I.d. ???

[caligurl]

hi ladies!

i have a question... what do you all do about carrying ID when you ride.. especially if you ride alone?

we got a roadID http://www.roadid.com for my hubby and i've been contemplating getting one for me.. but i'm not sure i want to have a necklace hanging around my neck when i ride...

they also have shoe, wrist or ankle versions (not crazy about the wrist version.. i'm already going to be tanned weird enough! lol)

so anyways.. what do you all do? or what do you think of road ID? do you think the shoe version would work with the velcro on my road shoes? or just suck it up and get the necklace (with a biker chick engraved on it!)

[Biking Kitsune]

I'd never heard of Road ID before, but I looked at the site, and it looks like an awesome idea! o@ My hubby and I are getting the dog-tag style... you should get some too. ^^

[snapdragen]

I've had the dog tag for a few years now, you don't even notice when you're wearing it. I had to put mine on a sterling silver chain though, the regular chain it came on made me itch!

[Sparrow]

Hmmm, that's not a bad idea. Currently I carry a photocopy of my driver's licence with my husband's contact info on the back in my handlebar bag.

[Pedal Wench]

I just wrote my name and address and emergency contact info on a small piece of paper that should be under the sole of my sneakers (haven't checked to see if it's still there and legible!) I'm not sure anyone would ever find it, but it eases my mind!

[fultzie]

I carry my student id, drivers license, and my UM hospital "Blue Card" (links to medical history and insurance info if they scan it at the UM hospital-- where i'd hopefully end up if anything bad happened). I have a cell too, with phonebook entries such as "Mom" and "Mom Work" saved in it, though my drivers' license has my family contact info on it (student id has local contact info). Hopefully if anything happened, someone'd be bright enough to check my back jersey pockets!

[doctorfrau]

What I did was a compromise.

I went to Wal-Mart where they have this vending machine that engraves pet license-tags/luggage tags.

I put my name and Phone# on it, and my allergy. Figured they could figure out everything else from there. I put it on a soft jersey hairband and wear it around my ankle.

I also usually carry my cellphone.

[Dogmama]

I bought one of the road ID's for the ankle. It's really nice. You don't even know you're wearing it.

Don't count on cops or emergency people thinking about looking in your seatbag for ID. My husband is retired cop, both step kids are paramedics & they wouldn't even realize there WAS a seat bag, much less look into it. You need to wear something.

[pedalfaster]

I carry my insurance card in my jersey pocket (just ask your co. for an extra copy). I figure if you need the ID you probaly also need the insurance info....Just write a contact phone # with a Sharpie on the plastic and you are good to go.

[Trek420]

have an address label inside the helmet so they know where to return my head to, drivers, medical card, atm card in mini wallet in jersey pocket, cell phone has o many memory dial numbers cops could call everyone i know.

[JanT]

I have a small cloth coin purse to carry the following: driver's license, bank card, medical insurance card, and at least $5.00 cash. That pretty much covers me for about any emergency. The cash is in case I want to stop for more gatorade or a snack, or in case I want to reward someone for helping me out. Out on the trail, about 5 miles from the truck, I flatted, and my spare tube was faulty. Neither one could be adequately patched, and a nice guy stopped by and gave me his spare tube. I gave him the 5 to buy himself a new tube, and was so grateful I didn't have to walk 5 miles to the truck!

[Deanna]

I keep an expired license with 50 cents (payphone change) and emergency contact information taped to it inside my seat bag. I also fill out the label that comes with my helmet. In CA if law enforcement wants to harrass you they can charge you for not having ID on you, so I figure if it's in my seat bag I won't forget it should I run into a cop who's not to keen on cyclists.

[Surlygirl]

I have the road Id ankle band and I bought two, so one I wear on my ankle or wrist and the other I have attached to my hydration pack. They are pretty versatile since they velcro but you should wear something on your person, most emergency personnel only check your body. I can also put a watch on mine if I mess with it.

[kimba]

I looked at those road ID's and thought they were a great idea!
Personally- I'd get the ankle one.

I usually ride with a lanyard around my neck with my lock key, and a compass/ whistle on it tucked under my jersey in my cleavage - yeah it's ample enuff!

But I think it might be a bad idea to have something like a dogtag around your neck, especially if you ride in an urban area- I understand that in in one incident in Ontario, a woman riding alone was snatched by a perv and murdered, and was strangled with the housekey she had on a string around her neck.

I know- a sobering thought, and it sucks to have to think about it- cause you can bet a guy would never really give it a second thought, just toss the thing around his neck and go....
but unfortunately, that's the world we live in.

And no- they haven't found the guy yet- he's out there, keeping women terrified when riding local trails.

Kimba

[Dogmama]

It is really too bad that we can't even wear a walkman when we're jogging because some perp might come up behind us.

I really like my ankle ID. I got it really fast, too.

I don't think I'd want to wear anything around my neck because it is so hot right now, I'd probably get a rash from sweating on it. Never thought about it being used as a weapon, but you're so right on.

My ex-husband used to tell me to carry my gun. A .357 Smith revolver. Right. Here we are, measuring grams of weight and I'm going to pack a pistol? With my luck, I'd fall & shoot my silly self. I figure I'd just hone my sprinting skills!

[kimba]

Well- there's an interesting picture in my head...
you endoing and landing on your gun....
oh the humanity!!!

Owwww!

Kimba

[bounceswoosh]

The fact is, anything can be a weapon. Any little thing, from sand on the ground to a big baseball bat to ...

I don't think choosing not to wear a lanyard is the answer. After all, a jersey could probably be used to strangle someone, so the next logical step is ... right.

For that matter, house keys make *great* weapons. Wedge them between fingers, pointy part out, and give that attacker something to cry about!

Not that I've actually tried it, but when entering dark parking lots and whatnot, I habitually keep my keys in a stab-ready position.

[fasteryet]

You could carry one of those small cans of pepper spray. They're lightweight and you could probably rig a way to carry it on your handlebars if you didn't want to put it in your pocket.
And you could also use it to zap harrassing drivers!

[caligurl]

we bought canine pepper spray after being charged by a pit bull when walking out dogs... now when i take a solo trek around the neighborhood i clip that on my shorts.. i figure it could work for dogs or nasty people! (it comes with a clip already on the canister)

[ragbrai40]

I have one of the wrist Road ID's, my husband has the dog tag and I got my biking friend the ankle one for her birthday. All of us are happy with the ones that we have.

I found that my wrist ID leaves a funky tan line above my glove tan line, so I I tried it around my ankle and wala, it works there too!;)

I'd highly recommend them, the service was prompt and they delivered as promised.:D

[sandra b]

I have ID in my camelback usually, or I stick my DL in the leg of my shorts.

The Lifter of Heavy Objects has been a police officer, medic and fireman. He says the medics won't look in your bike/bag etc, but the cops might, eventually.

I like the idea of the id tags, cause they have a space for emergency numbers. I also like the idea of a label inside my helment.

Another friend suggested having something on your cell phone indicating what emergency number to call.

[WileyGrrl]

I used to grab my driver's license and insurance card and stick them in my handlebar bag or jersey pocket. Then one day, I was driving to work and realized that both items had been in my bar bag for several days, which means I didn't have them with me. So now I've made copies and laminated them for durability.

I do think I'll check out those Road IDs though.