A long-standing tradition in bike racing is to use safety pins as the impetus for attaching numbers to jerseys in an attempt to organize the participants. Although effective,
the holes that are produced can lead to ripped gear, surface-level injury and frustration, reported ARL Now. To diminish these concerns, Jason Berry, filmmaker and creator of Race Dots, chose to use
strong magnets instead.
An Alternative To Safety Pin Holes
According to the source, Berry was tired of replacing his racing clothes from the safety pin rips and tears. One night, rather than pinning his sign to his jersey, Berry instead used a few of his cat-shaped magnets as an alternative.
"I had just gotten a brand new jersey with my team for race season, and the night before the race, I couldn't bring myself to poke a hole in it," he told the news source. "My sister had just gotten me these cat magnets for Christmas, so I decided to see if they'd work instead."
He noted that instead of ridicule, his teammates and spectators praised the idea and asked him if they were for sale. Taking this as a sign, Berry began
Race Dots.
He started buying magnets from Home Depot to mimic the effects of the cat magnets, but it took nearly 15 different attempts of different kinds of shapes, such as
block magnets and
disc magnets, before he found the right combination of
rare earth magnets. Little by little, Berry's venture became more popular. According to the source, he has received requests for customized Race Dots from large-scale companies.
Race Dots Today
Today, Race Dots sells neodymium magnets with fun patterns and designs for cycling and running. Because of their strength, they can be worn on various materials for a wide range of sports. They work great on GORE-TEX®, thermal jackets, and rainwear. Additionally, Race Dots has been tested up to 65 mph, and remained secured on the clothing.
Race Dots currently has 29 stock designs with more coming in the upcoming years. They also offer custom designs for large corporations. One of their latest designs was for the Chicago Marathon.
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