YAY! Giveaway time again!
Up for grabs this time is a original Cardo Scala Rider helmet audio communicator and entertainment system. This gently used, fine working item was donated by listener and friend of the show Ed Day. Thanks, Ed!
To win this Scala Rider, simply reply to this blog post, and tell us about a time that having a helmet communicator would have made one of your rides better, more enjoyable or safer. Winning entry will be chosen by random selection after all entries are read for content by James & Chris.
Contest runs through Jan 31, 2015. Ready... set... GO!
This story happend in North Conway. I was ryding with my spouse when a very long time no see best body of mine identified me while drinking a cold beer outside of a bar. He tried to call me several times… No bluetooth headset… No beer for me! I realized all this when, once back in Canada, i took his messages on my cell. Felted sorry for myself!
After riding with an intercom and then without I can tell you it makes a huge difference.
Especially if you ride two up a lot or like music on long trips.
Its not about having a conversation the entire trip. It makes it a lot more spontaneous to sneak in a “I love you” to your significant other at just the right time when the scenery inspires you. Easier to ask, do you want to turn left or right. Do you want to eat here or there. It just allows much more spontaneity, and a tremendous amount of convenience not to mention safety. I once had a slow leak in my rear tire. I asked my pillion is that you moving around back there? She said no I didn’t move an inch. So I knew what it was. It was a low tire and we were traveling at interstate speeds.
I am lucky that my pillion doesn’t just keep talking and go on and on. She isn’t a “rider” but enjoys the moment and the thrum of the engine just like all of us riders do. She likes to sneak in her hugs and “I love you” at just the right time as well. This would not be possible without an intercom.
Its not about constantly talking but its about having the option to communicate when you want to and not at the next stop.
“hey did you see that giant ball of twine 30 miles back”….. yeah just not the same.
We enjoy the spontaneity that the intercom allows.
i do a lot of solo riding and have 2 small kids at home. It would be helpful to have so my with can get a hold of me when I’m out Normally I leave the cell in my saddle bags to minimize distractions when I’m riding, this would keep me in touch without being a distraction
My 18 year old son got his motorcycle endorsement last spring. During the summer we had been riding on road and doing some off road riding in preparation for a WABDR trip. During these riding session have a communication would be very helpful for coaching both on the street and in the dirt. I think being able to talk someone through a tough section or point things out on the trip (like deer on the side of the road, or a cool view) would both enhance the trip and safety!
That’s an easy one…..I’m not into music or even talk when I ride..but I am so connected to a GPS…..yes, I have a map pocket on my tank bag, and yes, I can reference that and a set of written directions for a trip…but there are plenty of times I get “into the zone” and get so into the ride and the area I am riding through that I totally miss roads or landmarks……I need a kick in the butt…..and a GPS that speaks to me will give me the needed alerts when roads and turns are coming up…..and no need to stare down at a tank bag.
It is all that simple…..and quite frankly, that enhances not just my ride safety, but also my ride enjoyment.,.,,,,,I am free to look, listen, smell and enjoy.
Being able to talk to communicate with my girlfriend while riding might be just what it takes to get her off the fence and on my Triumph!
my wife and I will be taking our honeymoon after two years of marriage. We are taking a motorcycle trip from Minneapolis Minnesota to Niagara Falls. We usually just turn our heads and yell toward each other on the motorcycle so it would be awesome to chat with her over the whole trip and still have a voice to whisper in her ear I love you in the morning.
Only every time I ride with my parents. Dad sometimes has a short attention span and makes random turns, or decides he doesn’t like my route home and splits off and goes a different way. This leaves me in a near state of panic when I realize they aren’t behind me anymore. My wife also gets an earful of my complaining and yelling because dad scared the hell out of me again. All in all tho, I am truly blessed to be able to spend time with my parents as much as I do. Motorcycles have brought us much closer and we do more together.
My wife has been riding with me for about 5 years. She decided to get her license after our long-time best buddy Jake the terrier died. We needed a morale boost I guess lol.
When she first started riding she was REALLY anxious, understandably. I was on a 1200 and she was on a CBR125, which she thought was really heavy (snort). Our first real trip together was from Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
We made the ferry fine, and disembarked, heading for a cabin we had rented. Well, unfamiliarity with the island roads, a really weird route from the ferry terminal and aggressive ferry traffic caused us to get split up. She was pretty freaked out and scared big-time. For a new rider, I can imagine her terror LOL.
Having a communicator would have made that situation SO much better, if just to tell her to pull over and wait for me to come back, rather than panic-riding in random directions for an hour ROFL.
We did get a Scala rider set eventually, but they are now completely thrashed after our many miles of happy touring in the intervening years. We could definitely use a functional replacement.
FYI she’s been all across the continent now, several times, and is a MUCH more confident rider.
That would have been over the 4th of July when the girlfriend and I were riding to visit family. I got cut off by a car and had to shoot through a yellow to get out of their way. At the same time her bike was running out of fuel unknown to to either of us. By the time I had pulled a u turn she was on a side road duck walking the bike to a gas station. She wouldn’t answer her phone because she couldn’t hear it. 2 hours later I found her while I was in full panic mode. All I needed was a half a block of range to hear “Alex my bikes dying”
Some friends & I were riding off road along the continental divide above Georgetown CO. I went up a short steep incline & quickly stopped. If I would have had inter-bike communications with the other riders it would have stopped a buddy from charging up the hill too fast, almost going over & down a 2,500 ft cliff sooner. As it was, it was a very close call with just a few feet to spare after he stopped. That would been devastating. Pictures available upon request.
These are excellent stories. Keep ’em coming.
I often go on group rides with 3-5 friends/coworkers and there have been MANY occasions when having helmet communications would have made or rides safer and more enjoyable. I think all of us are of the opinion that when we ride, the LAST thing we want in our helmet is a phone call, music, or a friend jabbering, but I’m wondering if the good might outweigh the bad… and I’d like to try one. Love the podcast!
It would be handy all those times when you see something cool. One time while riding in the Black Hills we passed a field full of elk visible through some trees- I waved to the guys but they had no idea what I was pointing at- they looked at the trees.
So many times I find I see something, think to myself “I need to bring that up around the fire tonight” and then totally forget.
The GPS directions would be great as well.
As a healthcare professional in a busy emergency department, there are so many times I have left work (on my bike-of course) only to arrive at home to a phone message to return to work for a very busy E.R. My commute is about 50 minutes one-way. An intercom would allow me to receive timely calls.
P.s. Love the podcast, keep up the good work. An intercom would allow me to listen to The Pace while commuting. That would be cool!
Talk with wife on road
Converse with fellow riders
Listen to the Pace
This story takes place yesterday…
Me and a friend where riding up to rivi barn(local bike spot) which it about 50 or so miles from home for me. I have no idea where i’m going as i’ve only been twice, so i’m doin my best to keep up with my friend on his xj600, as i’m on a 125. All’s well about 30 or so miles in but then pulling out onto a busy carriageway my poor bike seemed to stutter then pull. Thought to myself,”that was weird gonna have to check it”. Ofcourse my mate has gunned it and buggered off down the road b*st*rd lol. I eventually caught up just at the end of the carraige way/turn off, sat at the lights. Light turn green. click, dead bike, totally no lights, nada. Had i been able to say “oh shit dead bike”, pushing my bike to the side of a busy two lane carriage way would have been much easier!
Still haven’t figured it out btw, and loving the cast guys, keep at it!
Had the opportunity to do the “Around the Lakes” ride last May. for those who haven’t heard of it / done it, the ATL Ride travels around the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, into Canada, along the northern shore of Lake Superior, back into the USA in Grand Marais (MN), along the southern shore of Lake Superior, and finally finishes with a ride down the western shore of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. Spectacular scenery that would have been even better had I had a comm system to compare notes with my fellow riders along the way.
I normally prefer “not” to be distracted by listening to music while riding…but have the ability to chat / compare notes / check in with other riders without stopping / removing helmets would be an enhancement on trips like this…
I tried the nuclear from cycle gear but it broke pretty fast. I was great to be able to check in with my wife, or take a call from my mom. Mom hates motorcycles, and to be able to take a call from her, and let her slowly realize what I was doing was priceless.
It’s really nice to get the gps piped in so you can hear the directions instead of constantly looking at my phone. In fact, it kinda nice to put the phone in the top case and let it guide me.
A Scala Rider would make my commute so much better ’cause then I can listen to The Pace Podcast!
So, like, every night when I drive home in the car and I’m about half way home the wife will call and say like, “Hey, I’m hungry what’s for dinner” and even though I’m talking and driving I’m still more alert than she is because she needs food and can no longer reliably make decisions like where to eat so I have to make them, but then sometimes when I’m riding home from work on the motorcycle then the wife will call and my cell will ring in my backpack and I don’t even have a clue that it’s ringing because it’s in my backpack and my wife is like suffering from low blood sugar and thinks I’m going to die because I’m on the bike so it would be totally boss if I could has this thing and answer the phone while riding so she doesn’t think I’m going to die and we can plan the food plan.
The end.
PLenty of times out riding with my father it would have been nice to be able to talk without pulling over to the side of the road or trying to shout through helemts at highway speeds
Greetings from Hungary,
after a failed 48 hours long endurance race I can say that I would have had definitely more chance with a communicator. I think that good, energizing music can give plenty boost to go further and further.
Best Regards,
Tamas
Would of been nice on a ride thru Jasper to Banff. I got separated from a group of riders and misunderstood the given rout to travel. They tried to reach me on cell but I keep it in my tank bag to minimize the risk of distraction. The Scala would have helped in this situation. Unfortunately I rode home 4 hours alone due to being separated. Bummer. Still a good time!
There are several ways a communicator system would enhance my ride.
First, I can easily think of several times where I got off route because I was lost in the ride. Usually that is half of the reason to ride, but sometimes, when the destination is important, GPS prompts would be a stress-saver.
Next, I used to really enjoy the bike as an opportunity to spend ‘time with the wife’ without all that ‘listening to the wife’. But as our trips have become more involved, even the best laid plans need some last minute tweaking. Being able to communicate clearly about restroom needs, or dining options would be great.
Then it would be a dream come true to ride the Blue Ridge Parkway in the early summer & have Aaron Copland supplying the soundtrack – “Appalachian Spring”
And lastly, and most importantly, being able to have the PACE at my fingertips and in my ears… priceless
I have never had a communicator so I can’t comment on this.
I often find myself singing as I ride because I do not have a Bluetooth system of any sort. Nobody should have to listen to my singing, especially me. Help!
Having a communication system would have been ideal for the day that I rode 50+ miles on a 125cc scooter to grab a photo tag. The problem was that I was going after the wrong tag. My wife called to tell me but since my phone was in my pocket I had not idea that she was calling. Being able to talk on the phone would have solved the problem.
We moved from Maine to Florida, the wife was in the car. I was riding my first vmax. Instead of hand jesters we could have talked and planned things.
After over 10 years without a bike I just bought a Bonneville and I’m back on the road. The last time I had a bike I lived in Nebraska with nothing but straight roads and Bluetooth barely existed. I now live in Colorado with amazing roads and things like this scala exist. I’m spoiled with the bike and the roads, why not spoil me with the ability to jam my Whitesnake and Journey–only adding to my pleasure.
We were doing the Simey Crud Run outside of Madison, WI, an annual biking event on the first Sundays in May and October, when, taking a turn going to a small town, I lost my crew. They wondered where I had made a wrong turn. With a communicator, we could have been in touch and not needed to stop to regroup. Hope this helps! Love your show.