Chatting while riding — what do you use?

[goingwiththewind]

Hi all, new member here.
My wife and I do weekend rides together, usually 30-40km at a relaxed pace. We've run into the classic problem — can't hear each other unless we're side by side, which isn't always possible on busy roads or narrow paths.

We've tried:
- Shouting (tiring, doesn't work in wind)
- Hand signals (fine for "stop" and "turn" but not much else)
- Riding abreast (not always safe)

It's not a huge deal, but it would be nice to actually chat during the ride instead of saving everything for the coffee stop! We also sometimes ride with another couple (4 of us total) and it's basically impossible to have any conversation beyond "car back!" shouted down the line.

Curious what others do, anyone using intercoms or apps? Or do most people just accept that the real conversation happens at the café?
Cheers

 

[fossyant]

Voice works fine.

 

[goingwiththewind]

Voice works fine.

Fair enough! Do you ride with others much? We find it works ok side by side but falls apart when single file or there's wind.

 

[slowmotion]

Some touring cyclists use headsets with a phone or radio link to their partner. Type " Cyclists' Communication Headsets " into the Amazon search feature and all sorts of gizmos will appear. I've never used any so I can't offer an opinion on performance.

 

[fossyant]

Have done alot tbh. Thing is this then becomes another gadget to carry and wind noise can be an issue anyway. Personally I'd rather have nothing in my ears when cycling as I can hear vehicles.

 

[C R]

Fair enough! Do you ride with others much? We find it works ok side by side but falls apart when single file or there's wind.

Is it a problem if the chat is intermittent? When I ride with friends we chat when side by side but if we need to single out it is usually because of something that needs attention, so we would stop chatting anyway.

 

[goingwiththewind]

Some touring cyclists use headsets with a phone or radio link to their partner. Type " Cyclists' Communication Headsets " into the Amazon search feature and all sorts of gizmos will appear. I've never used any so I can't offer an opinion on performance.

Thanks, I'll have a look on Amazon. Have you and your partner found any other way that works, or just accepted the coffee stop conversations?

 

[goingwiththewind]

Have done alot tbh. Thing is this then becomes another gadget to carry and wind noise can be an issue anyway. Personally I'd rather have nothing in my ears when cycling as I can hear vehicles.

Fair point on the gadget thing, that's partly why I'm hesitant about the dedicated intercoms. The safety aspect makes sense too. Do you ride with others much or mostly solo?

 

[goingwiththewind]

Is it a problem if the chat is intermittent? When I ride with friends we chat when side by side but if we need to single out it is usually because of something that needs attention, so we would stop chatting anyway.

That's a fair point, maybe it's not a big problem for everyone. For us it's more the bits in between, like "look at that view" or "how are your legs?" that get lost when we're single file. Not critical, just nice to have. Do you find with a group it's easier or harder than just two people?

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Not ridden with others much, but often struggled to hear them.

You can get little Bluetooth gadgets now that fit to your bike helmet I think, like a mini telecom device between your chosen group.

 

[fossyant]

Fair point on the gadget thing, that's partly why I'm hesitant about the dedicated intercoms. The safety aspect makes sense too. Do you ride with others much or mostly solo?

I ride solo most of the time these days (commuter) but was a club cyclist for many years and I also do bike packing with friends and it doesn't stop conversation - you just pick the right time to do it. Thing is it's something you'll be fiddling with rather than getting on with the cycling, it's no big deal to wait a while to talk - as has said before, if you are singled out, its usually for a reason, e.g. traffic.

I ride with a Garmin and some lights. I don't touch the garmin - I just let it record the ride (or offer navigation) and leave it be. You'll have yet another 'couple' of devices to charge, switch on etc before you get on a bike. It's a faff. Then there is the issue with wind noise and the ear piece, you might end up with an expensive gadget that's no better for voice clarity.

I don't know anyone that has ever considered a device for talking on the bike.

 

[Gillstay]

We use British Sign Language.

 

[slowmotion]

Thanks, I'll have a look on Amazon. Have you and your partner found any other way that works, or just accepted the coffee stop conversations?

I mainly ride by myself because that's what I prefer. On group rides, when people tend to go a bit faster than I'm used to, I need all the air I can breathe just to turn the pedals. let alone nattering.