Trek CarBack Radar Rear Bike Light review – Ride on the roads with newfound confidence!

REVIEW – I am a passionate and dedicated cyclist, and have been for the last 30 years. I ride on the roads with cars several times a week, but I’m always nervous about it, and getting more so.  Just this year alone, several of my friends and riding buddies have been hit by cars, one seriously.  Those numbers are on the rise nationwide and show no signs of slowing down.  Two of the steps that cyclists can take to help keep themselves safe are to increase their visibility to drivers and to increase their awareness of traffic. The Trek CarBack Radar Rear Bike Light does both of those things.  (Incidentally, “CarBack” is what cyclists shout to each other when riding in a group and someone realizes a car is coming up from behind.)

For the last few years, I’ve been riding with very bright blinking daytime running lights on the front and back of my bike.  I’ve noticed a difference in how cars react, which is good. If I somehow forget them, I feel naked and exposed. The Trek CarBack takes that a step further and incorporates radar to let you know when cars are approaching from behind, which is a huge confidence boost, especially when riding on roads with a limited shoulder. 

What is it?

The Trek CarBack Radar is a rear-mounted bike light that has radar incorporated, and can connect to most cycling computers and the Trek CarBack app for your phone to provide notifications of traffic behind you. 

What’s included?

• CarBack unit
• Seatpost mount
• USB-C charging cable
• Manual

Tech specs

Design and features

The CarBack looks like any other rear-mounted bike light, but perhaps a bit larger.  There are two main features of the CarBack. The first is the light. It’s bright – VERY bright.  The first time I rode with a buddy who was riding with one, I remember looking up in a tree and thinking “what is that red thing up there?”  Turns out there was nothing up there, but it was the image of my buddy’s light seared into my retina. I’ve learned to stay back a bit now when riding with buddies using these lights. There are a few light options to choose from (day steady, night steady, day blink, night blink) and they are easily changed from the single button on the unit. 

The second main feature is the radar.  The radar detects cars up to 240 M behind you.  The CarBack unit itself does not have any notification capabilities.  It’s designed to be paired either with a cycling computer head unit (like a Garmin or Wahoo), or can be used with the Trek Accessories app, which actually provides a bit more functionality. I actually use both. 

The app provides audio notifications of rear-coming traffic, shows you a visual indication of where the car (or cars, up to 7) are, and can also let you know if the cars are right behind you, or at a safe passing distance. When connected to a bike computer (Garmin or Wahoo), you get audio notifications, and an indicator of the number of cars and their relative distance behind you. 

There is a convenient LED battery indicator on the side, and a waterproof USB-C charging port on the bottom.  Reported run time is about 7 hours, regardless of light mode (radar is the biggest power user, so light mode doesn’t matter). 

Performance

Riding with Trek CarBack Radar light is a game changer. Gone are the days of feeling like you have to stay so far to the right that you’re always getting flats from riding in the crud and gravel. Gone are the days of having cars sneak up and scare you as they blast 2 feet away at 50 mph.  I can’t say that I’ll ever ride on the road again without radar.  It’s that big of a deal.  I ride with the CarBack connected to both my Wahoo cycling computer and my phone.  The Wahoo gives me a visual indicator when cars are detected, as well as an audio cue.  My phone gives me an audio cue in my headphones, right above whatever else I happen to be listening to.  For me, this is the best feature and a critical one.  Unless I’m looking at my computer, I may miss the visual cue, and with wind noise, I often miss the audio cue from my computer,  But having the audio cue right in my headphones is great.  It lets me ride in the lane until a car comes up, and then I can move over with enough time and space for us to safely pass. 

While the CarBack is great, it’s not perfect.  One issue that I had is that it seems to disconnect from my Wahoo Cycling Computer quite often. It usually connects right back up without my input, but I worry about a car sneaking in while it’s disconnected.  The other issue is that it often struggles with multiple cars. It will indicate one car, that car will pass, the “all clear” will sound, and then I’ll immediately get another indication of another car. It’s as if the second car was “hiding” in the radar shadow of the first.  With other rear radar systems I’ve used (Garmin’s Varia), this has not been an issue. 

Battery length has been about what was advertised, and the visual battery indicator on the side of the unit lets you know what the levels are before you start the ride.  It’s even easy to check the battery status without even turning the light on, with a quick press of the power button. I really appreciate this feature. Charging is with a standard USB-C cable, and for really long rides (over 7 hours!!) it can be charged and used at the same time.

What I like about Trek CarBack Radar

• Really bright light that is visible for a far distance
• Radar really improves confidence and safety riding on the road
• App shows a lot of information about the cars behind you

What needs to be improved?

• Improve multiple car performance
• Prevent disconnects to cycling computer

Final thoughts

If you ride on the road without using lights and rear radar, you are missing out on a new level of safety and confidence. Give the Trek CarBack a try, and you will find it hard to ride without it again!

Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Trek Bikes
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Trek. Trek did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.