The Smart Bike - Garmin + Giant

Heard a fellow cyclist talking about the "Smart Bike" the other day and how this would potentially interact with cars. This got us thinking about what we could do today.

Well after some research and the dropping of hints to Santa, this is what we did:

• Giant Defy Advanced Pro
• Garmin Vario Headlight
• Garmin Rear Radar + tail light
• Garmin Edge 1000

We didnt get the Vector pedals from Garmin due to the limited budget from Sanata, but they are an additional option.Range is $1,199 to $1,999 for a set. You can also get the Varia Vision In-Sight Display which will work with the Edge 1000 at no price yet. Not out yet to our knowledge.

The above stuff we did get will set you back around $1,200 - $1,500 depending on how and where you buy from.

Set up

• Easy, attach eht handle bar mount. They all find each other. Just turn them on in the right order

• Charge all units and update with Garmin Express to ensure all integration software is up to date. One tip is use the USB connecters that come with the units. Inferior cables will not work.

• Handle bar mount is good, light fits underneath Edge unit on top,very clean

What you get

• Headlight that adjusts its beam based on ambient lighting
• Headlight that adjusts up and down depending your speed
• Rear tail light that brightens and flashes if a vehicle is approaching within 140 metres from the rear
• Radar and colour on the Edge unit, screen had a orange tint when a vehicle is approaching and goes green when gone. Also shows the distance as it approaches via lights down the dside of the display
• All the data and maps on the Garmin Edge to not only tell you where to go but where you went and how fast afterward
• Integrates obviously to Garmin Connect, Online or APP. All very fancy.

What I enjoyed!

All of it. Feeling safer knowing fewer cars will creep up on me and surprise me, and if they do they get a perfromance from my tail light. Knowing my headlihg will adjust accordingly based on light and speed. All the data the Edge 1000 unit provides. What I didnt like was the cost. You can work this out on the Garmin website.

Is it worth it?

• This gear is not cheap and the headlight is heavy (225 grams), not significant in the scheme of things but a lot heavier than the remainder
• I loved the radar and now feel almost unsafe without it. Only have around 1 false positive and 1 missed car per ride and usually when there are a lot of vehicles on both sides of the road
• Headlight is great. Only challenge is getting the angle right so you dont blind oncoming traffic with 400-600 lumens and at the same time have the Edge 1000 at the right angle to actually be able to read it
• Cars approaching from the rear were definitely more aware of me and feel like many now wait for a safe time or place to pass, I can only assume due to the performing rear tail light.

Final conclusion

I took the view, my safety was paramount with the radar, front and rear lights. (My sense of self preservation has gone up with age)

My answer after pracitcal road use is a resounding YES. (This is not a sponsored post FYI). Highly recommend. No doubt this kit will continue to improve, lighter, longer battery power etc.