Metalcraft, QR Codes and RAGBRAI

There is an Iowa tradition each July and anyone that is either a cycling enthusiast or is even mildly interested in cycling knows about - RAGBRAI! For everyone else who is either not from Iowa or isn't a cycling enthusiast RAGBRAI (the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. Heading into its 39th year, RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle-touring event in the world. Total mileage averages 472 miles for this seven-day trip, while daily mileage averages 68 miles.

Since Metalcraft is an Iowa-based company we have employees participate every year and even formed a Metalcraft team a few years ago - complete with a team logo. This year that label with feature a QR (quick response) code linking people to this page. QR codes are becoming very popular and Metalcraft recently started offering them on the majority of products we produce - from our Metal Bar Code Nameplates to our RFID Tags.

Every day we have customers contact us with new applications for this 2D technology. So, in the spirit of RAGBRAI and QR codes, I thought it would be interesting to come up with a list of potential applications for QR codes on bicycles or any cycling equipment. Here's the list of links I came up with:

1. List of bicycle maintenance tips
2. Application that logs mileage
3. Information about local bicycle trails
4. Site with information about upcoming rides (i.e. RAGBRAI)
5. Contact information on bicycle dealer/salesperson

That's a pretty good start for someone who doesn't even own a bike! What other types of links or QR code applications can you come up with? We'd love to hear from you.