General Cycling Discussion - Road ID's...

Anyone else use these? If not...it's a VERY good thing to have with you on ANY ride, especially any solo ride...I wear mine ALL the time. I bought my first one because my wife-to-be and my mother were paranoid of me riding alone 'cause I'm deathly allergic to penicillin.

They make them with some cool graphics for Roadies and Fat Tire riders...

http://www.roadid.com

http://www.roadid.com/images/products1.gif

Eh.... No offense, but I wouldn't bother buying such things. Allergic to beestings, peanuts, other rare allergens? That's one thing. But ERs simply assume everyone is allergic to penicillin since so many people in society are allergic to it (and penicillins are often not the first antibiotic-of-choice nowadays anyway).

They also will only transfuse with type O blood until typing is done by the hospital itself. They generally don't take into account anything a patient is wearing that states a blood type.

Besides the point you made...

Imagine that you're incapacitated for whatever reason (bonked your head on a rock, got hit by a car, heart attack, bad gas, whatever)...

I don't carry my wallet or any other form of ID on me when riding...for me it's a small price to pay to have whoever might find me know who I am and how to get in touch with anyone that might care to know that I'm dead/dying, on the way to the hospital, whatever.

Not to mention - I put my blood type on my RoadID...that little bit can help a bunch in an emergency.

I carry a slim wallet in my zip pocket in the centre of my shirt at the back.... it has ID, money etc.

Brendon
:beer:

I normally put my license inside my shorts. I just insert it in the left leg of my shorts and it stays in place during the ride. It's worked for me for years.

Zack

I found the perfect slim wallet with spot for keys and coin purse. I have copied my Insurance papers and drivers license and placed them within the wallet and in my jersey pocket incased in a plastic pouce- all very small.
I also have a medic alert attached within my helmet with a little reflective sticker on the outside of my helmet letting whoever know of its' placement..

I always carry my Driver's license, a credit card, my health insurance card and a few dollars, rubber banded together in my jerseys zipper pocket.

I just have my health insurance co. send me an extra ID card every year and I carry that. I figure if I'm found unconcious on the side of the road I'm going to need it anyways....

Some great ideas folks.

I always carry my drivers license, credit card, medical card and some cash whenever I ride. I have all the good info inside my helmet on a sticker that came with the helmet. Although I had a not so great crash a few years back and you cannot read it anymore.

I also have at least one person that knows where I am riding.

I bought this one last autumn and always wear it when I ride.
http://www.roadid.com/images/products8.gif

I don't carry a wallet or ID when riding my road bike so the ankle band provides all the important contact information (name, address, home phone, wife's work phone) in case of accident or health problems.
When commuting I have my wallet in my panniers but still wear it. You never know what will happen in case of an accident. My wallet (and bike) could get ripped off. :crash:
A nurse will always remove your shoes and socks at the ER. My ankle band is on top of the sock so it would be noticed immediately. :thumbup:

I wear the road ID ankle band and have for a year and a half, I wear it every time I get on the bike, I keep it in my shoe when not riding so I can always find it.

Some paper with info stuck in my saddlebag.Its light.

One addition:

When riding to a destination I include a paper that says something like:

Riding to parent's house
Their names
Their phone #
The date (So they know that this info is indeed current)

I would do this because I would be in the saddle for four or five hours on back roads and my wife would be driving to the same destination to meet me. So, obviously, she wouldn't be at home to contact.

I carry a copy of my driver's lic. plus relevant phone #'s, blood type etc. in the seat packs of each bike, but I often wonder if the authorities would check there if you were found on the road. It's probably better to have it on your person.

I keep a little typed and laminated piece of paper with my name, address, phone #, and emergency contact info in my saddle bag. Better than nothing, but something worn would be more likely to be found easily.

Originally posted by aerobat
...but I often wonder if the authorities would check there if you were found on the road. It's probably better to have it on your person.

A public safety crew doing its job (police, fire, EMS) would check all those things, yes. I used to be a firefighter/EMT and you wouldn't believe the hell you catch if you don't have a name and at least a SSN on your paperwork.

Having said that, though, we didn't stick around or waste time to figure out name or blood type or any of that if you were seriously hurt. I mean, better to start treatment and get you to the hospital and try to save your leg or arm or life or whatever, right? In that case (with a load-and-go), the police stick around and try to find ID and they come to the hospital later anyway, where you can get that info if they have it.

Strangely, the only time I remember even looking at a patient's Medic ID bracelet or anything like that was on seizure patients... and they almost always denied they had had a seizure anyway.

I made a color copy of my Drivers License, on the back, I have typed up my name, address, phone # and emergancy contact info. Like roadbuzz, I had mine laminated.

I should probly updated that with my new address and phone # however. :eek:

I also keep this in my saddle bag. I like Zack's idea, of keeping it in your shorts. I just hope i never need to use it.

I keep an extra health insurance card in my saddle bag. For running, I just wrote an emergency ph. number, my blood type, and "no allergies" on my shoes.

I use these:
http://www.poundmaster.com/images/Dogtag1.gif

They're basically normal stamped dog tags. I've got my name, DL# (cops can get whatever they need from that) Allergies and four different phone #'s on them plus they're a lot cheaper than the Road ID tags (no chi-chi laser engraving) Pound Master Dog Tags (http://www.poundmaster.com/)

I just carry one of my business cards (haven't had much need for them recently....), with my blood type written on the back.

Originally posted by Joe Gardner
I also keep this in my saddle bag. I like Zack's idea, of keeping it in your shorts. I just hope i never need to use it.

I hope I never have to use mine either. Just remember to take it out of your shorts before heading to the massage table after an organized ride/race. I forgot one time and got the weirdest look when the masseuse started to work on the front of my left leg :)

Zack