Friday, November 25, 2011

Road ID Review and Giveaway!

Road ID is a company that began after a near miss and a good idea.  Edward, one of the owners, was nearly hit by a truck while out running.  His father had been bugging him to carry ID, but Edward didn't think he was in any danger while out running.  After the near miss, Road ID was born.

The concept is pretty simple.  You need ID, but you don't want to carry stuff while running.  Wear the ID.  Problem solved.  The other issue is that sure you can carry stuff around, but what if that stuff gets lost in the shuffle and you are unconscious?  A friend of mine who is a rescue diver for the county told me once (paraphrasing) that the only thing an EMS crew is sure to take with them when they pick you up is your body.  That's why it's a good idea to make sure that ID is coming with you.  It may just save your life.

I was firmly in the camp of not wanting to carry stuff around, including my driver's license.  I was more worried about losing my license than I was about getting hurt and needing ID.  However, my wife likes me and wants me around.  In fact, she prefers it that way.  I thought a Road ID would be a good way for us both to get what we wanted.

Like a lot of people, I was first exposed to the company at a race.  They sponsor races by providing number bibs and they sponsored the 5K I did last June.  I'm also proud to have them as a sponsor of the Turkey Trot we just hosted on November 19th!

"I need a Road ID.  This giant tag makes me look silly."
They offer 8 different styles of ID.  Three that are worn on the wrist, two that attach to your shoes, a chain/dogtag combo, an ankle ID, and one for your furry four-legged friend (or hairless cat).  Being a barefoot runner, I chose the ankle ID because it doubles as a holder for your timing chip during a race, solving a problem of the shoeless runner.  Double duty!  That's smart.

Besides their ID products, they also offer some night-time safety/visibility items, extra bands if you like to color coordinate your fancy purple shorts one day, and your fashionable yellow bike jersey the next day.  They have some apparel too, all at wicked low prices.  Buy some shirts and tell people you are a sponsored athlete.  They won't know that your main competitive sport is beer pong.

Here's a couple shots of my Road ID.  The band is neoprene and has a Velcro closure.  There is space to print six lines of text on the ID tag, and tags are interchangeable between different ID products.  There is a reflective strip that runs the length of the band to help with night-time visiblity.  The ID's are fresh and saltwater safe.  The neoprene band is very comfortable and the the thing is so light you don't even notice that it is on.  It fits above the laces when I wear it with Invisible Shoes.  There are lots of different color choices depending on the style of ID you choose, and some of the styles work great for kids.

I promised a give-away so here it comes.  I have three $15 gift certificates to the Road ID store!  One of them could be yours, and here's how you make that happen.  To enter, do one or more of the following things:
  1. Share this blog post on Facebook, Twitter, or Google +.
  2. "Like" Road ID and Barefoot Chiropractor on Facebook.
  3. Follow Road ID and Barefoot Chiropractor on Twitter.
  4. Follow this blog in the sidebar to the right and get all the knowledge you could want in a timely manner.
Leave a separate comment below for each thing you do.  I'll count them all up and pick three winners using random.org.  The more you do, the more chances you have to win!  The contest will be open until midnight December 2nd.  I'll pick three winners and let you know who won!  Check back to see if you are a big winner!  Have I used too many exclamation points!?!

18 comments:

  1. Road ID is great - all outdoorsy people should have one and they make great stocking stuffers!! I have the Road ID that straps into your shoe. Granted, shoes may come off in an emergency, but that is the model I chose. I have stopped running while being a new mom to conserve calories but I imagine I'll pick it up in a year or two.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shared this blog post on my FB page, and my Barefoot Inclined page :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Already following your blog.. thanks for this post. I have been debating about Road ID or something like it.. I bring my drivers license when I think about it, but then it never makes it back to my wallet, which is a problem... like when I went to the liquor store without it! Also looked at the Survival Straps, as they come with an embossed plate option too.. Thanks for running a contest too... I have been thinking about doing something like that, so look forward to your feedback. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. I "liked" Road ID on FB.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I "liked" Barefoot Chiropractor on FB.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I signed up to follow your blog. I have been following your posts from the BRU links.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Are you a member of the Barefoot Runners Society? If not, you should hang out with us @ www.barefootrunners.org. If you are a member, please contact me so I can get you some info about our Stomp of Approval. You can drop me an email to miker@barefootrunners.org and I'll fill you in. Cheers and good running!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey Andrew! I'm following you on Twitter (don't know I wasn't already).

    ReplyDelete
  9. I liked Barefoot Chiropractor on FB after the November Group Run,

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi folks! Random numbers generated by random.org were 8, 12, and 3 so winners in order were Alan J, kmonsterg, and Jeff Gallup! I'll get in contact with you through Facebook to get your addresses! Congrats! You are all winners in my book, and I hope to do more of these contests in the future.

    If you didn't win, head over to Road ID anyway and pick up an ID. They are inexpensive and a great piece of gear. You can also register for a $12,000 Trek Shopping Spree on their site.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks Andrew! Stoked to get a RoadID, and I know my wife will be happy too :-)

    ReplyDelete