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We have been on a couple of rides with the local tandem club where we were the only couple without an intercom system. On one stretch of road with especially heavy traffic, I could see why; we couldn't hear each other at all. Also, many times when I have called out "bump" or "coast" I'm not show that my stoker heard me; so I'm looking into getting one and would like to know others' experiences with them. I'm thinking that clear communications is a critical safety issue.
There seems to be three intercoms specifically marketed to tandemists: a wired one called Tandem-Talk and another wired one called Tandem-Com (through PrecisionTandems.com), and a wireless one sold by PrecisionTandems.com that they call Tandem-Com 2.4 full duplex wireless which is actually a re-branded Eartec Simultalk 24G Wireless (http://eartec.com/Wireless%20Wired/24g.html). I am definitely leaning (95%) toward a wireless one. Could anyone comment on their experiences with any of these?
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No way. I like being able to pretend I didn't hear her.;)
My daughter and I use the Tandem-Com when we're by ourselves. We don't like it in groups because when raise your voice to talk to another rider, it's to loud for the other person on the tandem. It works as advertised and we've had no problems. We love it for Time Trials as we can cheer each other on.
One of the things I found as a new tandem couple is that the claimed "togetherness" is really not there over about 18mph, which for us is most of the time. Maybe it is helmet-induced wind noise, but it gets real hard to hold a conversation of any kind, since I can't project my voice backwards, and I can't hear much either. I saw so many web sites extolling the "have a pleasant conversation" feature of tandems that I didn't appreciate that they must be only going 10mph.
And yet I can't really see the intercom being much use when in the company of others, which is again, most of the time.
It's a very personal thing. We've never felt the need for one, but then again, we don't talk a whole lot when we're out riding just by ourselves. Heck, we don't talk much on an 11 hour drive to my folks in Pennsylvania either. I would disagree somewhat with respect to not being able to communicate at speeds above 18 mph. While front to back discussions aren't usually chit-chat at these speeds, I can usually hear my wife even though, as dvs notes, I sometimes choose not to hear certain things, e.g., "slow down". Frankly, it's not much different than talking across bikes when riding with a group on single bikes. However, it does take on a different dimension when you have several couples riding side-by-side... in some cases it's like standing around the kitchen counter with two different conversations taking place and I know we've had as many as six tandems in on a discussion while clipping along in the teens at rallies.
Anyway, all of that said, we do ride with several other couples who do have the comm systems and they seem to like them... at least I assume that to be the case since they've been using them for many, many years. I suspect it's a lot like cell phones and the like. If you see me talking on mine it's rare. In fact, I sit in absolute amazement at how some people can't seem to put the darn things down. I suspect that the folks who need to feel connected are possibly more inclined to want the tandem comms, but it's just a guess.
Never felt the need to use a com-device. Rudy projects loud enough and Kay can always pinch his butt to get his attention!
Even on 50 mph descents we're able to communicate, if needed. We do have a very short wheelbased tandem (63 1/2" wheelbase) that puts stoker close to captain . . . hey it fits and we like being close TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem
Old Joke:
A police officer pulls over a man riding solo on a tandem and says, "You know your wife fell off about a mile back?"
To which the man replied, "Thank god! I thought I'd gone deaf!"
Wow. Either nobody likes them, or people who do like them either aren't passionate enough to answer or don't frequent these forums.
One of the things I found as a new tandem couple is that the claimed "togetherness" is really not there over about 18mph, which for us is most of the time. Maybe it is helmet-induced wind noise, but it gets real hard to hold a conversation of any kind, since I can't project my voice backwards, and I can't hear much either.
This is exactly what I have been experiencing (well, maybe we're not going over 18 mph most of the time.) When it's cold and I'm wearing my skull cap - which also covers my ears - under my helmet, it really makes it difficult to hear anything.
After our first ride with the tandem club my wife commented on how the other couples were chatting away the whole time. There were a couple of times when I thought that lack of communication was a safety issue, but this is getting better as we get more experience.
One of my concerns about these things is just the comfort (discomfort?) of wearing the headset - I'm already wearing a helmet and glasses, plus a skullcap in the winter, and I'm not sure how I'd like the headset underneath all that stuff.
If they were only $50 or so, I wouldn't hesitate getting one, but since they cost around $300, I wish I could try one first to see if was worth it.
We have both the Tandem Talk and the wireless Tandem Com, and we always ride with them. We're recreational riders both still working long hours, so our time on the bike is "social" downtime for us. Sometimes it feels like the only time we get to "talk", so we really enjoy using them. The wireless is big, but the convenience is worth it. I'd buy the new smaller wireless in a heartbeat. (it wasn't available at the time we purchased). Several have mentioned difficulty when riding in a group; on those occasions, we simply move our mikes down away from our mouths and have no problems at all carrying on a conversation with others. It's really wonderful to have when traveling; i.e. in sightseeing mode. We find it a nice safety feature as well, as communication is not reduced to one or two word shouts. I much prefer hearing "there's a kid on a skateboard coming down the driveway on your right..." than a shouted "watch it!!!"
YMMV....
D. Rose
CoMotion Supremeo Co-Pilot
Kelly and I have the Eartec Simultalk. For our short rides close to home, we normally do not use it. For longer rides we do, and we carry an extra set of batteries. The intercom works well. It allows us to hold a real conversation without me saying "What, what". I do have to be careful in a group, if I forget to move the mike before talking to someone else she lets me know it quick. The comfort of the headset is only a problem to me after about 4 hours.
We have one that is currently not working, and as far as I can tell, I don't think we're gonna try to get it fixed. We have mixed emotions...I love it, she could care less.
On the plus side, they do make conversation very easy at cruising speeds, and we found ourselves to be very "chatty" when using it on short and long rides.
The downside has already been addressed....
*** excessive wind noise at speeds
*** comfort on long rides
*** conversing with others does require some adjustments in volume/mike placement (which then compounds wind noise)
*** we were wired, so we always had to deal with the cords
*** it was just another accessory to deal with before we could ride
*** the headsets are the weak link in the system. They are prone to breakage (but I don't think that's our problem right now).
Don't get me wrong...I would use one again, but since ours is broken and Pam would really prefer to not mess with it, I'll just save the money and put it toward something fun.
Why can't someone design a system that's essentially 2 bluetooth ear pieces like used with cell phones, without the need for an external unit?
The things only have to communicate over about 30".
The units that are out there all seem to be way too clunky.
the little bluetooth headsets talk to a cellphone over a similar distance via a bluetooth connection. There's no intrinsic reason two such devices couldn't talk to each other via bluetooth.
EDIT: Apparently someone's already done it:
http://www.callpod.com/products/dragon
People seem to like them as stated here, we don't use one and haven't found a need. We often chat on rides, and it's nice to chat with other cyclists along a ride.
Why can't someone design a system that's essentially 2 bluetooth ear pieces like used with cell phones, without the need for an external unit?
EDIT: Apparently someone's already done it:
http://www.callpod.com/products/dragon
I thought the same thing. The Callpod Dragon kind of does it, but it appears to be half-duplex; you have to press the multifunction button to talk. I don't have a Bluetooth headset, so I don't know how they work, whether they have an omnidirectional mic or if they pick up vibrations from your jaw. Would there be a problem with wind noise with these things?
I guess that I could buy two Bluetooth headsets, carry two cell phones and have a 3' cell phone conversation - I have unlimited minutes within network so it wouldn't cost anything. Even a wired headset would work.
I noticed in the Callpod there was a button to talk. What I'm wondering is whether you can push it once and leave it open. If you've got to push each time someone talks its obviously not workable.
How about some string and a couple of cups tied between the two riders?
Keep it simple and no batteries required.
Why can't someone design a system that's essentially 2 bluetooth ear pieces like used with cell phones, without the need for an external unit?
I found one: http://www.soundid.com/
It has a mode called "One2One" that links the two headsets together. They even show two people on bicycles as an example of its' use!
We use the wired Tandem-Com and wouldn't ride without it. One of the biggest reasons I bought the tandem was to spend more time with the kids, and being able to easily speak to one another at all times is a huge plus. You can see the Tandem-Com's use in all the attached photos.
Best money we spent after the tandem purchase itself.
My Wife has no problem making her self heard at high down hill speeds.... "@*##/" SLOW DOWN!!!!!
I find it so easy to converse with my stoker without one, I've never considered it. I think we probably don't go fast enough.
In any case, it's certainly a whole lot easier than when we're on single bikes.
We don't have one, but see where they could come in handy.
The stoker is the navigator on event rides and rallies, she gives me the distance and direction to the next turn and updates for the turn coming up. Sometimes I have to ask for a louder repeat, especially when we are motoring into a head wind.
It would also be nice to have more precise communcations on some of our club rides, especially when we get into our sprint zones and other "freindly competitions".
If we ever bought an intercom, we would definitely prefer a wireless, voice activated unit and
we would promise to try, real hard, not to have private conversations about the questionable fashion sense or relationship issues of other riders ;).
We have the wired tandem talk. We ride both with it and without it but communicating is much easier with it. Heavy traffic noise or high speeds can make it difficult to talk without screaming . We do have to unplug the stoker when we get off the bike but for longer rides we like it.
I found one: http://www.soundid.com/
It has a mode called "One2One" that links the two headsets together. They even show two people on bicycles as an example of its' use!
WOW! This looks nice! If anybody buys one of these sets, please report back to the list and let us know the pros and cons... FYI, I did try to use a cell phone earpiece once with our Tandem Talk in a pinch, but it didn't work due to the fact that the mike picked up way too much wind noise to talk over. The Tandem Com's mike has a wind noise canceling feature that seems to work quite well...
D. Rose
07' CoMotion Supremo Co-Pilot
A question, for any of you who have some sort of tandem intercom unit....
If you put the earpiece on the cheekbone or jawbone, can you still hear with it (using bone conduction)?
I have lost a lot of hearing in my right ear, and I would like to use an intercom system with my husband on the tandem. My hesitation is that I cannot understand anyone else's speech when I have a telephone headset on my left (good) ear. I'm also afraid that I won't hear a noise like a broken spoke if my left ear is covered all the time by an earpiece.
If I use bone conduction to hear via the earpiece, then I can still hear environmental noise from my ear.
thanks, Esther
No - we typically ride too fast to chat. And I (stoker) like to listen to my Ipod shuffle.
Was flying this week and browsing the SkyMall catalog and saw this:
http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102592796&c=10260
Appears to be identical in concept to the Soundid.com option already posted. I would also love to hear from anyone that has tried this type of product. Not sure what soundid.com offers, but the Skymall policy is:
"Satisfaction. Your complete satisfaction is our first concern. If you're unhappy with any purchase, for any reason, you can return it within 60 days for exchange or refund. Guaranteed."
Maybe one of us needs to buy a set and check it out - would appear to be risk free? :)
I would think that the wind noise would be the biggest concern - neither of these products specifically mentions wind noise cancelling (likely because our application isn't their primary focus)...
Update to above post. I didn't notice this the first time around, but the product I saw in the Skymall catalog is a Hammacher Schlemmer product.
http://www.hammacher.com/publish/74937.asp?promo=ho_mobile_office
I've e-mailed both Hammacher and Soundid and asked the wind noise question. Will post responses as I receive them.
You need one of these:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/242673796_2c165d960f.jpg
I know its a bit more expensive and fancy then most would prefer, but it is completely serviceable and the modulated cylindrical transceivers come with a lifetime warranty (not including rust or horizontal impact forces). And you can't forget the completely adjustable canaxial high definition signal cable. Money well spent.
Okay. So we tried a Tandem Talk and HATED IT! The wind noise was unbearable and the headsets too uncomfortable. Uh... anybody wanna buy a used Tandem Talk?
I've ordered the Sound ID system mentioned above ($154 for two units from buy.com). We'll let you know how it goes.
brewer & malkin
Response from Hammacher Schlemmer:
5 hours after my inquiry:
Dear Sir or Madam:
Thank you for your interest in Hammacher Schlemmer. I will speak with our Technical Assistance Department for the answer to your question. I will reply within 24-48 hours.
Best regards,
Tim Minnelli
Voice: 1-800-233-4800 (8am-mid EST, 7 days a week
24 hours after that:
Dear Sir or Madam:
Thank you for your email to Hammacher Schlemmer. This item can be used like walkie-talkies only if they are used with bluetooth compatible walkie-talkies or cell phones. Also, there is no noise cancelling shields provided with this. So heavy wind might become a problem. I hope this information helps you. Please contact me if you need further assistance.
Best regards,
Tim Minnelli
Voice: 1-800-233-4800 (8am-mid EST, 7 days a week
Response from Soundid:
Good evening,
The One2One mode uses the same technology as phone mode in terms of mic
noise reduction. When quiet, the mics are in directional mode. In the wind,
we switch to omni mode and turn on the 'wind noise reduction'.
We have one user/tester who tried One2One mode on a bike. He said it worked
well overall. The wind noise reduction worked great. The downside to his
evaluation was it picked up a lot of background noise of passing cars which
hurt his ears after awhile.
I hope this helps answer your questions.
Sincerely,
Chester
Just got our SM100s from soundid.com. Charged them up (manual recommends 5 hours before first use) and tried them a bit around the house. They're quite comfortable and easy to set up to talk to each other. They have a funny "Environment" mode that we haven't quite figured out yet. My stoker is a Speech Pathologist and is very picky about her hearing. So far, she's pretty impressed with the quality and potential of the units. We'll next try them on an actual ride and post again.
Alles ist besser zu zweit!
brewer & malkin
Look forward to hearing your review...
How is the fit? I know they have different size pieces that go into your ear, but I'd be a bit nervous not having one of the over the top of the ear curvy pieces to ensure it doesn't pop out and fall away...
And so we are clear - they don't require a phone or walkie talkie in order to talk to each other, right? That isn't mentioned in their literature, but it wasn't mentioned in the literature for the Hammacher Schlemmer product either...
I have a SoundID I use as my regular (work related cell phone) ear piece. It works well and according to people I have spoken to, has a good sound quality. There is an optional over the ear thing that you can put on as well as just stuffing it in your lugole. It seems pretty comfortable.
For a brief period I had two and I did have them talking to each other, but it didnt seem idiot proof and took me several goes to get them talking. However, I didn't get a chance to use them on the tandem.
m
Malkin and I took the SoundIDs out for a spin. The fit is pretty comfortable and the over-the-ear attachment makes the fit solid and secure. All ears are different though, so YMMV.
At slow speeds, the things work well. No yelling necessary for captain and stoker to hear each other quite clearly. We rode uphill for the first part of the ride and averaged about 10 mph. At that speed, the wind noise wasn't a problem. Coming down at 20 to 30 mph created enough wind to render the device completely useless and quite obnoxious. We're going to try again on a flat ride and hope that at our average 16 - 17 mph the wind isn't overwhelming.
That all being said, I have used the SoundID with my cell phone and find it to be very good.
Brewer & Malkin
I rode with team Angel a few years ago and they were all hyped about how good the intercom was. Got one off of ebay to give it a try, used it once and the stoker thought it was a pain to use....it sits here doing nothing...
And so we are clear - they don't require a phone or walkie talkie in order to talk to each other, right? That isn't mentioned in their literature, but it wasn't mentioned in the literature for the Hammacher Schlemmer product either...
The SoundID has a mode that allows two of them to "talk" to each other without the need for a phone or other radio. It can be a bit tricky to set up, but it really does work (with the caveats mentioned in other posts).
Brewer
[QUOTE= ...Coming down at 20 to 30 mph created enough wind to render the device completely useless and quite obnoxious.....[/QUOTE]
That's what I experienced when I tried to use a cell phone headset with the TandemTalk. However, using the supplied headsets with the TandemTalk, we can still converse at 25+ mph. (FYI, we're not THAT fast, but there's lots of long downhills around these parts...!)
YMMV,
Dean Rose
07' Comotion Supremo Co-Pilot
So here's the final review of the SoundID.
We went on a club ride yesterday. Total of 53 miles of relatively flat. We averaged about 17 mph and the wind noise was negligible. The traffic noise proved to be the most obnoxious. If the gizmos were voice-activated or had the ability to filter white noise, they would be much better. As they are, we'll still probably use them only on rural, non-windy rides. We'll ask the company and try some additional filtering and report if we find anything useful. As a typical bluetooth cell phone accessory, they work pretty well.
Cheers!
With a hearing impaired Captain, some kind of intercom is essential for us. We spent a week without it over Spring Break and we were miserable. We enjoy chatting in a normal voice while we ride. It's especially essential going 40+ mph down a hill and he tells me left down, right down as we make turns. We're on a daVinci so my feet don't move with his!
We've used Tandem Talk for many years. When it finally died we decided to try Tandem-Com for its smaller size/weight and on-ear rather than in-ear which appealed to us. This is entirely personal preference, but neither of us liked the Tandem-Com. Down sides included: left ear rather than right (don't want to have traffic side ear covered), didn't like that you must re-set volume level with every use as volume is same as on-off switch and didn't like that you do not hear yourself through the headset. Again, it preference, not right or wrong. To be fair, the down side of the Tandem Talk is the on-off switch is a toggle and it can easily get accidentally switched on leading to dead batteries. I know of one team that got around that by physically removing most of the switch so that wouldn't happen. We have been on a quest for a more comfortable headset as the one that comes with Tandem-Talk is truly low-end and uncomfortable. I've tried several noise reduction cellphone headsets (you must buy a plug adapter). None worked at all... UNTIL... this weekend. We just tried out the Shure Quiet Spot QSHB3. It comes with several different size ear buds and it REALLY fit my small ear and was comfortable. It can be worn with or without the pliable over-the-ear piece and in either ear. It's even affordable. I think we'll buy a couple of back-ups so we'll have them. There was NO wind noise while riding, even in the wind. The only time it was an issue was on fast downhills and I simply tucked which took care of it. The friends we were riding with had our old Tandem-Com and they said they also get wind noise when going downhill like that. I'm thrilled to have found a head-set that works for my needs.
I'd encourage everyone to try one option or the other (for more than 1 ride) and see what you think. It's much better than the typical yelling and neck craning "huh?" I see all the time. And it's also better than walk-talkies that will require only one speaker at a time and may pick up other people. This is more like a phone...you can both talk... and you NEVER get interference.
Sorry this is so long. I hope some find it useful.
UNTIL... this weekend. We just tried out the Shure Quiet Spot QSHB3. It comes with several different size ear buds and it REALLY fit my small ear and was comfortable. It can be worn with or without the pliable over-the-ear piece and in either ear. It's even affordable.
Is this a stand-alone pair, or do you have some other device these are connecting to?
Sorry that wasn't clear... it's simply a headset to use with our Tandem-Talk.
s2cycle - thanks for that entry into this thread...
I didn't know what that particular headset was going to look like until I searched for it - was surprised to see that it only costs $30-40 or so...
Would still like to find a cordless option though!
You're welcome. I've never had an issue with being corded. It's just a routine to plug in and unplug. Being corded assures no interference which you're likely to get with a cordless system. And of course to go cordless means spending more for the system as well.
Boy, lots of options coming up in this thread. Great stuff! I just posted this to another thread on communication, but to save you the time finding it:
Intercom systems on the tandem are not just for the hearing impaired! They are a wonderful way to make "normal voice" conversations possible, and they also remove the necessity for figuring out your own personal set of one syllable close-order drill commands! The wireless variety even allow those conversations on your singles while in a paceline!
Sheila said there are two choices, but actually there are now three. The third is the BlueAnt Interphone wireless, and although it is designed for motorcycles, it has many features that make it an order of magnitude better than the other choices for some.
I will be doing a full review of it with its advantages and disadvantages (hopefully) by the weekend, but our preliminary take on it with a few pics can be found in one of the current posts on the front page of our tandem blog. http://billnmaggi.tandemrides.com/
I have, incidently, figured out a good neckband setup for it that anyone can make in 10 minutes with some double-faced tape, adhesive-backed velcro and a pair of scissors.
end of original post
All the other options I've seen mentioned here probably won't handle the wind, since they aren't directional boom mikes with noise cancellation.
I just read some reviews for the BlueAnt Interphone and overall people are very satisfied with the units. Several reviews stated that there was no ambient noise picked up by the mic while traveling at highway speeds so wind noise shouldn't be a problem on a tandem.
I'm going to keep my eye on this thread....
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