Account
Discussions
Pilot and stoker comms
Hi , does anyone know of a bicycle helmet friendly communication (eg headphone and mic) to allow easier chat between pilot and stoker.
Thanks
Arne and Pati
Many years ago, when my wife and I rode solo bikes, I managed to cannibalise a Walkie-Talkie outfit by attaching the earpiece and mike to our helmet straps. You had to say the first word twice to activate it. It’s probably easier now with modern electronics. Worth looking at sets sold for motor cycles.
One unexpected experience using ours was when we were cycling past a large hotel and a strange female voice said “the baby in room 7 is crying”. We did not reply!
Cliff & Bridget Bruce
Many years ago, when my wife and I rode solo bikes, I managed to cannibalise a Walkie-Talkie outfit by attaching the earpiece and mike to our helmet straps. You had to say the first word twice to activate it. It’s probably easier now with modern electronics. Worth looking at sets sold for motor cycles.
One unexpected experience using ours was when we were cycling past a large hotel and a strange female voice said “the baby in room 7 is crying”. We did not reply!
Cliff & Bridget Bruce
Hi Arne and Pati
You could look at motorcycle intercoms. I have recently bought an old stock Autocom motorcycle intercom. Its 20 years old, cable connections between pilot and stoker or rider and pillion! It's a voice activated unit which means it amplifies your voice when you begin to speak, so it doesn't amplify the noise of riding along in the wind, which is tiresome. Good intercoms have mics which are designed to reduce amplification of wind noise when you speak. There are many versions available now at a price, and often wireless by Bluetooth or similar, so no annoying cables to bother with - or less anyway. My Autocom requires connection to a 12 volt battery but some will work from a smaller battery, like a small 9 volt. You would have to make the system more weatherproof with a waterproof box to house it, maybe under the pilots seat. The earpieces would sit over (or in) the ears, or if your helmets come down lower, actually in the helmet if there was room. The boom mics would sit in front of your mouths but might need protecting in the rain.
You could be onto something there! Hope you can get it worked out, I think it's a great idea now I think about it.
Ian McCall
A DIY solution would be to use headsets used by road cyclists (e.g. look up VERTIX Single-Ear Headset, link below), coupled with mobile phones running an app allowing for constant free (short distance, up to ~50-100m) communication via "push to talk" (an Android app for this would be e.g. Voxer Walkie Talkie Messenger).
See https://www.vertixglobal.com/collections/velo/accessories_headsets
Why not look at the Sena helmets?
Link here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sena-R1STDOBM-Unisex-Connected-Cycling/dp/B07FLW3KMC/ref=asc_df_B07FLW3QQ5/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310485825261&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9865613629983166933&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046813&hvtargid=pla-555721458938&th=1&psc=1
Ed
Hi - has anyone tried/have experience of using these Sena helmets on a tandem - presumably it would be the R1's? They look to be a very attractive proposition.
Chris Roan