Tour 'de Cure Trip Report

I wish I had some pictures, but alas, no camera was available.


Overview of TDC (Tour 'de Cure): A fund raiser put on by the American Diabetes Association where bicycle riders take a 150 mile trip over two days and are "sponsored" by donors. These bikers are supported by numerous individuals and groups to aid and support them on the trip. It takes a predetermined course which is marked and organized rest stops are provided along the way.


Part Ham Radio plays: Radio operators are assigned to "shadow" event officials, man fixed posts at rest stops, and patrol the route in mobiles picking up stranded bikers, and providing efficient communications between all these parts as well as getting medical attention where needed quickly and efficiently.



My part was to SAG (Support and Gear) which is a slang term for the rover who travels along the course to "support" the bikers and help where needed with rides, supplies, and eyes/ears for emergencies. I had lots of fun and met a bunch of cool folks.



Part of being a "SAG" is providing a means by which net control can know of your location. Of course, a query on the radio will accomplish that and is done frequently, but APRS is also used extensively. (See the article in this blog on the APRS tracker I built a few years ago)


The event June 9-10 went well. It went from Cary, NC to Oxford, NC, and back the second day. We had about 10 hams involved and covered it well. The number of bikers was down from previous years, so it was a little more laid back than usual. The weather was great, and the rain we got was during the overnight hours. Perfect timing!



The methods used are great training for tactical situations that occur during an emergency. If you are interested in that kind of thing, get involved in an event like this. Not only do you get to meet allot of good folks, you add some visibility to ham radio as well.



Keep on!