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because you don't have to turn your head to check; and sometimes you can't hear cars approaching (especially EVs or when there's wind that masks the sound). Mirrors don't provide full visibility and it's also harder to judge the distance and speed of approach (which the radar provides).

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yes, exactly this. I thought for sure the radar unit was a gimmick and I'd be returning it, but after seeing so many positive reviews I ordered it to give it a shot. It consistantly tells me there is a car (and how many) well before I hear it.

With a mirror I'd have to be constantly checking which not only takes my eyes off the road ahead, it makes the ride much less enjoyable.

I hadn't considered it until I met a couple this summer who were bikepacking from Seattle to SF. They told me it was one of those items you don't think you need until you get it and then you wonder how you did without it.

It's like blind spot monitoring and rear cameras on cars. I'd been driving without those for decades, but now that I have them I wouldn't buy a car without them.

The Varia radar also connects to the Wahoo bike computer, which is great.

Yes, that's my setup - Varia and Wahoo. I have the original Wahoo from 2015 - 7 years and they're still updating the firmware so that it supports new stuff like radar.

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