DropDeadFred

saw an ad and clicked and started reading. Anybody know anything much about either?
I don't own either, and had no clue that Road ID worked the way it did. I thought all your info was on the ID and any emergency medical info as well.

In your opinion which is better. Is a bracelet or tag necessary? I usually carry my I.D. with me anyways along with my debit card and some cash just in case.

oh..link

blacktopper

I wear a Road ID for both MTB and Road. Honestly, it makes my wife feel better because I often ride alone in the extreme Arizona heat. The only claim I question on the provided link is the "Made In China" for the Road ID? I see no markings on mine that indicates where it is made but it could be just assembled in the USA with Chineese parts. I received mine in less than a week so at least the engraving part of the process was done in the USA.

Clipped_in

I have the interactive road ID. I have the elite band and I really like it. I became a believer last fall when I was on a ride with a friend and my friend went down and whacked his head pretty hard. He was not coherent for for most of the time it took to get him to the emergency. I realized that we could have easily both been in the same situation with no way to respond meaningfully to the situation. I've been wearing my road ID ever since. Oh yes, I'm a believer in helmets too...

urbanknight

Interesting comparison, but I always question comparisons done by an obviously biased entity. If I read that correctly, the tags are free and the service to keep your information is free. The only thing they want to sell is a band to hold them. Did I really get the correctly? How are they going to make money to stay in business?

P4D 

My wife and I wear RoadID's. We've got three little kids and it's a good piece of mind in case something happens. Penicillin puts me in shock, so mine notes that and I think of it as a modern day MedicAlert bracelet. I pretty much wear mine all the time. I opted for the interactive one because I liked the concept of emergency personnel being able to get a quick relevant history and have access multiple contacts. I got the rubber and metal clasp version (elite?) in black and it's comfortable, durable, and I really don't even notice it.

Velo_Tut

I used to carry my wallet / ID while riding too, but I became so paranoid that I was going to loose it if I crash that I bought the Road ID. The other reason I wear it is because many first responders will search victims for such ID's based on their training, i.e. diabetes or some other type of disease. It's worth it in the end, even for the funcky tan lines.

NYgreyrider

I wear the road id. I don't have the interactive one so mine is essentially the same as a dog tag. I basically paid $20 for something the military gave me for free. But I ride alone a lot and there is room for more info than the old dog tag so it gives the wife piece of mind. Mine has blood type, allergy info and NOK contact info which is enough to get the ball rolling in an emergency. But I could write the same info on my jersey with a marker for free.

LowCel 

I wear a Road ID mainly because of the peace of mind it gives my wife when I am out riding for hours and she has no idea where. I do a lot of solo riding as well as riding with friends. With that said, even though my friends know my number very few of them would know how to contact my wife if something went wrong.

the_goob

I went to a local army/navy store and paid $4 for some dog tags. They have my name, blood type, medical conditions/allergies and wife's contact info. Seemed a good deal to me.

eddiepliers 

I have both because of a free set of tags from Finishsafe. I prefer RoadID x100 majorly because of the information it can give you for the interactive ID. Since I'm a medical catastrophe (2 strokes, cancer x2, kidney transplant) RoadID not only let the medical staff of the meds I take, but also dosages and the times taken. A lot could happen wrong if the med staff under or overmedicates me. Finishsafe doesn't do that for me. Yes, for those who are not as clusterf'd as me, they can rely on Finishsafe because it does has a lot of the basic info. I just find it highly inadequate for me.

JAJ0404

I've been using Road ID for I guess about 10 years. (I've never heard of finishsafe, so I can't speak to it) I first had the dog tags, but didn't like them flopping around so I switched to the ankle model. My only problem was that the medication I was on changed, so the engraving wasn't accurate anymore, but then they came out with the interactive and I think that's great. I recently upgraded to the newer silicon band, and now I wear that 24/7, because I realized at 48 I'm getting into the range where I could have a number of health things happen at any time, any place, not just on my bike. I like it better than just carrying ID because you can add so much more info that could be important in a medical emergency - contact numbers, medications, allergies, surgeries, insurance and doctor numbers and names, blood type, etc. If I were going to ride with someone on a regular basis, I'd suggest they get one, or if not, write all that stuff down and tell me where it's stashed on your bike in case you go down. Now if WE BOTH go down . . . . . . Paramedics will find my RoadID, not sure about the piece of paper stashed in a seat bag.

DropDeadFred

good feedback...i didn't really care about "their" comparison" its obviously biased and directly aimed at a market dominated by road id. they took a great idea and made some improvements and made it cheaper buuuuut im sure road id will have improvements as well. I only wondered about the getting the information part with the app or the texting, calling etc. if anybody has had real experience or problems etc. i think I'll be getting one as well now that im riding more and more in foreign cities where nobody knows me

RT

Dog tags here, attached to reflective ankle band.

hao

what's wrong with a tag and a phone? people buy stuff just to buy stuff.

DropDeadFred

very true, i thought of dog tags...easier for me to remove at night...I wish there were an EMT to weigh in on this. somebody who has been in the hectic situation of life saving that could explain how often it's relevant (im sure it is) and how it;s helped them

lmcq784

I use a RoadID. Better to be safe than sorry when I'm unconscious and/or incoherent.
I got an elite wrist band, since most first responders are trained to check people's wrists for medical bracelets.
I don't have an interactive bracelet, since my info doesn't change (with no allergies or serious med history).
The most important things on there are contact info, blood type, and "NKA/NKDA" (no known allergies / no known drug allergies), so they can treat me with whatever means possible, right away.

DropDeadFred

so you don't HAVE to have the interactive I.D.? i have no allergies or medications...im just wondering about that annual or monthly fee etc.

jdon

Pretty much the same for me.

Bring on the popcorn though. This always gets good..

RacerOne

No, you don't have to do the interactive. I've got the Road ID Elite, Name, DOB, allergies and 3 phone contacts. I like the rubber band with clasp because it doesn't get sweat drenched. I crashed and slid across the road a while back grinding the clasp down a bit but it still works great. If I would have ground the other side scratching off the info, it would have been replaced under warranty. You really can't beat it. I ended up getting my 8 year old Type 1 Diabetic son the smaller version and it's the first medic band he's had that can still be read after 4 months of constant wear (he's consistantly rendered them illegible within the first couple weeks). And, kinda like shaving your legs, it just says, "I'm a cyclist".

On a different note, they seem to simply be a great company. They have contests on Facebook with great prizes (trips, bikes etc..) with the money they raise going to a list of charities of your choice. The contact I've had with them has been fast and courteous, really a class act. The other company seems like a Johnny come lately with an ad campaign that sorta rubbed me the wrong way. But, I admit, I'm already biased.

Rocket-Sauce 

Me too, but it cost more like $10...

hao

Cheaper still, laminate a small piece of paper with all the info. not even a dollar...

urbanknight

No. Mine is just a dog tag mentioning my blood type, medical conditions (asthma), allergies (none) and phone numbers to my wife and my parents. Am EMT chimed in on a thread like this a while ago, and blood type is apparently useless as they will type you before administering blood anyway, just to be sure.

urbanknight

But where do you put it to make sure EMTs find it? On the bike is not a good place because they sometimes land a distance from the rider, and they don't go in the ambulance.

Oh yeah, I also like that my dog tag holds my wedding ring securely.

jdon

I thought about that too but the 20 dollars gas, 10 dollars parking and a huge waste of my time made the 19 dollar purchase decision a lot easier.

hao

i just toss it in the saddle bag. i guess if you are worried about that, you could put it in your jersey pocket, or punch a hole and wear it.