Way to identify Freezing Saddles participants

[komorebi]

Steve O came up with and managed the distribution of the neon-green bands to identify last year’s Freezing Saddles participants (thanks again, Steve!) but has now retired from the snap band business. So I’ve been thinking about an alternative identifier for this year. One idea I had was for customized fleece neck warmers, embroidered either with the words “Freezing Saddles” or with a logo.

It looks like we can get customized neck warmers for about $10-15 per warmer, depending on which options we go with. I’d be willing to handle the ordering and distribution, but I need to know how many people would be interested in buying one. Please vote in the poll or respond to this post by Wednesday. The neck warmers would be available for purchase at the initial happy hour, whichever coffee clubs or group rides I or my minions can make it to, and by postal mail (with an additional charge to cover postage).

Also, does anyone have (1) logo design skills, or (2) an alternative way to contact Dickie? I love the bicycle-chain snowflake logo that Dickie designed several years ago, but he hasn’t responded to my PM about getting permission to use it.

[jrenaut]

Not much interest in a neck warmer – I’d overheat unless it was 10 below. But I do have Dickie’s email address, I’ll ask him to get in touch.

[Dickie]

Thanks John for the nudge, got your email today. Komorebi – writing you right now! Cheers.

[rcannon100]

How to identify FS participants: Well, they look something like this:

[peterw_diy]

In honor of Dirt, and Subby’s new garage decoration, let’s all just tie pink ribbons to our bikes and helmets.

[shardg]

I will buy one to support the effort, but doubt I would wear it much. So not sure it would help identify me as a FS rider like the band did.

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[CBGanimal]

I’d be interested!!

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[komorebi]

Thanks to everyone who has voted or commented so far. Keep the responses coming!

A follow-up question for the people who voted for the second option in the poll: what alternative identifier would you prefer?

I thought it might be nice to have something larger than last year’s bands, which could be difficult to spot when passing or being passed by another rider. I only had two “in the wild” sightings of green bands last year, and I’m not entirely sure about the second one because the other rider went by so quickly. And yes, I realize that the rule change this year disallowing manual entries will make it easier to confirm via Strava flyby, but that only helps after the fact.

[Sunyata]

I am not sure I would wear a neck warmer unless it was pretty chilly/windy out (say, less than 25 degrees with more than 15 mph winds). I tend to run hot everywhere except my hands and feet. But if the design is awesome enough, I would buy one. 😎

As for alternatives, I really liked the slap bands from last year. They were easy to move around from bike to bike. I saw a ton out there last year and got called out by a few participants out on the trails last year (I keep mine around the headset spacers on my commuter, so it is pretty visible). So, perhaps we could find something similar, but bigger and flashier?

[hozn]

I would buy one or more FS neck warmers.

[drevil]

Instead of fleece, is there an option for thinner/lighter-weight versions, like the Buff? I doubt I’d use a fleece warmer, but I have at least a dozen Buffs because I love them so much 😮

For another project, I was looking at custom Buffs, but with a required minimum of 300, the quantity was way higher than I needed at the time. Since I’ve made several custom orders with Pactimo, I also checked their version of the neck gaiter, and if you get 100+ it’s $16 each, and 200+ gives you a price of $15 each. If you want see what this path leads to, I can investigate and let you know. I even do art stuffs and can help on that end.

[peterw_diy]

I like ankle straps and am grateful to Steve but I found the slap straps uncomfortable.

What about custom Tyvek race bib numbers? We wouldn’t even need them numbered (and probably wouldn’t want to, considering all the folks who ride multiple bikes), just print the same base design on each of them. Zip tie one to your handlebars, another to your saddle…

[wheelswings]

Another option are small safety reflectors, either the clip-on type or the ones that dangle from little chains. They come in fun shapes and colors, and can be attached to zippers or knapsacks or other gear. But I’m not sure where to buy them in bulk. My brother in Sweden gets these for us all the time, so maybe he knows a good source.

[Jason]

@wheels&wings 149934 wrote:

Another option are small safety reflectors, either the clip-on type or the ones that dangle from little chains. They come in fun shapes and colors, and can be attached to zippers or knapsacks or other gear. But I’m not sure where to buy them in bulk. My brother in Sweden gets these for us all the time, so maybe he knows a good source.

They have the same in Finland and they are pretty sweet.

[Tania]

I have way too many buffs/neck warmers and I never wear those (unless it’s single digits).

What’s wrong with using Steve’s slap bands from last year? I never even took mine off my bike – it’s been around my head tube since I got it.

[Author]

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