Motorcycle Volunteers

VeloCity Atlanta 2021 was a lot of fun! And we had beautiful weather for riding around the country lanes of Fairburn, GA. This was one of the best organized events that I have supported.  The local ARES crew ran a professional Radio Net and maintained close communications with the event organizers. There were two sets of motorcycle volunteers.  The first group of twelve reported directly to the event coordinator and maintained contact with the lead cyclist & tail cyclist for each route.  This group of volunteers represented the Black Angels Motorcycle Club, led by TopDog and his bright yellow Goldwing, as well as Faith Riders, Get-2-Gether Riders, Christian Motorcycle Association and several independent volunteers. The second group of licensed amateur radio operators reported directly to the ARES run Net Control and were directed to different routes & locations as needed.  I rode as part of this team with Duncan as my wingman.  Mark K. of the Motorcycle Amateur Radio Club combi

We're seven days out from VeloCity 2021 (Saturday, May 1st) and things are ramping up.  E-mail & text messages are flying around all over the place, routes are established, radio frequencies have been shared, waiver forms issued and motorcycles are being prepared. At time of writing there are 14 motorcycle volunteers signed up, three of whom are also Amateur Radio Operators.  A big shout out to Mark K. of the Motorcycle Amateur Radio Club, who is driving in from California to support this event.  We really appreciate you. For this event I have upgraded my radio from a 10 watt handheld to a 50 watt mobile unit, with a remote head and bluetooth connection to my Sena 20s.  Really looking forward to trying it out next weekend 😁 We can never have too many motorcycle volunteers for charity cycling events.  It's all about keeping the riders safe on the course.  There is still time to volunteer for this event if you're available.  HAM radio is not required, but I've found

The organizers for VeloCity 2021 have reached out to us for Volunteer Motorcycle Marshals to support this year's charity bicycle ride. This appears to be a very well organized and supported event.  It looks like there will be 10, 25, 50, 62 & 100 mile routes, with riders leaving at staggered times to keep participants safe during the pandemic.  Between SAG, Rest-Stop, Medical & Team Moto (that's us!) there will be 50 to 60 mobile units covering all routes. Routes will be available soon via Ride-with-GPS and all riders & support units will be using the RaceJoy app to provide the organizers with real-time location information.  This app also provides an emergency button to call in support to a specific location. The first riders are expected to depart from the Chattahoochee Hills Event Center on Saturday May 1st between 7am and 7:15am.  This event will feature HAM supported Net Control & Command Center located at the venue. I will be sending out more details and U

 Four of us from Team Moto joined the Motorcycle Marshal team for Spin for Kids 2020 over the weekend.  It was a beautiful day to be out riding and serving our community. The event was really well organized, masks were mandatory and all volunteers & riders had to pass a temperature check.  The start times for each of the six routes were staged throughout the morning.  And each route had a 30 minute rolling start.  This kept the concentration of riders low at base camp and on the course. I had the privilege of joining Net Control as "Rover 3" and was able to periodically relay updates for the 15 mile route.  I still think operating a HAM Radio while riding a motorcycle is pretty cool :-D  This year I had my antenna mounted to a sport rack and it worked out really well.  Next upgrade will be a 25watt radio.  More Power Baby!  Looking forward to next years event and supporting a wonderful cause.   Here is a link to more information about Spin For Kids.  https://www.camptwinl

If you are a new subscriber, Welcome! And thank you to everyone else for remaining a subscriber :-) Since becoming a member, I've been coordinating with the Motorcycling Amateur Radio Club to get the word out for volunteer opportunities for motorcycle riders. The club members have been very warm in accepting me as a remote member (they're based in SoCal, but have members scattered around the U.S.A.).  And I've discovered a wealth of new information about different approaches to operating amateur radio while riding. Having an amateur radio license isn't necessary for volunteering-on-two-wheels, but I found that it added an extra dimension to my last outing as a motorcycle marshal for Bike MS Atlanta Peach Ride . James Acworth, GA February 2020

The volunteer sign-up page for Spin-For-Kids 2020 is now open! The ride will start and end at Camp Twin Lakes Rutledge in Rutledge, GA.  There are five routes to cover and the organizers are looking for up to six Motorcycle Marshals per route.  As you can see from the list below, all cyclists will cross the finish line around the same time, for a big party at the finish line. 100 miles, 8am to 4pm 62 miles, 9am to 4pm 47 miles, 10am to 4pm 27 miles, 10:30am to 4pm 15 miles, 11am to 4pm Here are some words from Ashley Henderson , the volunteer coordinator. "Spin For Kids Motorcycle Marshals keep riders safe by leading each group, following behind the last riders, and patrolling the route for any injuries or rider needs. We need your help to make Spin For Kids a safe, fun day for everyone!  We will provide $10 gas cards, lunch, and t-shirts to all riders.  I hope that you will consider joining us on October 4th, 2020!" Amateur Radio support will be provi