Magene L508 Bike Radar Tail Light, Smart Rear View Radar Taillight Compatible with Some Bike Computers and Watches, Support Utility APP Display

I purchased this after asking Garmin support if they had any plans to update to usb-c for the main radar light (not the radar + light + camera one they're now selling) and they said no. I had watched GPLama's review of this one and it seemed decent. When I first got it I went on a ride with a buddy in the Santa Monica mountains and it performed decently. We jumped on the PCH in Malibu to get back to LA and with so much traffic I ended up turning off the audible alert sound. After that we were both far less annoyed with it.Common complaints I see about this light:- false positives (meaning the light tells you someone is behind you but there isn't anyone): I see this every once in a while but I am up to date on the firmware (as of 4/29/25) and it is very infrequent.- false negatives (meaning it does not tell you when someone is behind you but they are): so I do see this every so often and what I can figure out is is breaks down into two issues.First issue: the light has moved on my seat post to the right (when looking at the bike from behind) and thus the radar is now able to pick up less area to my left where cars are. I solved this by getting a 3d printed mount off of Etsy. I have a Cannondale SuperSix Evo 2022 that has I guess a "D shaped" seat post but basically search Etsy for Garmin radar mounts for whatever bike you have and ask the seller to rotate the puck 90 degrees and the Magene light will be able to mount to it perfectly. So that solved the first scenario of false negatives.The second issue is a bit more mysterious - I think what is happening is when I am on twisty mountain roads and I have one car pass me IF the second car/motorcycle goes super wide to pass (thankful of them doing this anyway) AND is going significantly faster than the first car - there's some sort of window where they are faster than the interval of the radar checking again for any cars behind or something. So think it's keeping track of the first car and the road is turning to the right on a curve and the second car goes super wide and faster before the radar polls again for traffic. I believe that might be what is going on. Anyway I don't see this that often even when on 4+ hour rides. Otherwise it seems to handle a busy two lane highway like the PCH without issue.Regardless of the second issue, once I got the custom seat post mount I very rarely get false negatives and to be honest I am not moving into the lane without a head check no matter what the radar says.For the battery life complaints. I am usually riding during the day and have the radar set to only have the two modes enabled:- light alert as car approaches/passes otherwise off (no sounds) this is what the radar is in 99% of the time- low flash (40% I think) and light alert as car approaches/passes (for any night rides home)My usual training schedule is this:Mon - offTues - 45-90 minWed - 2 hour workoutThur - 2-3 workoutFri - 45-90 minSat - group ride 4 hours+Sun - endurance 4 hours+I basically don't charge it during the week and then charge it Friday night and Saturday night to be safe. It holds it charge when not in use so well that sometimes I won't charge it Friday night. So I find with those two modes I don't usually worry about battery. Even when I get alerts that the battery is low I can usually get an hour to two out of it before it dies completely. My guess is others are running flashing all day/ride and I don't really find that needed but that's just me.Otherwise the radar integrates with my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt v2 without any issues. Every once in a while it disconnects from the computer and then reconnects. My understanding is that is typical for all of these radars. Also the toggling of the modes from the computer is a bit slow but again I think that is across the board. The only other time I've seen the radar struggle was the other day I was on a group ride and it started pouring raid. Riding home it wasn't picking up cars until they were very close. My guess is there was water/dirt on the sensor and that was causing the issue.I did pay the 1.99 to unlock the app but that was just to edit modes IF I recall correctly. For me I didn't really care that this was being charged for, I think others it has rubbed the wrong way - I guess I just considered it part of the cost of the radar. Or maybe I signed up for the email and then just unsubscribed? I can't remember to be honest.Overall this is a required item I bring on every ride now. I cannot imagine riding without it.

i am a little older and my hearing isnt the best and i am not so flexible and this is very accurate and the only time it doesnt seem to work is when cars are matching your speed

Lately I've been riding more local roads when I have free time and this radar is a must have! Was debating between the Magene or the Garmin Varia and decided on the Magene since it was more affordable.So far since I got this there were 2 firmware updates and both times it updated with no problems using my Android phone. Updates takes a couple minutes to do so be patient and follow the directions on the app.I'm pairing this radar with my Garmin Edge 840 using the MyRadarTraffic IQ and love it. It's nice to know when there's a car behind and how fast they are coming up when using the MyRadarTraffic IQ.The new firmware update the lights seem very bright even during the day time. However not all the different modes can adjust the light brightness. Only the Solid mode and rapid flashing mode can have the brightness adjusted.I do get a few false positive detections during my rides due to reflections of metal objects like metal gates, fences, or even stationary cars, but at least it's alerting me than not alerting me.During my night rides the Magene can pick up car from almost 500ft away on the long straight roads. On 2 way canyon roads I notice the radar does not pick up cars far away, and detects around 150-200ft.It's nice to know when there's a car behind, because there are times when I don't even hear a car coming up. For riding local roads or commuting on public roads this radar is a must have in my opinion because I value my safety each time I go out for a ride. I will probably never ride without it.A downside with this Radar is the mounting. My TCR has an aero seat post. So does my Specialized Allez Sprint. The Magene mount does not work well for both my bikes. The mount will rotate and move when riding. Every big bump will cause the mount to rotate. I had to use an additional piece of rubber to wedge the mount in place to prevent it from rotating during a ride. Not a big deal, but wish Magene would include a few different style wedges for different seatpost.Other than that issue I would deduct 1 star since if the Radar moves when riding it may not detect vehicles which is a safety factor. If Magene has any updated mounts to fix this I would love to get one for my bikes and update the review.Oh if you don't have a fancy head unit you can still use the Magene app to get notifications and sound alerts for cars detected. I've only tested using the Magene app at home and in the car which seems to work, but not tested during an actual bike ride since I already have a Garmin head unit and I leave my phone in my pocket.

I ride a lot by myself or in a small group on country roads and this radar is very helpful letting me know a car is approaching. I have some issues with tracking but for the most part the radar has been accurate. It can lose a car if it matches your speed and hovers behind you or your group. The battery life is good I ride excess of 6hrs on some rides and still working when I done. I did buy another mount for it so I don't have to worry about swapping mounts between my bikes. I would say compared to the price of Garmin this is worth it. Especially like the USB-C for charging vs Micro USB