Yaketty Yak
We're now a week and a half from taking off on our tour. I thought I'd add another bit of info for people who are maybe not quite as studly as most of the journal writers on Cycleblaze. This entry is about chatting on the bike.
It might be some surprise that after 40+ years of marriage, we still enjoy each other's company! Part of that is being able to chat with each other, which we do a lot in daily life. But on the bike, we like to chat, too!
We've tried a couple of solutions, but our current one is worth documenting. We have "smart helmets" made by a company called Sena. And we love them.
They look like normal helmets from a distance.
But when you turn them over, you can see that something's a little different.
There is a microphone embedded in the front of the helmet, right above your eyes.
And speakers embedded above your ears
On the side of the helmets are buttons to turn them off and on, and to adjust the volume.
For details, anyone interested can consult the Sena documentation.
For us, the ability to chat while riding has been a game changer. It has radically improved the experience for both of us.
First, we can communicate in normal voices, even when it's windy. No more shouting or misunderstood words. This is useful when there's traffic, when a low branch is approaching, or when we need to push to get over a roller. Tandem riding is a team effort, and we work much better as a team when we can communicate clearly without straining.
Secondly, we can share what we see from the bike. In our part of the world, there are always flowers, trees, birds, animals, whatever, to see. When one of us sees something interesting, it's so low-effort to say something to the other. Again, you don't have to shout.
Finally, we just talk about stuff on the bike. Sometimes completely unrelated to cycling. I can't even begin to list all of the subjects we've discussed, from how to fix our children's lives to what's wrong with the government to what we're going to have for dinner.
They have a range of about 30-40 meters, so they would work even if you're on separate bikes. With these on, one of us can walk into a shop for food and converse with the other about the choices on offer. You might get some funny looks, though, if you're standing on the street talking to no one. Ask me how I know...
And you might want to turn them off when one of you goes to use the toilet. :)
So, in sum, these helmets work really well for us. They increase our enjoyment of cycling and (we think) make us safer and more coordinated on the bike. If this sounds like something that would work for you, we highly recommend looking into these helmets or a similar system.
[In case you're wondering, we paid full price for our helmets and received nothing of value for this note]
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