As part of the Chase the Sun cycling event, eight riders from Girls That Ride Bikes took on the challenge of riding 205 miles in one day, from sunrise to sunset, supported by two drivers. It was a long day on the road (19hours), covering everything from quiet country lanes to busy city streets, and good communication between the riders and support team would prove to be essential.
Motoroloa TLK long range radio hire
The team rented six long-range Motorola TLK100 radios from Chat-Com, using earpieces for hands-free communication. While a few team members questioned how necessary they would be at the start, by the end of the day, everyone agreed they’d made a huge difference and couldn’t imagine how they would have managed without them.
Why Radios?
Throughout the day, the team used the radios for all kinds of things:
- Riders could easily ask for coffee or food ahead of food stops to avoid long queues and wait times
- Support drivers could help with route info and safety warnings through instant comms
- In the buildup of the heat on the sunniest day of the year, injuries or issues were quickly flagged (Paracetamol needed, ice lollies, ibuprofen gel, suncream), which meant the support crew could prepare in advance and save time on stops.
When one of the support vehicles got stuck in M25 traffic, they were able to keep in touch while the riders made their way through central London to agree on an alternative meeting spot, which saved much time and waiting around. Hand-free comms were especially helpful as riders didn’t need to stop or pull out phones, and support could talk to them instantly while moving.
Safety messages ahead of time
One moment that stood out was when a support driver gave a heads-up about a single-lane bridge after a downhill section. Even with the warning, the group still had to brake hard as a car came speeding over the bridge — but without that early call, it could have ended badly.
There were also simple but important moments, such as being able to call out loose gravel on the road or a parked car in a blind bend, or remind riders to go single-file in tight areas and approach with caution.
Performance and Coverage
The radios used 5G roaming SIMs, which meant the team had coverage almost everywhere. On rare occasions, if the signal dropped, it was only for a few seconds before it returned. Overall, the radios were reliable and easy to use, even for people who hadn’t used two-way radios before.
‘I’m not sure I could do another event like this without these radios- absolute godsend’ Nada Omran
What started out as a trial run turned into something the team wouldn’t want to do without next time. The radios made things smoother, safer, and more connected, and helped the group get through a very long day on the road.
