Road ID

[KelOnWheels]

Oh cool, I need a new one. Mine has stuff crossed out with Sharpie.

[Dirt]

Just make sure that the text you request is in an Earth language. They really don’t like it when things are translated into Martian.

Disclaimer: There’s a long story behind this Road ID. Road IDs are intended to be serious pieces of safety equipment and something you should always wear when you ride, walk or run. I translated mine into Martian and wear it next to my Earth Road ID ’cause you never know when THEY might come for you. I wouldn’t want them to have inaccurate contact info.

[GB]

I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing a very good argument for Road ID (and properly fitting helmets) on this evening’s FreshBikes ride (lots of fun, you should do it, don’t let this dissuade you).

Two guys clipped wheels while cornering and both HARD. Both seemed to be knocked out at first, one came back quickly the other much more slowly (his helmet did not seem to be covering his head at the point of impact – w/out blaming the victim too much I think that was b/c it was set too loose #hindsight). Someone called 911 and I helped direct bike traffic around the accident. I don’t think anyone checked for Road ID (at least not right away), but thinking back on it we should have, and I bet the medics did. His contact person probably would have been notified w/in 15 minutes of the crash and been able to get to the hospital ASAP.

I’d always thought of Road ID for use after a fatal crash and didn’t really see the point in spending money to rush that news to my wife. But having her w/ me at the hospital seems like it is certainly worth the $20. So thoughts on which one to get? How well do the silicon one’s last? How well does the cloth sport one last? Is there a better/cheaper alternative?

Thanks

[cvcalhoun]

I got mine (which actually fits onto my shoelaces) from GoSportID. And I got a $10 discount on it via Earndit, which gives you discounts and/or makes charitable contributions on your behalf based on points earned bicycling (among other activities).

I’ve probably had mine a couple of years, and it has shown no signs of wearing out. It’s not as though it gets a lot of stress, since the top side doesn’t rub up against anything, and my shoelaces are just threaded through the rubber band it’s attached to (so the band itself is not stretched).

[KLizotte]

I read an article about these types of IDs written by a paramedic a year ago and he said paramedics do not check for ID (only emergency alert bracelets for things like allergies) nor are they allowed to call anyone because of medical privacy laws (need written consent from the patient at a minimum). He also said they don’t care who the person is; they are only interested in providing medical treatment at that moment.

However, the police may use it if they need to identify you at the hospital or accident scene and have more leeway on how to use such info. It is also good if you are on a group ride and something happens since another rider can call your family.

[hozn]

Yes, too bad about that crash; I passed through that section after the paramedics had arrived. At that point everyone was conscious. Seems like there is a crash on that corner every ride.

Yeah, I figure it is worth having a road id even if the medical personnel (at least the paramedics) won’t use it. I have a cloth one that I wear for group rides or other rides when I don’t have my drivers license on me. I shower with it on post-ride frequently and it has held up fine for the past few+ years.

Dirt posted a discount code in another thread recently.

[americancyclo]

@hozn 84516 wrote:

Seems like there is a crash on that corner every ride.

Which corner is this? Would like to know if I ever get a free Tuesday evening.

[hozn]

@americancyclo 84523 wrote:

Which corner is this? Would like to know if I ever get a free Tuesday evening.

This is the Glebe / Old Glebe intersection (there’s a white church there). I see there are now two other threads about the accident. Maybe it’s an exaggeration to say that it happens every ride, but I only participated in a handful last year and I could swear that in two of them there was a crash there. My wife was concerned since she saw the arlnow sms about the accident, and me assuring her that it happens every time did not help. I would probably avoid riding in a large pack around that corner; luckily I have always been dropped by whatever faster group I was chasing by then so I’m usually riding solo or with a couple other people that fell off the back too.

[krazygl00]

This is my medical alert bracelet.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5526[/ATTACH]

[Subby]

I recently ordered a road id and I added my blood type, allergy, and med history to the information. I also added my birth year which can be helpful for treatment purposes. I have a hard time agreeing with that one paramedic that having this information more readily available isn’t somehow useful.

[bobco85]

@Subby 84555 wrote:

I recently ordered a road id and I added my blood type, allergy, and med history to the information. I also added my birth year which can be helpful for treatment purposes. I have a hard time agreeing with that one paramedic that having this information more readily available isn’t somehow useful.

I had getting one in the back of my mind for a long time now. With witnessing the aftermath of yesterday’s event (I came across the accident after it had happened) and seeing multiple crashes on Sunday during the Five Boro Bike Tour in NYC, I finally pulled the trigger and have ordered a RoadID ankle bracelet.

I don’t want to pile on the injured considering I don’t know the full facts, but as I said in the other post, it was a sobering reminder both that group riding does have its risks and that it is important to be alert of those around you and communicate/signal effectively.

[KayakCyndi]

@GB 84510 wrote:

So thoughts on which one to get? How well do the silicon one’s last? How well does the cloth sport one last? Is there a better/cheaper alternative?

I have a silicon one which has held up really, really well. So well in fact that some of the info is outdated. I think I put in on 3+ years ago. I wear it 24/7 and probably have only taken it off for the occasional formal event and/or pass through airport security (although most of the time they don’t really care and let me leave it on). Personally I think it is totally worth the $20.

[Subby]

All that matters to me, really, is that my wife is contacted if I get knocked out and can’t contact her. The thought of her panicking b/c I never come home and calling local hospitals/police departments is really upsetting. I wouldn’t ever want to put her through that.

[brendan]

@bobco85 84559 wrote:

I don’t want to pile on the injured considering I don’t know the full facts, but as I said in the other post, it was a sobering reminder both that group riding does have its risks and that it is important to be alert of those around you and communicate/signal effectively.

My experiences with pacelining in the past pretty much assured me that I’m probably a danger to those around me in a group. I tend to drift up and down on the wheel in front of me (pretty sure it’s me), I’m staring through the wheel/crank at the ground hoping not to see road/debris while white knuckling it in the middle of the line and, when I lead, I can’t reliably hold to a steady pace. And I have to keep telling myself not to grab the brakes.

Also, I always take the curb-side of pack riding because I just feel safer over to the right where there are less things going on. Actually, I strongly prefer single file…but the shop rides usually end up being more clumpy.

When I’m with less familiar riders (well, actually, with any riders) I’ll typically tell them to feel free to call out any pacing issues, esp. if I’m in front. But that really only addresses one of the problems.

That said, I’ve had a few small friends-only paceline training rides that felt pretty good.

Maybe it’s also a trust (self/others) issue?

It’s hard to train for this stuff except when you’re doing it a lot, I suppose. And when I’m doing it untrained, I don’t think I’m all that safe.

B

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