My Road ID

 I signed up with Road ID just over nine years ago.  I saw ads on my phone and thought that I would try it out . Most of the time I did not ride with any identification when I first started riding.  Cyclists think they will not have an accident and won't have any mechanical.  Am I right?

After a while I traveled with a paper that had contact information of family members and my drivers license.  Have you ever forgotten something on a trip?  Me too.  I sometimes still left home without any information.  After about three years of riding I gave myself a Christmas gift.  I wear it almost all the time.  You do not know when first responders will need your information.

A screenshot of the Road ID website.

The metal plate shows your name and any primary concerns and a Rode ID phone number and website.  I identified health issues.  On the inside of the band provide you are given a serial registry number and a personal identification number (PIN). 

After nine years my band gave way.

My band handled a lot of wear and tear.  In the original order was a replacement band that is a supple at the original since it was stored in a plastic bag.    The printing on the name badge is still like new.  I had expected the ink to fade or wear, but no it has not.  

Each year they offer new options and they now can work with the watch bands.

Road ID provides a data base of your emergency information that may be helpful to  rescue personnel.
       Who are you?    Where do you live?
       Who are your emergency contacts?
       Are there any medical issues to be aware of?
       What medications are you taking?
There is a very detailed template that is easy to complete and update.

A map of a recent ride from the Road ID app.

A few years ago Road ID started offering a ride tracking feature.  This is a separate subscription from the badge purchase and subscription.  The tracking app refers to itself as ecrumb.  I can list five people to follow me on my ride and receive alerts when there is a problem.  There is also a feature that contacts 911 and your friends if you are not moving for 5 minutes.  That is in case I ride into the ditch.  This feature gives you a loud alarm to "wake you up" before the panic calls go  out  for your rescue. This feature may be turned on or off by you. The GPS in the app gives your location.

At the beginning of the ride my "followers" get an alert of my start and location.  During the ride they can see where I am.  Most of my ride path changes occur as I pedal and with this app I can rest assured that they will know where I am located.  Be aware that any signal may get dropped, so I still leave a basic bike path plan with one of the followers.  While I am riding I will text home with my location as it would be helpful.  Sometimes the program crashed and I did not realize it until I stopped.

When I stop the ride an email is sent to my followers. They can see that I am ok and I will be packing up.

This is the log of my most recent rides outside.

Did you notice on the email notice above that was my 1005th ride on ecrumb?  I can go back and see the route and all the data on that ride.  That is nice. 

I have been very pleased with this feature.  You may wish to check it out.