I have been considering the J&M unit. What kind of range, etc., do the radios have. 1 mile? 3 miles? Enough so that in a line of 10 bikes the lead and sweeper could communicate?
I was a communications guy in the USAF for 8.5 years so range is one thing I know about. The range of a CB is line of sight. This means that the frequencies used don't go through stuff well, and they don't bounce off of the ionosphere so there are very little over the horizon capabilties. So, depending upon where you are, the type of antenna you have, the weather, the sun state, the time of day and various other factors, you should be able to communicate between 1-22 miles.
If you are on top of a hill with a lake just below you, you might be able to go all the way to the horizon, and perhaps a bit further. I you are low in a canyon with many curves on the road (the type that we look for) then the range is vastly reduced.
CB waves have been know to bend around large hills. This is a repeatable effect, but generally requires a directional antenna.
Other things that reduce range:
Dry dirt, and especially dry sand.
Sun spot effect
thunderstorms
Note...approx 1/2 hour after a sun spot even, the ionosphere can be charged enough to refract the lower frequency ranges of the CB thus allowing several thousand mile communication with a very low power radio.
Power, as opposed to much common inference, doesn't have a whole lot to do...it's all in the antenna and the receiver's sensitivity.
Similar frequency ranges are used in military convoys...should be good enough for us.
Sometimes I miss the USAF...I was good at that stuff. I had a strong aversion to wasting taxpayer dollars and even a stronger aversion to mission failure. I miss being on a team that continually kicks ass. It just isn't the same in the civilian world. Mission failure is an option for most people....I hate that!
