I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of using
safety pins for my race bibs. It hasn’t
happened yet, but I am always afraid of the safety pins opening up mid race and
impaling my stomach. I have also ripped
my favorite shorts by catching my hand on the bib (before the race even
started) because of the safety pins.
What alternatives are there though?
Magnets seem to be the new trend.
Jason Berry is an independent filmmaker and the inventor RaceDots.
He has been making sports documentaries for over 20 years and enjoys
racing bikes of all types. The RaceDots journey began after having
countless conversations with athletes who were unhappy with the lack of decent
alternatives to safety pins. After
testing different options and sharing his idea with fellow runners and
cyclists, he decided to take his product to market.
In order to make RaceDots
a reality, Jason would have to raise some money. He used Indiegogo, the popular crowdfunding
platform, to try and raise $30,000. In a
little over a month, RaceDots was able
to raise over $69,000 making it the third most-funded sports-related campaign on
Indiegogo ever. Since that time, Jason
acquired a patent for RaceDots and is
shipping his product around the world. Let’s
look at what RaceDots are and why they
are so special.
There are several options out there from plastic clips to
flat magnets that will work, but the plastic clips leave your clothes mangled
with an indentation where the clip is. Flat
magnets work as long as you don’t catch your bib because it will slip right out
of the magnets. See the video below.
RaceDots is
different. It has a round doughnut style
magnet and another magnet with a bump (that fits into the hole in the other
magnet). It secures your bib and does not
allow it to slide out like some of the competitors’ magnets. The magnets are extremely powerful, which
means that they will work on thicker materials as well, including thinner
jackets. Another feature of the RaceDots are that they have polished,
beveled edges so the magnets don’t chafe your skin or cause any other irritation.
Another cool thing about RaceDots
is that you have so many options when it comes to designs, they have 28
different designs including American Flags, Canadian Flags, Smiley Faces and
more. You can get the 4-pack starting
at $19.99 and the 10-pack starting
at $36.99. Each magnet is rust proof as
well, so you never have to worry about if they will leave rust stains on your
shirts like safety pins will.
Below is a promo video by the incredible Michael
Wardian. If you don’t know who this guy
is, you should check him out. He is a
professional runner who competes in about 45 races every year. These are not all small races either. He has won some major races including winning
the National Marathon (Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon) three years in a row and was the
2017 World Marathon Challenge Winner, where he won 7 marathons in 7 days on 7
continents and broke the record while doing it.
He also raced the Leadville Trail 100 Mile and the Pikes Peak Marathon
on the same weekend, only sleeping 6 hours on the car ride over from one race
to the next. Michael also won the Las
Vegas Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon… in an Elvis suit making him the fastest
Elvis. You can check him out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or his website.
So I actually tried a plastic bib clip that was almost like
a button. It left the fabric of my shirt
all funky, but did last the whole 12-hour race that I did and did not cause
chaffing. My biggest complaint was that
the shirt had four spots where the fabric was permanently damaged. I was curious to see if the bump on the RaceDots would do the same thing. Low and behold, it didn’t leave any damage
and there was no chaffing. I actually
wanted to test these a few weeks ago at a race, but came down with a nasty cold
the day before the race. Gone are the
days of me using safety pins.
There is
even a RaceDots Arranger which is
$9.99 and is generally made for tighter fitting tops like skinsuits and
bibshorts for cycling. It’s made out of
hypo-allergenic silicone and is silky soft, although it might be a little heavy
for normal running clothes.
Pros:
Strong magnets
Beveled edges won’t cause skin irritation
Bib won’t slip out from between magnets
No rust
Lightweight
Great price ($19.99 for 4 or $36.99 for 10)
RaceDots Social Media
Links:
Every once in a while there is a product that I really think
makes a huge difference in my gear stash.
I would consider RaceDots to be one
of those products. It is perfect for
holding your bib on, whether you are running a 5k or 100 miles. The
ease of use, cost, and comfort make purchasing RaceDots a no brainer. Get yours and let me know what your favorite
design is. They would also make an
awesome stocking stuffer for the runner in your life.
Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.
Nice Blog..
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