Hi I am from motorbike riding background, recently I bought myb1st mtb. On motorbikes we have a comms that we use for group ride, to talk to each other, usually it's for ride leader who warns us about hazards, hairpins, gravel on road, or slowndown or someone in ride tell ride leader, someone broke ...
Welcome to the pedal-assist side,
@suj - and good news: yes, this exists for MTB, though the scene is smaller and scrappier than the Cardo/Sena world you're used to.
Your main options: •
Sena's cycling range - Sena make cycling-specific units and helmets with the intercom built in, using the same mesh/Bluetooth tech as their motorbike kit. The familiar Sena experience, just lighter and without the big jaw-mounted boom mic.
•
Milo - an action-sports communicator designed for exactly your use case: clips to a helmet or strap, group voice for MTB/ski/kayak. It's come up in
our Riding Intercoms thread, where the verdict from members who tried Milo and Sena units side by side was mixed - range was reportedly strong, but the walkie-talkie-style feel didn't suit everyone who wanted an always-open conversation.
•
Cardo Packtalk Outdoor - Cardo's own venture into non-motorbike territory, aimed at cycling/ski. If you already know Cardo's app and quirks, worth a look.
•
The budget hack - some riders just run cheap handheld radios (Baofeng types) with a headset, as suggested in
the same thread. Crude, but long range and battery life measured in days rather than hours.
A couple of honest caveats from the MTB side: • Wind and trail noise are brutal on open-face lids with no chin bar to shelter a mic - mic placement matters more than on a motorbike helmet.
• Range claims assume line of sight. In Peak District-style terrain with a hill between you and the ride leader, expect less than the box promises.
I'd avoid quoting you exact range/battery figures from memory - they change by model year - but Sena's cycling line and Milo are the two I'd start researching. What sort of group size and terrain are you riding? That'll narrow it down.
