Tested: Wahoo TRACKR RADAR

The TRACKR RADAR is an integrated rear light and vehicle detection system. It marks Wahoo’s belated foray into the bike radar market where it will go head to head with established players like Garmin, Bryton and Magene, amongst others.

Detecting rear traffic from up to 150 metres away, day or night, the Wahoo TRACKR RADAR is all about safety, especially when riding solo. It sends out a steady radar signal as you ride and then receives the bounced-back signal from approaching objects such as cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes and, of course, other cyclists. This data is then sent to your head unit, which provides visual and/or audible alerts. It also features a dual LED tail light with four settings and a maximum output of 53 lumens. Curved edges help to enhance side-on visibility (a known issue with some radars) whilst an in-built accelerometer can be used to increase the luminosity and flash rate whenever you decelerate. There’s also a ‘Quick Alert’ option that changes to a continuous flash pattern to draw maximum attention whenever a vehicle enters the detection zone. On the flip side, you can activate the ‘Battery Extender’ to decrease luminosity when no cars are behind you. The unit weighs just 63 grams.

Setting up

The TRACKR RADAR syncs effortlessly with most bike computers, Wahoo or otherwise. During the review I was mostly running my trusty Garmin 530 and had zero connectivity issues. The main settings can be adjusted directly from your head unit, whilst you can also use the Wahoo app to check battery levels, set the Brake Light and Quick Alert functions, and toggle the Battery Extender on and off. Alas, there’s no real-time companion app for smartphones, at least for now.

Mounting

The box includes two quick-connect rubber straps, a quarter-turn Wahoo mount and adapters for aero/round, D-shaped and flat seat posts. Importantly, the TRACKR RADAR isn’t compatible with official Garmin mounts as the rear tabs are fractionally too big. This won’t be an issue if you’re able to use one of the mounting options provided or you’re looking to purchase non-standard mounts, say for saddle bags or seat rails. However, if you already own these accessories and they’re made to exact Garmin specs you may need to use adapters.

Battery life

Claimed run times are pretty impressive. Wahoo says you’ll get up to 20 hours per charge on ‘low flash’ (18 lumens), 15 hours on ‘high flash’ (53 lumens) and 10 hours on ‘high steady’ (21 lumens). Out in the real-world I was consistently getting a very respectable 8-9 hours on ‘high steady’. Charging is straightforward via the universal USB-C standard.

On the road

Simple and intuitive, within just a few kilometres I was very comfortable with the TRACKR RADAR system and genuinely felt a little safer; not just knowing when a vehicle was behind me, but also how quickly it was approaching. Having this information allowed me to make better decisions without having to constantly take my eyes off the road ahead.

Vehicle tracking was precise and essentially instant. Whenever something approached, a short audio alert sounded and a pair of orange bars (red when vehicles were moving at higher speed) appeared on my head unit with simple dots indicating its position. Once the threat had passed, the coloured bars briefly switched to green before disappearing.

I experienced very few false positives, and the ones I did were largely the result of cars turning into side streets or when I was on a bike path directly alongside a road. The audio alerts were especially handy when my mind wandered on solo rides; a quick beep to get my attention.

Wahoo says alerts activate when vehicles approach from up to 150 metres behind, however, my experience was even better with clear lines of sight. With a 35-degree field of vision, the detection zone isn’t the widest on the market – but it was still good enough to detect vehicles approaching from directly behind me and also those in adjoining lanes on multi-lane roads. Pleasingly, it didn’t continually pester me with new audio alerts when riding in smaller groups. However, like most radars, it did get a little muddled in larger bunches where it became less useful (but also less necessary, of course).

Summing up

The Wahoo TRACKR RADAR is a serious new player in the rear light radar market with easy set-up, accurate performance, excellent battery life and the convenience of USB-C charging. It isn’t the cheapest option at $350 (RRP), but for me it’s not dissimilar to investing in a good quality helmet. Do you really want to cut corners when it comes to safety?

More info here