Checking out @1BandID

You hear about it all of the time.  Some poor runner, cyclists or triathlete was out training and hit by a car.  More often than not, the driver will stop and assist, but you do have those rare instances where it may have been malicious or inattentive and the driver leaves the scene.

What are you going to do if you’re unconscious or incoherent after an accident?  How will your family be notified or critical health information be found if you’re not with people you know?  Simple.  Have some ID.

Road ID has been a life saver for many triathletes caught on a loan training day in an accident.  Without that ID, who knows what would have happened.  While Road ID was the pioneer, other players have thrown their hat into the ring.  There are many products out there, but 1BandID has come out with a unique ID that does not require additional gear to strap on with everything else we wear for training or racing.

The 1BandID comes with a Velcro band that attaches to a multitude of items any triathlete would normally take with them.  Need one for your Garmin watch strap?  They have it covered.  Need one for your cycling shoe, swimming watch or running shoe?  They have it covered.

Here’s what I came away with from my time with my personalized 1BandID.

At first, I was leery that the Velcro strap that wraps around a watch band might chafe, rub or create difficulties getting my Garmin wrist strap to fit.  Through 2 weeks of running and swimming with the 1BandID, I’m happy to report no hot spots or blisters, and I still have room to adjust the watch strap.  It will force you to loosen up the strap a good 2 to 3 notches where you are used to depending on how you wear it.  For my wrist size, it was no problem.  For more petite wrist sizes, the space needed to fit on the strap might produce too loose of a fit, so you would need to attach it to a shoe or race belt, but that’s probably pretty rare.

The design allows up to 6 lines of information that are legible, but does force the ID band to be too large as to cause interference with body movements or other gear.

You can order from an assortment of 7 different colors, because as we all know, if you are not coordinated, then you just look like a noob out there, right?

Seeing that you have different shoes to run and bike in (not to mention most of us don’t wear shoes to swim in), you have to put some foresight where you place the 1BandID.  It’s not the quickest to move from one item to another, but it can be done.  I found that placing it on my Garmin strap is the best bet as I always use it for swimming and running.  When training on the bike, I use the bike mount for the 310XT, so I would need to attach it to my shoes for riding.  During a tri, I wear my Garmin strap the entire race, so I’m covered like All State there.  No more ankle ID Velcro stuck to the liner of my wetsuit!

Worst case, if you go watchless, then the next best option is to strap it to your ankle chip.  The strap should fit around the timer strap and secure it for the race.  Just remember to get it back when you turn in your chip.

It’s definitely been nice to strap it on the Garmin wrist strap and just not worry about it.  During the winter, I’ve been relegated to the trainer so no problems for ID on the bike.  Since I put it on, the only time I think about it is when I put my GPS on and take it off.  No forgetting my ankle ID in the closet.  It doesn’t get stuck to my bicycle print boxers (I’m working on finding Toucan Sam boxers) from the Velcro and I find it when I’m folding clothes.  It’s always there.  Let’s face it, when we’re in a hurry to get the miles in between kids and work, you might miss the details like an ID.  With 1BandID, it’s already taken care of.

1BandID is very personalized.  You get a website link with your ID that gives you all sorts of information on the 1BandID with opportunities to get discounts for your friends.  They are also right on par as far as cost with comparable ID’s.  Personally I think you get better adhering mechanics with the 1BandID and few offer options that would attach to your watch band.

For my money (well, this one was free for this review – no pressure for a good review), 1BandID should be a consideration for your ID needs.  Need one for your dog?  It should fit on the collar with no problem.  Need one for your 6 year old that always seems to just run off?  Here you go.  I’ll be wearing mine for the 2012 season.