The value of riding with helmet intercoms

A couple of years back we were e-biking along the Simcoe County Loop Trail. We had just passed Midland and Little Lake Park. Coming out of a forested area, I spotted Sainte-Marie Among the Huron out of the corner of my eye. I glanced back to take a look, but continued on our ride without stopping. A couple of kms down the path Maureen and I stopped to take in a vista. I asked her if she had seen Sainte-Marie Among the Huron, she had not.  Sharing our experiences, I too learned that I had missed some awesome sights as well. Frequently, it’s not possible to signal or yell to your riding partner about great things to look at, especially when your ride is filled with so many cool things to see. We mused at that time, wouldn't it be great if we had some device that allowed us to easily chat back and forth while on rides so that we could better share our riding experience.

Weirdly enough, shortly after that, as we stopped to take in another vista, a couple rode up from the other direction with an intercom system embedded in their helmets! What a coincidence. We had never even thought about the concept before and certainly never knew such a device existed. And literally minutes after first talking about it, we encountered the exact device. We tried to learn as much as possible from the couple and when we got home we did additional research on helmet embedded intercom systems.

Sena PI inserted into a bike helmet

Helmet imbedded intercoms are quite common in motorcycles but not so much in bicycles. We discovered that Sena carried a product called the PI which turns your helmet into 2-way Bluetooth intercom system. And because its Bluetooth, no data plan or cell service would be required. Further, the Sena PI also functions as an audio output that can pair to a smartphone so the user can listen to music, make or take phone calls, and listen to GPS navigation. Its compact design easily attaches to most cycling helmets. Here's the link to the Sena PI page, but it can also be purchased through Amazon and at many bicycle stores across Canada. https://store-us.sena.com/products/pi-01

From the first time we used our Sena PI, we fell in love with it. It has added a fun dimension to our rides as we are able to chat back and forth throughout. We point out things that the other might be missing, discuss where we want to stop or suggest route changes, all on the fly. It also has become a major safety tool too, as the rider in the rear can warn of cars back, comment on if she thinks you're riding unsafely, advise you that you're going too fast or too slow. While the lead rider can easily inform of potholes or other obstacles on the road. It works seamlessly with Ride with GPS, and it does a descent job taking the occasional "important" phone call. The only time we don't use our SENA Pi's is when we are riding with a group of people.

One final story: We were on an E-Bike progressive dinner tour in Jasper a couple of years ago. Our tour leader used a one-way communication system where he could speak to all participants on the tour as we travelled through the mountains to our next meal destination. At one point Warren our guide, told us in a very loud and stern voice, "Ride in the centre of the road, and what ever you do, DO NOT STOP!".  Seconds later we passed by a really large bear hanging by the side of the road, and few feet further, we saw an enormous bull elk with majestic antlers. If I didn't have Warren's insistent voice coming through my helmet, I probably would have stopped to take a few pictures, and possibly become what a tour bus driver described to his passengers as they passed us by, "there goes a group of meals on wheels!".

Please share your experiences with cycling intercoms or other devices that enhance your cycling experience.