iGPSport SR30 Review: Just Another Cycling Radar?

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iGPSport introduced the SRTL SR30 radar with taillight during the Eurobike 2023 fair. I had my hands on it right there, but it was unavailable for sale.

However, its sale has now officially launched. I’ve used it for weeks and compared it with other bicycling radars, such as the Garmin Varia RTL515, Magene L508, Bryton Gardia R300, and more.

So, in this SRTL SR30 review, you learn how it compares to Garmin Varia and whether it’s worth it or you should buy one of its alternatives.

My SR30 rating at a glance:
Reliability 2/5 | Multi-object Detection 4/5 | Battery Life 4/5 | Brightness 5/5 | Side Visibility 5/5 | Mount 3/5 | App 4/5 | Price 3/5 | WEIGHTED OVERALL SCORE 3.6/5
More about this cycling radar scoring.

iGPSport SR30 Summary

So, how does SR30 differ from other cycling radars? Not much. It has similar specifications and features. See the summary below.

My Experience with SRTL SR30

I used SR30 for about 15 hours with Garmin Varia RTL515 because I consider Varia the most reliable cycling radar. I found the following pros and cons.

I connected SR30 to iGPSport BSC300 and Varia RTL515 to Sigma ROX 12.1 EVO to watch how quickly and accurately they detect cars.

Mostly, the RTL515 detected cars slightly faster than the SR30. This is surprising because SR30 has a longer claimed detecting distance than RTL515.

This difference may not seem like a big deal at first glance. But every hundredth equals tens of meters for fast-approaching vehicles, giving you less time to react.

However, the lower detecting speed is a bigger issue. SR30 won’t detect cars riding faster than 120 km/h (74mph) relative to your speed (more about this later). This speed is the same as on the Magene L508.

Varia can detect cars up to 160 km/h (99mph) for comparison. So, when I compared these two by pointing them on the highway, SR30 didn’t detect many cars because they were going faster than its maximum detecting speed.

Both radars performed very well in detecting multiple cars at once. I tested this by pointing them at a highway with more traffic.

At first, I was pleased that the SR30 did not give frequent false positives. I averaged about one to three per hour, which was less than, for example, the Magene L508. However, after one firmware update (I don’t recall which one it was), it started to perform worse, resulting in two to three times as many false positives.

I was most curious about the battery life, as the iGPSport should last up to 18 hours in day flash mode. The reality was that it lasted almost 17 hours in the same mode. This is an excellent result!

It’s worth adding that I tested the radar in summer at temperatures ranging from 20 to 35°C (68 to 95°F).

I also want to highlight the auto sleep feature. You can turn it on and off in the app. It ensures that the radar enters a sleep state after being still for 2 minutes and automatically wakes up once it detects vibrations.

It’s a pity that the iGPSport app doesn’t offer the possibility to adjust the light modes like the Magene L508. On the other hand, the preset ones are sufficient.

It can, however, replace a bike computer with its car detection mode.

Another downside of the SR30 radar is the mount. It’s similar to the Varia mount, which is its main weakness. It’s not so firm and tends to slide to the side after sprinting or riding on cobblestones. Gardia’s mount is much better.

The possibility of controlling it via a bike computer worked strangely. BSC300 doesn’t have this functionality, so I paired it with Garmin Edge 840. Sometimes, the radar control widget loaded, and sometimes it didn’t. I couldn’t figure out why. Fortunately, after re-pairing, the control via the bike computer seems to be working properly. However, the radar will remain on after turning the bike computer off.

And lastly, I experienced connection and freezing issues. The radar wouldn’t pair with the BSC300 computer after I disconnected the SR30 from the Edge 840. Turning both the SR30 and BSC300 off and on helped.

Freezing issues manifested themselves in that I could not turn the radar off at all. It would not turn off even after pressing and holding the power button for over a minute. I just had to discharge it.

iGPSport SRTL SR30 vs. Other Cycling Radars

The following table summarizes the technical specifications of the SRTL SR30 and other popular cycling radars, such as the Garmin Varia RTL515, Magene L508, or Bryton Gardia R300L.

iGPSport SRTL SR30 is larger than most other radars on the market.

It’s not compatible with Garmin mounts because the iGPSport mount is rotated by 90°. This means it’s compatible with Magene mounts.

When a car overtakes you, the light changes its flash pattern for about a second and then returns to the selected light mode. This change does not last for the entire overtaking period, which is a big disadvantage.

SR30 also remembers the last mode used, so you don’t have to switch it like you do on Varia.

Things to Consider Before Buying iGPSport SRTL SR30 (or Any Other Bike Radar)

Cycling radars have to be highly reliable. They may give you false positives, but they should never give you false negatives, meaning they never miss a car.

You should have zero tolerance for false negatives if you buy a device like a cycling radar. But you also shouldn’t 100% rely on a bicycle radar and use your other senses while riding.

Based on my testing, the SRTL SR30 proved reliable within its technical specifications. Initially, it did not miss any cars falling within its detection limits. It gave more false positives than Varia, but only about 1-3 per hour of riding. After the latest firmware update (1.1), it started to perform worse, giving me more false positives.

Summary

The MSRP of the SRTL SR30 is $159.99 (139.95€), which means it is cheaper than Varia but more expensive than Gardia R300L or Magene L508.

This pricing surprises me because SR30 offers no major competitive advantage except for an excellent battery life compared to these radars.

Based on my testing, it lasted almost 17 hours (compared to the claimed 18 hours), making it the best cycling radar in terms of battery life.

At first, it gave me 1-3 false positives per hour of riding, which was more than Varia but less than other cycling radars. However, after one firmware update, it started to perform worse, resulting in 2 to 3 times as many false positives. These are pretty annoying. Luckily, it has never missed a car*, so I consider it reliable.

*Please remember that it cannot detect cars faster than 120km/h (74mph). This can be an issue on straight roads where drivers ride over the speed limit.

Its multi-car detection was okay, almost meeting the Varia standard. The same applies to the app’s capability.

The SR30 mount slides and requires adjustments during the ride. You also won’t be able to customize the light modes as on Magene L508. I also experienced connectivity and freezing issues.

I think the pricing of the SR30 is a bit unfortunate. It should cost similar to Gardia R300L or Magene L508. The current price does not match its quality.

On the other hand, many of its drawbacks could be fixed with firmware updates similar to what was done with the Magene L508. So we’ll see if iGPSport improves it over time.

I hope this review helps you make a decision. Due to the latest firmware, which actually made the radar worse, I recommend buying Garmin Varia RTL515, Magene L508, or Bryton Gardia R300L.

iGPSport SRTL SR30 FAQ