An Indiana University graduate and former Little 500 rider created a new kind of identifying bib for athletes that is more aerodynamic than pinned bibs.
Athletes such as runners and cyclists normally attach numbered bibs to their uniforms. But Aero Bib doesn’t require pins; it’s waterproof, fabric adhesive.
Gage Pratt ran track at field at IU and also rode for the Cutters biking team. He says when he and other athletes raced, they experienced drag from the bibs, and they were also inconvenient to put on. He created Aero Bib in a class last semester to address these concerns.
“If there's one thing that's been consistent throughout all my years competing as an athlete, it's been the problem with the paper and pen number bibs,” Pratt said. “They're just terrible to put on, they take forever. They poke holes in your expensive clothing, they cause drag, so wind's always catching it. And so, I tried to come up with an alternative solution.”
Over the course of a few months, Pratt tested different fabric samples and adhesives. He and other riders tested the bibs during practice and races. He biked 100 miles with the bib on.
“The first thing I notice, and the first thing other people notice, is how simple it is, how easy it is,” he said, “and when they peel it off and put it on, it's just like that spark that goes off, that wow, this is so easy. And then when I was riding my bike, I didn't even know it was on me, and that's the ultimate goal.”
Pratt is working full-time on Aero Bib, and is starting to sell them to running, cycling and golf organizations.
“I want Aero Bib to become the new standard for race bibs,” he said. “When people think about racing and think about, oh, I need to put a number bib on, I want them to think about Aero Bib.”
