As a ham I’ve supported a number of public service events. I’ve done the Cooper River Bridge Run a bunch of times, the Charleston Marathon, IOP Connector Run, Iron Man Triathlon, and a bunch of smaller 10k runs.
My son likes to ride his bike all over, and we decided to do a one-day ride in the Bicycle Across South Carolina event this year. I asked the organizers if they had ham radio support, and they hooked me up with the Edgefield County Amateur Radio Club. They were happy to have a rider on the course with a radio, providing reports.
The ride was using the SCHEART Edgefield repeater, WR4EC, and hitting it with a 5W HT was no problem. I rode with the radio clipped to the back of my pants, and it was great listening to the net as I rode. Other riders heard it, and asked if I was part of the race committee.
I checked into the net and provided a few status reports. I think my biggest contribution was that several riders reported seeing an aggressive dog on part of the course; after riding that section I was able to report no signs of the dog.
Our short course (31 miles) only had one rest area, and I introduced myself to the operators there. It was fun being the supported party, and knowing what the hams saw on the course. When I got back to the start/finish line I checked out with Net Control. Aside from a few comments on how we used to ride more when we were younger, he thanked me and confirmed that it was helpful to have a rider with a radio.
Next week I’ll be back on the stationary side of the ride, supporting the MUSC LowVelo event. It will be better than usual since I’ll be able to understand the rider’s perspective as well.