be inclined to consider upgrading. No way I’d upgrade for that picture.

Thanks for the vidio 🙂👍 I vill go with the radar model🚲🙂👍🇩🇰

Now if only they would add a front facing camera to the Varia headlight as well (since that’s what would capture license plate numbers here in the states). That would be a sweet combo!

Great review, honest and well rounded . Ive got the RVR315 and Cycliq. Also have a RTL515 ( on wife’s bike). Radar is just brilliant on country roads, one of the best gadgets I’ve owned None of these cameras I’ve had on bike ( Cycliq or Garmin VIRB)seem to work in low light. I suspect it has a bit to do with the lens size, as well as FPS and (road) vibration. As per the review, the bigger the lens is, the more easily hit/damaged so probably not an easily solved issue I’ve also got the dash cam mini 2 and 65W in the car. Previously had the 55 dash cam and Mini 1. The dash cam mini 1&2 were bad in low light, I wager it is likely the exact same camera as in the RCL715. Garmin’s wireless interface to the memory is bad in all devices, esp. via wifi functionality . ( Garmin Drive App is equally as clunky). Seems a relatively easy issue to fix I would imagine given the proliferation of BT tech in tethered devices to smartphone I’d be keen to know if there is functionality that can be done via DuraAce STI hood buttons for capturing still photos or manual incident capture. Agreed that you’re not going to be touching head unit with cars approaching The 16gb card is cheap and nasty, though with dash cams ( before I hardwired) I noticed the larger SD cards really reduced battery life. Why this is exactly , I’m unsure I’m sure it’s just a RW issue give large write sectors? If there is a follow up test I’d love to see how a Fly 6 Gen 3, or late model GoPro goes in low light , looking for car details with headlights shining in it at low light/sunset or nighttime. Perhaps an IR function can be looked at? Agreed though that at specific price point the unit doesn’t yet stack up, many thanks for the efforts in your review at saving the $$$ and trouble for end users/consumers

Great review. Thank you thank you thank you. I am dying to have this technology but I think it makes sense to wait a little bit longer. I would think they will improve the camera, battery life and battery life. Ok I’m wishing but hey, I can dream.

One thing I've found with Cycliq is the front camera is much better at grabbing the license plate numbers. Probably best current option is GoPro on front, radar on back.

Interesting review. I've been using a Fly 6 for years and it sounds like there's no reason to "upgrade" to this Garmin device. Sounds like id be better off just adding the radar-only hardware and sticking with what I have. Thanks Again!

wow, still saving for the last rtl, looks good for safety and style

Hi Shane, again great presentation and analysis, many thanks! You mention the Cycliq Fly products - since this presentation and review, have Clycliq picked up the opportunity to improve their products? cheers, Shaun

after watching you and DCrainmaker on this new product, I think there will be a RCT815 real quick in the market. There better be. I still wonder if you can charge this one while riding (as that was the reason for me to upgrade to the 515 recently)

Great video, you and Ray definitely not fans - which is fair enough and it's great to see honest reviews. I'll be sticking to my RTL515, but I would really like a camera on my bike, something that runs for 3-4 hours preferably - has good image quality and doesn't cost more than 200 us dollars - does such a thing exist?

something i could see also being good to have on your radar display would be an indicator to show which side of center an object is approaching from.

Thanks for such a thorough video - really disappointed by the reality compared to the press release-based coverage. I would love to have a reliable, all-in-one system for bike commuting. I would want the camera to be significantly improved and would hope to see radar data logged either side of detected incidents.

Based on yours and DC Rainmaker’s review the only real progress at this stage is the introduction of usb-c…..that’s a lot of cash for an improved charging port! Let’s see if firmware or app changes improve things. As always a great review that saves many of us from a potentially expensive mistake.

Thanks for the review. Love my Varia even with limited battery and it doesn’t work while charging. I’ll wait for camera tech before I upgrade.

I have the Varia 515 and really wished I'd had a camera when a driver hit me last week (not inured thankfully). Driver didn't give details and I was so upset I didn't get the rego. Bought yet another Fly6 to add to my setup so I get details next time. Thanks for the review, won't be buying this model!

25:00 - I was not expecting that. LoL! 🤣

So I wanted this to work but alas is no. Have my varia and love it but may look to use my old Garmin virb for a camera and run it to a battery pack for longer battery life Thanks for the review - most of the time these reviews cost me money but in this case it has saved me some dollars!

I still have the 500 works great

Agree . The Varia is a must have and this is the Version 0.4 model. Gimme an active rear view on the Karoo, or activate a GoPro and I'll pretend to like Garmin even more. But that will prolly be Version 2.1 ? When we gonna see a car-like PAN for bikes?

I was anxious to streamline my bike, by removing a camera from the back. I was hoping this would be it, but I'm going to wait and stick with my RCT515 for awhile. 1) I would have preferred the old Garmin mount, so I could continue to mount it high, on the saddle rails, and not below my saddle bag. I do this with aftermarket hardware, which I assume will be coming soon for the RCT715(?). 2) In my (US) state, front plates are not issued, so the image detail is most important in a front-facing view/camera. The RCT715 camera performance would be adequate for me, but at $400+(US)?

Big big fane of RTL510 and RTL515 and I converted my friends to it too! A riding camera would of been extremely useful when I crashed two weeks ago riding solo. Hit my head hard enough that I blacked out and completely lost all memory of the incident. Footage would help immensely, not just for legal aspects but also for personal mental closure. Anyhow, I'll definitely be on the look out for your videos covering firmware/app updates. Better still, a hardware revision in the future and perhaps a matching front headlamp/camera unit.

Would love to see a comparison to the cycliq cameras

Thank you for this ... thoughts on FRONT cameras ?? Motor Vehicles are not issued front license plates in some jurisdictions ....

I like my 515 apart from the mount the 715 mount looks very good would that work on the 515??, PS I have copied your velcro strap idea through the standard mount with the band I also added a teather strap under the USB cover screw

Good review but I’m still going to stick to my 515 for now. Can’t see myself riding without it. I remember I left it at home once on accident. Drove to the parking area, saw I didn’t have my radar. Just went back home and postponed my ride. It’s that important for me. Going home safe and sound is a top priority for me while going on a bike ride.

thanks for the review. I have a 515 and love it. When the battery eventually goes hopefully this 715 model is into its next release and fixes some of the issues you raise. Out of interest, is it possible to have the 515 in Radar only mode? I have a Wahoo Roam head unit if that makes a difference. Also, just FYI, since the last upgrade to the firmware a few months back I have been getting Radar Error coming up on the Wahoo screen every now and then (maybe once a week), the green stripe disappears and then reappears a few seconds later after dismissing the alert on the Wahoo.

Were you able to get plate numbers/letters with the GoPro on the front? Curious if that was much better than the Garmin.

Great review! I'm curious - you said near the end of the video that the battery life was better than the RTL515 (with camera off). But the RTL515 has a battery life of 16 hours in day flash mode, whereas the RCT715 is only 10 hours. Even the RTL510, from 2018, is better, at 15 hours. Or maybe your statement was based on your testing, and you found the RTL515 to be less than advertised? I might be able to justify this device, if the battery life was better than the 515, and if i only intended to use the camera rarely. I'm not sure how the light-only battery life went down on the RCT715, unless they shrunk the battery?

So which camera would recommend for safety purposes? A GoPro? I have been reading reviews about different ones and the GoPro seems to be the best option. Any advice would be recommended.

Glad that you are holding companies accountable for quality products. Can you let us know if Garmin is going to release a front camera too or should I invest in a GoPro?

Hey Shane, I am wondering if anything has changed on the RCT yet following your awesome review? I currently run Cycliq front & rear, I think I have been lucky, they mostly have been fault-free but the rear is reaching it's use by date. I don't want an RCT that is half baked and I am hopeful GARMIN have sorted some of the issues 5 months in..... A mate runs the RTL and I love the audible alerts, the entire group knows 'Car Back'.... Fingers crossed we are closer to the 'perfect' RCT than we were. Cheers, love your work.

Out of interest did you test battery life with the light off? I can get around 15 hours out of a fully charged Varia RTL 515 with the light off in day time and on at night but radar running full time. I pair it with a rechargeable Moon rear light instead as that has a much better battery life on the light. Appreciate most folks dont go for 15Hr+ rides but it does greatly extend the battery life.

Love my 515 but no sale here. I’d question whether it even does what Garmin intended. I don’t need GoPro level footage but if the worst happens I do need footage where number plates are readable or what’s the point? Night time is always going to be tricky but daytime is inexcusable. I’d say that mounting options have always been an issue with the Varia devices, generally forcing you to choose between the Varia or a saddle bag and clearly with a camera lens to protect you’d think a bit of a rethink might have been in order. I’d be ok with the asking price if it did a good job but if you can’t read number plates then it’s a big fail in my eyes

How do you get alerts in headphones? Great review btw.

2022 and that camera quality and THAT price...Back to the drawingboard Garmin...

I actually use the 315 as I already have a light that I like and since I picked it up for $99 usd, could not justify the price jump for a light being added.

I already have a RTL515 and it’s brilliant. If the camera on this new model isn’t even good enough to pick up car number plates I really don’t see the point in upgrading. Heck, if I didn’t have the 515 I still wouldn’t buy this one. Adding a camera is a great idea by Garmin. It’s just a shame that what they have produced has fallen so short.

Great review as always Shane. You mentioned you wear headphones whilst riding - I've always been curious about this with people from a safety perspective. You seem like a safety conscious guy - do you feel any less safe riding with headphones in around traffic?

Does this mean new edge devices are also on the horizon ?

Thanks for your review. You mentioned that you can hear the radar warning audible beeps in your headphones. Can you tell me how to set that up? Thank you.

Excellent extensive review. Your earlier review tilted me over. This not so. One question. Will camera still work if the unit is placed upside down? The radar works on previous unit.

Great vid lama, I have had the fly 6 for years until it crapped itself. My fault forgot to cover on rainy ride. I'm now in the market for what I call a "crash cam" for my rides. I have an edge 1030 as my gps. I now feel less safe without the fly6.i too hear all the stories about fly6 and now given you thoughts on this. Would you go a fly6 or garmin in this case?

Saved me some money. On paper just what I’ve been looking for / dreaming off. That camera quality though, not fussed about it being high quality for UKposts footage etc, just want something from a safety perspective, looking at those (or not looking) number plates doesn’t seem to be any use. Drivers in the UK care not for cyclists, every time I ride I have a near miss or get people randomly shouting abuse for absolutely no reason… we can be in different empty lanes and still get it… that’s the stuff I want to capture and report, doesn’t look like this will cut it.

Fantastic review - I'll stick with the original. What a shame about the quality. The number plate has to be a minimum ask - hopefully they can tweak this in firmware. From other reviews, it does look like it fares better with the UK plates and in slower moving urban traffic.

Varia radar changed my riding experience. Adding a camera sounds like a great idea, but, as you said Shane, the camera is NOT a safety feature. One doesn't even need a camera for incident detection and reporting to a third party. When I watched you and Ray show the file structure, I had a flashback to segmented music files in the late 90s. Seems file transfer speed is of the same vintage. So many different ways to store and provide preview ability....not here. Thanks for the first pass review. Very disappointing....camera can't even be a back up Action Cam. Lots of work to do. 📷

We need Rockets! And EMP! Review and prizes please, especially for the different munition. :)

is there anyway you can just use the radar on the RCT715. cheers 👍

Is there any decent rear cameras out there that will cover a 5hr ride and provide actual usable footage in case of an incident? anything I look at seems to fall short.

An interesting review but: 1) it is more of an incident camera and not a GoPro replacement. 2) image stabilization - in the early days even with a GoPro that was a post production process. Integration with the my ride app - should be able to zero in on the approximate location/time that SOB tried to play car tag with you giving you the option to preview the videos and download the relevant video which should also go into the saved folder giving you a copy to send to the police and the original on the card. Many tools to refine the image if needed by the police. Otherwise, really the majority of vehicles that pass you are of little interest and files can be deleted soon after. If you are doing videos, use the appropriate equipment for that purpose. Len's protection - yes, they need to improve that aspect with something like what many of their GPS units have but easier to replace/repair. The options for recording - should make it KISS - app to alter basic settings, a button push takes a photo, long push turns unit on to your selected options or to turn the unit off. Head unit or app to turn light, radar, camera on or off and adjust light mode during your ride - actual saved settings should be separate. No, I am not a Garmin fan boy, just born near their headquarters long before they were a pipe dream.

I have the current Varia radar/light, and it works great. I ride a small bike and can't mount anything on my seatpost (not enough room). I have a Specialized saddle and use a 3D printed quarter-turn mount attached to the "swat" mounting points on the saddle. Can you attach this device to a standard quarter turn mount? It seems not ....

Top vid.love my Varia radar.essential for cycling.would not buy camera.shame we have to stitch any old driver,if you know what I mean.

just wish it was like half the size! that thing is huge.

I actually use the radar only unit. I just got it standalone because I already have a Bontrager integrated rear light so i didnt think the extra light was necessary.