The numbers are daunting: an estimated 1,700 cyclists; a distance of more than 200 miles; three mountain passes along a course that, at some points, approach 9,800 feet.

None of this can be done on the 12th of September without the more than 100 amateur radio operators who have helped to support this event since 1991. The race is known as the LoToJa.Classic, a shorthand for Logan, Utah to Jackson, Wyoming, which is the beginning and endpoint of a course with limited cellular coverage and plenty of risks along the way.

The ham radio safety net is being coordinated by the Bridgerland Amateur Radio Club. One of the organizers, Kevin Reeve, N7RXE, said in a press release that hams are deployed in various ways throughout the course to keep the support continuous. That requires 35 radio-equipped vehicles along the course, some of them roving while others follow the packs of cyclists. They often spend as many as 14 hours on the road.

The course itself is covered by 10 ham repeaters in addition to two portable mountaintop repeaters and one portable canyon repeater. Whether there is a mechanical breakdown, a medical incident or a lost rider, the goal is to keep track of - and assist - everyone as necessary.

According to the race director, Brent Chambers, the ham volunteers are essential to the event because their communication goes on, uninterrupted. They are perhaps just as important as the bicycles and the road beneath their wheels.