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I’m DC RAINMAKER…
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1
In Depth Product Reviews
You probably stumbled upon here looking for a review of a sports gadget. If you’re trying to decide which unit to buy – check out my in-depth reviews section. Some reviews are over 60 pages long when printed out, with hundreds of photos! I aim to leave no stone unturned.
2
Read My Sports Gadget Recommendations.
Here’s my most recent GPS watch guide here, and cycling GPS computers here. Plus there are smart trainers here, all in these guides cover almost every category of sports gadgets out there. Looking for the equipment I use day-to-day? I also just put together my complete ‘Gear I Use’ equipment list, from swim to bike to run and everything in between (plus a few extra things). And to compliment that, here’s The Girl’s (my wife’s) list. Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
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Have some fun in the travel section.
I travel a fair bit, both for work and for fun. Here’s a bunch of random trip reports and daily trip-logs that I’ve put together and posted. I’ve sorted it all by world geography, in an attempt to make it easy to figure out where I’ve been.
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My Photography Gear: The Cameras/Drones/Action Cams I Use Daily
The most common question I receive outside of the “what’s the best GPS watch for me” variant, are photography-esq based. So in efforts to combat the amount of emails I need to sort through on a daily basis, I’ve complied this “My Photography Gear” post for your curious minds (including drones & action cams!)! It’s a nice break from the day-to-day sports-tech talk, and I hope you get something out of it!
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The Swim/Bike/Run Gear I Use List
Many readers stumble into my website in search of information on the latest and greatest sports tech products. But at the end of the day, you might just be wondering “What does Ray use when not testing new products?”. So here is the most up to date list of products I like and fit the bill for me and my training needs best! DC Rainmaker 2023 swim, bike, run, and general gear list. But wait, are you a female and feel like these things might not apply to you? If that’s the case (but certainly not saying my choices aren’t good for women), and you just want to see a different gear junkies “picks”, check out The Girl’s Gear Guide too.
this is a very good idea since you don’t have to have another “thing” to remember to wear, just attach it to what you frequently use and that’s it.
I’ve been looking for a practical tag for a while now, looks like it’s coming!
Now, dear all : what would be the information you would show on that?
Name is obvious, address, and then?
Good to see I got one thing right when you asked us what we want in a tri watch!
I got my first Road ID last week. I’ve only used it a few times so far. It feels a bit odd moving around on my wrist, but I think I’ll get used to it pretty soon.
I agree with you that I am likely to forget sometimes and won’t bother to go back for it. However, the reason I think I prefer it over the 1BandID is that I plan to wear it when I’m travelling round SE Asia just in case something happens. I won’t be wearing my Garmin on those days.
Seb, putting your address on these things is not recommended. Your name, your home city so people know if you are local to where you have been found, and name and phone number for at least one emergency contact. Also, any medical info (my RoadID has my penicillin allergy so they don’t pump the wrong antibiotic into me and make matters worse).
Great Idea. I have a RoadID and almost never wear it (it’s attached to my bike). But ALWAYS wear my watch.
1-point to DC Rainmaker.
Marvelous idea! Will it work on wee wrists when the band is on the next to smallest hole (ie a lot of band overlap already) – I wear the 401.
I removed the strap from my FR305 and replaced it with my wrist strap Road ID. It seems to work pretty well.
I’ve got a FR305 with the quick release kit, and all I did was I sewed the tag from my RoadID onto the end of the strap. It was a bit difficult getting through the webbing and the velcro, but given enough “finessing” it only took about 15 minutes. I used a good heavy nylon upholstery thread, and looped it around several times at each corner. Given my wrist size there was plenty of room and the tag is thin enough that it slides through the buckle without issue, and like you said, it’s always there.
Great idea! However, I would be more interested to if they could use some stretch material on the back side instead of the velcro so that it would slides over the strap. It might also have a lower profile if constructed in that manner. This might also help avoid the issue with the Nike+ GPS Sportwatch because it would simply stretch to fit as opposed to having multiple sizes ;).
I like it – simple, easy, and priced right.
I “used” my RoadID for the first time a few weeks ago when I was hit by a car during the Columbus Challenge tri. Broke my clavicle (didn’t lose consciousness), but all I had to do was hold up my wrist for the officer to get the important info for the report. Saved me a bit of spelling at a time that I wasn’t very focused.
I am still sporting the old school Garmin 301- do you think this handy new gadget would fit on that band? What a great idea!! Thanks for the review
I think, I need such watch.
LED signs
Maybe I’m in the minority, but I really don’t get this RoadID deal….for a quarter of the price, a set of military dog tags with the same info can be made and shipped from numerous vendors….and now we’re talking about accessories on top of the bloated costs?
I have to agreed with Anonymous, I might check for dog tags, or a bracelet (RoadID), but I wouldn’t even think to look on a watch for an ID should I find someone at the side of the road. The first place I would look is for a wallet or similar.
The cheapest option, tag a piece of paper to yourself with all the details, or place it on a bid belt just as you would during a race.
I sewed a elastic band to my 305 watch band similar to what the RoadID has and attached the roadID info tag to it. works well. Or I have it attached to my shoe.
In response to those who mentioned dog tags…
As someone in the military, I can say that I prefer not to wear dogs, even if they are cheaper. They are annoying! For several reasons: noise they make, flapping they cause, pain they create (the chain can get caught in hair), and the simple fact that they remind of being on duty and at work. Some people probably take pride in their military heritage and prefer to wear dog tags, especially when they are cheaper.
Yet for twenty dollars, I am more than excited to try this 1bandID, so Ray..thank you!
Hi DC
there is another company out there too. CrosstrainID… same things for $10.99
Thanks Kryten. The CrossTrain ID looks like a great less expensive alternative.
For those with the Nike+ like me…what I did was use the RoadID Scout on my watch band. It works flawlessly, though after almsot a year I think or so, the rubber is starting to dry out, so I need to replace the band thing soon. I bought extras when I got it to get different colors, but I haven’t found them in my house. Hopefully I’ll find them before it breaks. Also, if you pair the ScoutID with using “Emergency Link” you basically get the RoadID elite without paying fees. I have my ScoutID tag printed with my name, dob, address, med info, Emergency link 800# and Emergency Link ID # on it, so that medical staff could call Emergency Link to get the full info I have on file with emergency contacts. Emergency Link also privides credit card sized cards, keychain sized cards, and stickers (I have one stuck to my mp3 player too), so that you can stash them in all kinds of places. I just found out too that they send you a set annually, so I got more (and you can request additional sets at any time too if you need more). I have my dog registered on there as well and stashed one of the keychain sized ones on her collar, which I tuck into a quietspot neoprene tag silencer pouch thing so it doesn’t get ruined. I guess I could get it printed on a ScoutID for her too, but she’s not rough on tags/collars, so I didn’t bother. She already has a tag with her microchip #, but since I don’t want to pay the ridiculous fees for HomeAgain’s annual program (and because she’s not a runner to bail from me at any chance she gets), the chip + EmergencyLink should be good for her. :)
re: Marianne’s dog
HomeAgain has had a very deceptive practice in place for several years, which led our small animal clinic to switch chip brands. They do not clearly indicate that their basic permanent database was free, and instead try to scare you into paying annually for an Extra service, claiming to be proactively alerting area shelters, hospitals, etc. should your animal go missing. Fact is, most registries will cross-reference or share info when a clinic etc contacts them. The “Active” feature you pay for is actually pretty unnecessary, because nearly all shelters will scan found animals anyway- alerting them is not adding extra info that you would not have already provided, assuming you contact area shelters already.
Advice for those with lost pets: Do not advertise a reward- draws suspect types; Leave description and photo chip #, at the nearest central shelters where animal control takes them, but blitzing area private clinics is rarely useful unless an animal is stolen; periodically visit the shelters in person to look, as even photos may not match the animal’s current appearance.
1BandID has 3 sizes at checkout, based on the width of the band you’re going to attach it to. Garmin Forerunner 910 is listed as an example of large, and Forerunner 305 an example of extra-large. What size fit your Forerunner 310xt best?
Hi Angela-
When I first posted this there was actually only one size. I’d reach out to 1BandID, as I suspect they’ll be able to tell you which size to order for that specific model.
Sorry!
I’ve already contacted them but no response as yet. Thanks anyway, I’ll hold on a while longer, hopefully they’ll get back to me.
As of the black Friday post, there is a new size: Large – Made for wider bands (e.g. Garmin 910xt, MOTOACTIV). It appears that the price is the same.
I almost didn’t buy one because the article said the tag was sewn into the band. I understand that this is from 2011, but it’s the only in-depth review of the 1band I’ve been able to find, so I felt the need to provide some updated info.
The tag can be removed from the band. The bands come in 8 different colors and you can swap them out as you see fit. I mention this because I have a RoadID Sport. RoadID – to the best of my knowledge – is the only emergency id company that offers an interactive/online feature where you can update and add information without buying a new ID every time you move or anything. Unfortunately, RoadID doesn’t have a band like this to wrap around watches (other than Fitbit). This article made me think that, if I swapped I was going to have to give up my RoadID, but I don’t. I bought the 1Band without the metal tag and put my RoadID tag onto the band.
Replacement bands can be found here: link to 1bandid.com
Ray,
Sorry to drag up an old post, but have you tried these with a OHR watch? I just got a 735xt and would love to get an id for the band, just not sure how it would fit.
I haven’t, but I don’t see any issues as almost all watches uses OHR on the back of the watch itself, so this wouldn’t block it. However, I’d try and slide it as far from the watch portion as possible, just in case.
I would like to use it for my shoelaces. Do you think that’ll work?
Sure, as long as it’s secure.
What size would you recommend for the shoes?
Do you have 1band size recommendation for Fenix 3? Large or XL? Thanks
I had a band that was similiar years ago and the weak link was how the medal ID attached to it. It “clipped” on and eventualy cut through the elastic that held it on.
It looks like that the same type of problem could occur here. Can I get your opinion?
Looks great, how do I order ??