We have the radio because it radically simplifies our ability to communicate with all the support people. A big advantage of the radio, as opposed to using a cell phone, is that one person talks and everybody hears it, whereas on a cell phone, one person talks and one person hears it. They’re well labeled.
Although cell coverage in this area has improved significantly over the years, there are still many locations where cell phones are unreliable. For our needs, mobile relay radios have proven to be extremely effective. They provide excellent service, both for long-term operations and for special events like this one.
This particular event spans five days and covers 335 miles by bicycle. This year, we had 27 riders, and the availability of two-way radios was invaluable. We enjoyed strong, reliable coverage—even in some areas where I didn’t expect it. The organizers supplied us with radios and set up a dedicated talk group for our event.
Effective communication and safety are absolutely essential for an event of this nature. If someone is injured or lost, rapid and coordinated communication is critical to locate and assist them. Having multiple team members able to communicate at all times greatly enhances our ability to respond quickly and maintain safety.
During the ride, our participants could be spread out over 30 to 40 miles, with support personnel distributed along the same stretch. We had approximately 10 support staff driving or stationed at various points nearly all the time. Frequently, when a question arose, one person would ask over the radio, and another—perhaps miles away—could immediately respond with relevant information, such as the current location of a missing rider. This level of real-time group communication simply isn’t possible with cell phones, which tend to be one-to-one or limited to small groups.
When an issue arises, being able to transmit information instantly to the entire team streamlines the situation and significantly boosts safety, ensuring everyone stays informed rather than just a handful of individuals.
Of course, no radio system offers 100% perfect coverage—such is the reality. However, this relay radio system has performed exceptionally well and met all our requirements and expectations. I highly recommend it for similar events and operations.