Bike radar systems have become ubiquitous these days with nearly every brand offering their own variation rather than the Garmin Varia being the only option. Thanks to the increased competition there are a lot more budget friendly options on the market like the Ravemen NT201 which offer nearly identical specs at a lower price point. The NT201 is one of the latest bike radars on the market and utilizes both ANT+ and Bluetooth communication to make it compatible with nearly all GPS head units. Retail price for the Ravemen NT201 is a competitive $99.95 which includes an 80 lumen taillight with brake sensor. Battery life is up to 23 hours in a slow flash mode with 140 meter range detection and 40 degree spread.
The Ravemen NT201 is an affordable rear bike radar that combines an 80 lumen single LED with a brake sensor to detect approaching cars.
| Retail Price | $99.95 |
| Rating | 8.5 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 67 (radar), 14 (seatpost mount), 4 (saddle mount) |
| Likes | + Competitively priced compared to other radars + Minimal false positive and consistent detection despite being Ravemen’s first radar + Bright daytime flash mode and decent side visibility |
| Dislikes | – Derivative design with simple lens and shape – Confusing battery status indicator that requires turning the radar on to confirm battery level – Automatic light mode switch due to vehicle detection is limited to daytime warning mode |
| Where to Buy (US) | Ravemen |
UNBOXING
The Ravemen NT201 radar comes in a orange and black cardboard box that matches Ravemen branding along with a front cutout that shows off the taillight. Inside the box you’ll find:
- NT201 radar
- Seatpost mount
- Saddle rail mount w/ 2x zip ties
- USB-C charging cable
- Safety tether
- Instruction manual
- Warranty card
Ravemen has done a good job minimizing waste with cardboard inner holders and compact packaging.
MOUNTING
Ravemen has utilized a standard quarter-turn style mount that is molded into the plastic body. It’s a miniaturized design that is smaller in diameter than standard Garmin mounts found on GPS computers and other radars like the iGPSPORT SR30 so it is not compatible with third-party radar mounts. The size is actually slightly wider than the Magicshine R300 radar and Seemee mounts but still a miniaturized design. Ravemen includes both a saddle rail mount and a seatpost mount with the radar. The seat post mount has a standard rubber strap design with a thick rubber back pad that can be used on round, D-shaped or aero seatposts. The plastic saddle rail mount is designed for round rails and has a simple friction fit with zip ties included for more peace of mind. Both mounts work well as the radar itself is light weight which helps minimize vibrations.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Ravemen NT201 has a simple rectangular form factor with the main LED on top and the radar surface below it. The design is clearly a derivative of the Garmin Varia with similar side windows, a single LED with curved lens but has a more squared off that is similar to the Bryton Gardia. To help differentiate the radar, Ravemen has added a sharp crease down the bottom radar portion that terminates in a pyramid shape instead of the standard flat surface. The body of the radar is a black plastic construction with a thin red transparent lens cutout all the way around the body. Surprisingly, there is actually no external branding with the only Ravemen branding on the back of the radar above the USB-C charging port.
There is a single power button on top of the radar and a low-battery indicator LED below the radar surface. The LED indicator turns red if the battery is below 30% and flashes if the battery is under 5%. From the side window you can see there is a single LED with a TIR design that creates a focused beam. Similar to the Garmin Varia, the NT201 has a transparent cutout around the lens and a spherical indentation in front of the lens. The transparent side cutouts are also partially illuminated from the single LED but it gets dimmer the further away from the LED.
USER INTERFACE
The Ravemen NT201 has a single button user interface with a long hold to turn it on and off, while a single press cycles through modes. You can also press the button with the radar off to check the battery status, but the LED indicator only turns on if the battery is below 30%. It’s a confusing design as you won’t know whether you have more than 30% battery or the battery is completely drained without actually turning on the radar. There is also a brake detection and auto on/off feature that can be enabled or disabled by holding the power button for 5 seconds with the light off. The feature is enabled if you see 5 quick flashes, and disabled if you see 3 slow flashes. With the light on, a single press will cycle through the six available modes. Note, The radar also supports on-the-go charging with all the features and modes available which allows you to extend the runtime with an external battery.
LIGHT OUTPUT
Ravemen has programmed the NT201 with six total modes that includes two constant modes and four flashing modes. The two constant modes are low (5 lumen, 16 hr runtime) and high (25 lumen, 8 hr runtime). These two modes are convenient for group rides where flashing modes could be distracting for other riders. The flash modes are much more interesting with a slow flash that goes low – high – low – high – low to create a quick flash and is rated for 10 lumen and the maximum 23 hour runtime. Ravemen also has a daytime flash which they call “warning flash” that has the full 80 lumen output and 16 hour runtime that has a fast on/off flash that’s ideal for daytime riding.
There is also a confusingly named “daytime warning” mode that looks more like an eco flash that is 25 lumens with no stated runtime. It’s a slower flash than the daytime flash and doesn’t pack nearly as much of a punch but is still visible with the focused LED design during the day. Finally, there is a pulse mode that ramps up and down between dim and low with 5 lumen output and 18 hour runtime. If a vehicle is detected, and the radar is in the daytime warning mode, the NT201 switches to a high mode for a few seconds to attract attention. It’s a convenient feature that many other radars feature to help with visibility so we’re surprised Ravemen limits the feature to only a single mode.
The NT201 also features a smart brake sensor feature that switches the current mode to a constant 65 lumen mode for two seconds if braking is detected. It’s a similar feature to other radars and taillights on the market that is intended to improve ride safety by notifying riders or cars behind you that you are slowing down. As with the Ravemen CL01 taillight, the sensor calibration is on the sensitive side and can trigger over pot holes or speed bumps where your speed can change slightly in addition to actual braking. While the single LED design is effective, the design is very derivative and lacks the side visibility and brightness of other radars like the Magicshine R300 which use multiple LEDs and COB strips.
RADAR
Despite being Ravemen’s first bike radar, the NT201 works surprisingly well on busy and more rural roads. On paper, the NT201 has nearly identical specs as other bike radars with the 140m range detection and 40 degree spread that helps detect cars even on windy roads. The radar is surprisingly competitive with minimal false positives and consistent car detection. During our rides on busy roads the radar would detect multiple cars and differentiate cars close to each other as they got closer to the radar. While the radar works well we would describe it as less responsive as other radars such as the Trek CarBack. That translated to a 140m detection range that would hit-or-miss with slower moving cars on rural roads detected when they were barely visible, while faster moving cars would show up on the radar display at the half distance mark on busy roads.
That isn’t to say the radar is not effective, it would always detect cars before you would hear or see them which is one of the big perks of using bike radars but the hardware or software algorithm isn’t as well dialed as Garmin or more established brands. During our testing with a Bryton S510 we also noticed that the radar tended to flag every car as “warning” level (orange indicator) and didn’t use the “critical’ level (red indicator) that other radars use to differentiate between vehicles approaching at a higher speed. It is likely that Ravemen might have programmed the critical level at a higher speed setting than other brands, but we suspect a future software update could address.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Ravemen NT201 radar to be an affordable and effective bike radar. Despite being Ravemen’s first bike radar, the NT201 has similar specs and performance as other bike radars on the market. The styling is a bit derivative but has a focused 80 lumen LED and outer lens cutout for side visibility. We were impressed with the consistency of the radar performance which didn’t have the normal false positives or glitches many first-releases of bike radars tend to have. The radar also has long run times and a modern USB-C charging interface that even supports on-the-go charging. As far as negatives, the Ravemen NT201 doesn’t seem as responsive as other radars on the market particularly with faster moving or busier roads. We were also surprised that Ravemen made the battery checker indicator have no light for above 30% which means you can’t tell the difference between a dead battery or a full battery without turning it on. That said, the Ravemen NT201 is a well priced bike radar that is a strong first-offering by Ravemen in the bike radar market.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Ravemen. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.