Wahoo Trackr Radar Review – a Rear Smart Light with RADAR Vehicle Detection
You’ve come here to read about the TRACKR RADAR for a few reasons. First and foremost, you don’t want to die while riding. Every cyclist should have a radar and smart light just for that reason, and Trackr Radar does as good a job on that front as Garmin’s alternative – Varia RTL515.
Secondly, you’re probably weighing up whether Wahoo TRACKR only works with Wahoo ELEMNT bike computers or if there’s a specific advantage in getting a Garmin Radar for a Garmin Edge – and the answer there is NO, it doesn’t matter either way, Garmin and Wahoo radar light units are interchangeable.
Finally, you’ve just noticed the price. You are still contemplating if your life is worth £/$200 (it is! honestly, even if you’re having a bad day) – so you’re considering cheaper alternatives, and that’s where it gets complicated – I trust the cheaper Magene L508 as well as the Garmin and Wahoo. Maybe the Bryton R300 is alright too, but others are fatally flawed and don’t always detect vehicles.
Works Great - A tad wierd looking with a fiddly button and mount.
Summary
The Wahoo TRACKR RADAR is one of the best radar rear lights and a strong competitor in the market. However, it generally matches rather than outperforms the well-established Garmin Varia.
Its notable advantages include modern USB-C charging, faster recharges compared to Garmin’s Micro-USB, and a brake light feature that brightens as you brake.
The radar reliably detects vehicles up to 150 meters away with no noticeable missed alerts (false negatives).
Depending on your head unit, TRACKR RADAR can sometimes appear to delay alerting by one second compared to Garmin Varia, whether this is by the design of the trigger mechanism, I don’t know.
I don’t seem to get the 15-hour battery life. I put that down to either power loss by accident or in standby mode, or from the brake light use in urban areas.
The aero mount requires a different rubber mount for different seat posts. Fine if your bikes are identical…mine aren’t. So it’s a FAFF to find the correct mount and physically swap to a new bike. Effectively, this stops me from swapping bikes with it.
The mount and light have an aero-like aesthetic that looks good, but is let down by the strap that holds them. The light’s aesthetics are also an acquired taste, and being red might clash with your bike colour scheme.
There is an auto on/off feature that I don’t entirely trust, so I turn the light on/off manually. The button is a bit fiddly, and I invariably end up tabbing through the flash patterns with the button before I head off, rather than controlling them from the head unit.
This is an excellent option for any cyclist, but one probably most favoured by existing Wahoo owners, keen to stay within the ecosystem. Ultimately, the aesthetics and the USB-C charging port are all that sets it apart from a Garmin Edge owner. ie not much to tempt you.
Pros
- Detects vehicles correctly
- Bright
- Varied, smart flash patterns
- Auto off
- Good battery life
Cons
- Expensive
- Odd aesthetics, they grow on you
- Cumbersome to EASILY switch between different seat post cross sections
Key Features:
- Vehicle Detection: The radar detects vehicles approaching from behind and automatically increases the frequency and intensity of its flashing pattern to improve visibility.
- Bike Computer/Watch Integration: The Trackr Radar connects to Wahoo ELEMNT computers and others, triggering audible and visual vehicle-approaching warnings, with icons on the screen.
- Brake Light Function: A built-in accelerometer lets the light detect your braking and function as a brake light, increasing brightness during sudden deceleration.
- Battery Extender Mode: A power-saving mode that reduces light brightness when no vehicles are approaching. This mode can provide up to 20 hours of operation with continuous radar and warning functionality.
- Mounting System: The device uses a rubber band strap mount for seatpost attachment. It features a “dual-mounting system” that removes the light unit while the mount stays in place.
Wahoo Trackr Radar – Design
The mount was easily added to all three seatpost types I have, as it is supplied with rubber adapters to handle circular, D-shaped and teardrop cross sections. I adjusted the height on the set post to let the light be seen underneath my saddlebag and above the wheel so the radar sees what’s coming toward it.
The strap is separate from the mount until fastened, which is fine, but adds to the fiddle-factor when moving to another bike to accommodate a different circumference. And that assumes you can remember where you put the rubber adapter for your other bike. My reality is that Trackr Radar is on my bike, and I can’t easily remember where I put the other mount, so it will stay until something better comes along.
The shape and profile look good when mounted in position. What I like less is the striped red colouration on the lens itself. It’s not too bad, though.
A quick twist and TRACKR RADAR can be detached within seconds. For such an expensive item, I would prefer the option of a tether.
Like the competitor devices, there is only one power button. This toggles the light flash modes and turns the whole thing on/off.
In Use
TRACK RADAR is nicely configurable. You can change the flash mode, intensity and position on the vertical bar screen showing approaching vehicles from your bike computer. It does all I need it to.
From the driver’s perspective, there are two red LEDs; this draws more attention than the one LED found on some competitor devices. As the driver gets closer to you, the flash intensity increases, and this change in frequency further gets their attention.
I generally find that cars give me a wider berth when I have a rear smart light. Even the side visibility is OK, as the following video shows.
From the perspective of fellow riders, the brake light is nice. The onboard accelerometer detects rapid slowing and changes the light to solid, similar to a car’s brake lights. I’ve never seen it in action, but some mates have positively commented on it during a ride without me asking. Whether or not it helps car drivers, I don’t know.
Wahoo has added the management of the light’s features into Wahoo ELEMNT bike computers. Some of you will like that. Wahoo has achieved this as minimally as possible (good), but I suspect ever-more options added to the ELEMNT will make it less usable over time. We shall see.
Wahoo TRACKR RADAR compared to Garmin Varia RTL515
Below are the key specifications of the Wahoo TRACKR RADAR and the Garmin Varia RTL515. I don’t think Wahoo is worth the price premium over the Garmin, as the specs are similar. Garmin is a bit brighter, Wahoo might last a bit longer in some modes, and you might like its brake mode. Wahoo’s narrower ‘field of vision’ obviously makes some difference, but it didn’t ‘feel’ any different in use over hundreds of miles (I’ve used the Varia for thousands).
| Feature | Wahoo TRACKR RADAR | Garmin Varia RTL515 |
|---|---|---|
| Model Name | TRACKR RADAR | Varia RTL515 |
| Part Number | WFTRACKRRDR1 | 010-02377-00 |
| Price (UK/US) | £179.99 / $249 / $200 / €200 | £169.99 |
| Rear Radar Detection Range | Up to 150m (164 yards) | Up to 140 metres |
| Rear Radar Field of View | 35° | 40° |
| Rear Light Visibility Distance | Not explicitly specified, high-flash mode is 53 lumens | Up to 1 mile (1.6 km) with daylight visibility |
| Light Modes | High solid, low solid, high flash, low flash | Solid, Peloton, Night Flash, Day Flash |
| Lumens (Selected Modes) | High solid: 21 lumens; Low solid: 10 lumens;
High flash: 53 lumens; Low flash: 18 lumens |
Solid: 20 lumens; Peloton: 8 lumens;
Night Flash: 29 lumens; Day Flash: 65 lumens |
| Battery Life (Claimed) | High solid: 10 hrs; Low solid: 15 hrs;
High flash: 15 hrs; Low flash: 20 hrs |
Solid: 6 hrs; Peloton: 8 hrs;
Night Flash: 6 hrs; Day Flash: 16 hrs |
| Charging Port | USB-C | Micro-USB |
| Weight | 99g (3.5oz) claimed (unit only); 116g with mount | 71.0 g (2.5 oz) (unit only); 72g tested |
| Dimensions | 89.7 x 37.0 x 32.9 | 98.6 x 19.7 x 39.6 mm |
| Water Rating | IPX7 (submersible up to 1 meter for 30 minutes) | IPX7 (submersible up to 1 meter for 30 minutes) |
| Connectivity | ANT+ (radar, light control) & BLE (radar) | ANT+ (radar, bike lights) & BLE (radar) |
| Companion App for Alerts | No dedicated app for real-time alerts;
Wahoo App for settings/firmware only |
Varia app provides visual, tone, and vibration alerts |
| Mounting System | Proprietary Elemnt-style quarter-turn mount;
quick-connect strap; 3 mount wedges included |
Garmin-style quarter-turn mount; wide range of aftermarket options |
| Key Special Features | Brake Light (increases luminosity when braking),
Quick Alert (continuous flash when car enters detection zone), Battery Extender Mode (reduces brightness when no vehicles detected), Mode Memory, Dual LED Design |
Peloton Mode (low-intensity flash for group riding), seamless pairing with Edge computer or smartphone |
Sources and External Resources
Amazon reviews of the Wahoo Trackr Radar are highly positive
Reviews of the Wahoo Trackr Radar on the company’s site are also highly positive
You can check out the views of another reviewer on Wahoo Trackr Radar here with GPLAMA. As Shane says, “This actually works”, which is all you need to know.
Issues
- There is no smartphone companion app for riders who do not have a compatible watch or bike computer. While the smart light features will still work for such riders, there is no onscreen display option for the smartphone. If you ride with a smartphone, don’t buy the Wahoo.
- Battery life discrepancies. Real-world usage causes changes in battery life from one ride to the next. It’s challenging to get a baseline to compare to the Varia or to validate Wahoo’s claims. Braking drains more power; the number of vehicles triggering visual alerts drains power. Depending on the conditions, Garmin’s increased range and wider view should drain more power. In my suburban and rural usage, I easily get more than 10 hours, but I can’t say if I got the 160-20 hours claimed in some modes. I rely on these devices for my safety and don’t want them to run out of juice mid-ride. This is the sort of device (from all competitors) that needs a MUCH more extended battery life, somewhere near 30 hours, so I can use it and stop worrying about it.
- Field of view. Wahoo’s narrower field of view should mean that alerts only occur for vehicles that are more of a risk to you. Over many hours of riding, I didn’t notice anything unusual in how Wahoo detected vehicles compared to Garmin. It just wasn’t an issue to me.
Take Out
It works.
When in use, Wahoo TRACKR RADAR and the Garmin Varia work. The features are on par, and you wouldn’t notice the difference when riding except for Wahoo’s battery, which MIGHT last longer if you have the correct mode and don’t encounter too much traffic to set off its lights more frequently. In terms of false negatives, it’s as reliable as the Garmin Varia.
The physical design is probably what lets it down a bit. Specifically, when moving between bikes, and the on/off/mode button.
It looks a little odd in a quirky kind of way. I’ve grown to like it more than at first and it will stay on my main bike for some time.
The mounting works well but makes transfer between bikes tricky, and there is no tether for added peace of mind. (which Garmin also lack). Some of you will need an attachment to seat rails, and I will need something that can easily transfer between the 3 seatpost cross-section types to be able to use it exclusively. Ideally, I’d want Garmin twist-mount compatibility, but that won’t happen.
Price:
It’s priced on par with garmin.
The Wahoo Trackr Radar joins similar Garmin, Bryton, Magene, and Trek products. The Magene one is pretty good.
With 20 years of testing Garmin wearables and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, I provide expert insights into fitness tech, helping athletes and casual users make informed choices.
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I guess this one also don’t warn you someone you just overtook is still close behind you using your draft?
I don’t mind if someone is close behind me, as long as I know it. This is more of a “problem” in the Netherlands than all the other situations reviewers rave about with this kind f gadgets.
they all work based on closing speed. so…no 🙂
This does have a quarter turn mount. DC’s hands on shows the trackr connects to the seat post adapter via a quarter turn mount. BUT Wahoo decided to make it 1mm thicker so it doesn’t fit the standard quarter turn mount… I was gonna buy this but not now.
you can sometimes buy a cheap adapter. it is a faff but i do that on my bars.
in any case you would have to rotate the garmin mount by 90 degreed.
The issue with 2. is that Garmin has no track record/demonstrated ability of running a software-as-a-service business – but the functionality is squarely in the space of what Garmin has been historically offering in its products.
The situation for Apple is very different. The core of the Apple approach to training/fitness has been to build an excellent raw data sensor (HRM, GPS) with some very basic software functionality and outsource the stuff that they have no expertise (like serious workouts/training, planning and analytics, dive features, etc.) to third parties/app developers. Apple gets part of the user spend on these services as ARPU (through the cut it takes on app subscriptions/purchases) without having to do any of the work (or taking any of the blowback if the app/service sucks).
Oops, my other reply was meant for the comments section of this article: https://the5krunner.com/2025/04/10/10-garmin-cock-ups/
@the5kr: Please feel free to delete it here.
@Matt the tabs are 1mm _wider_ (not _thicker).
I think offering a rear light radar is a smart move by Wahoo. It rounds off their offering. I would think that on trainers and bike computers alone they won’t survive. And it goes well with the new bike computers.
The Varia 515 is usually available for 149€. On sale 130 or even 125€. Yes without USB-C but yet strangely enough the world is still turning!!!!! 😉
So 200€ seems a bit off. I personally would say at max 180€ would be more reasonable for a new contender without any rep. Garmin can’t seem to just update the 515 with USB-C but instead release all kinds of weird lights with cameras that don’t get favorable reviews so Wahoo could snatch some customers there.
Maybe retail prices will take care of it.
On top of it the Varia looks better, sleeker in my books. Trackr looks a bit bulky. Especially with that mount.
Does the Wahoo get a twist mount? I saw some 3rd party mounts claiming theirs are now compatible with the Trackr.
retail prices are controlled (yes I know EU law!…they are tho)
wahoo seems to want price position parity with garmin…fair enough. both of them discont periodically to sensible levels.
i do think Eu/£200 is too high for this kind of product.
then again…what is your life worth? Eu200?
I agree with you on looks. The wahoo looks tacky and unrefined but just about usable. I like the garmin blandness of Varia
I love my RTL515 and can’t ride without it, even on gravel trails.
But the battery is showing signs of wear, so I just hope that when it’s time to replace it, Garmin will have already done the update and included USB-C and some of the Trackr features (brake light and battery extender mode).
yes i upgraded from rtl510 for battery reasons a while ago
yes i would imagine that garmin probably has those changes planned.
however it MAY just abandon the low end of the market as there is now quite a bit of competition there. ie it may just focus on camera smart lights. i dont think so tho. as yuo say i think there will be an update that amkes varia a bit better than products like TRACKR but, of course, at a premium eg GBP230/$250. battery life will be the key differnetiator if anyone can eke out 30 hours without adding too much weight
Hi,
Is there a way to set this light up so that it switches to solid light when it detects a vehicle ? Or increase the intensity in case of detection ?
hmm not sure.
i was using it this evening on a group ride and everyone was moaning that the brake light was bright (when braking). I couldn’t see.
from memory the action when there is vehicle detection is to flash.
not sure why you would want another behaviour