Chicago Skyline from the Bicycle Illinois Ending Location
 

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Using GPS Devices Instead of Signage


We strongly prefer to use GPS devices for navigation due to the significant benefits they provide over other traditional means of navigation. In addition, when every participant for an event rides with their own GPS device it isn't necessary to put up signage (painted road markings and orange flags) over the entire route. As a result, whenever possible we will rely on every participant riding with their own GPS device instead of signing the route.

  • Click Here for more information about the advantages of using GPS devices.
  • Click Here for more information about on road signage.

Whether we rely on GPS devices or putting up signage on the route depends on such factors as the total number of participants for each event, the number of participants who will already be riding with their own GPS device, the duration of the event (one or multiple days), how far away the event is from Chicago (due to travel expenses to sign the route), and also how many of our own GPS units we have available to distribute to participants who do not already own a supported GPS device (see below). The fewer number of participants, the longer the duration of the event, and the more participants who already have their own GPS device, the more likely we are to rely on GPS devices. Similarly, we are more likely to put up signage on the route for local, one day events with higher participation levels due to the logistic and time constraints of distributing and collecting our GPS units and handlebar mounts and conducting training for these events.

We will plan on putting up signage on the route until we determine that every participant can ride with a GPS device. We will generally make that decision immediately after the regular registration closes when know how exactly many total participants we will have for each event and how many of those participants will already be riding with their own GPS device. Until we decide we will rely on GPS devices for navigation instead of painting and flagging a specific event, we cannot guarantee that we will provide one of our GPS units to any participant who will not already be riding with one.

Participants Who DO NOT Own a Supported GPS Device
When we decide that every participant will ride with their own GPS device instead of putting up signage on the route, we will provide one of our GPS units to every participant who will not already be riding with one of their own. This service will be included with registration for the event, there will not be any extra charge, and we guarantee to fully support all of our units that we provide to participants.

  • Click Here for more information about our GPS units.

We will only provide our GPS units to participants if we use GPS devices instead of signage.

Participants Who Own a Supported GPS Device
If you indicated that you plan on using your own supported GPS device to navigate while riding when you registered for the event, we will rely on you using it for the entire event and we not provide you one of our GPS units unless you specifically request to use one before the event.

We strongly prefer that participants use their own supported GPS device instead of one of our GPS units. Your own GPS device will probably already be set up and installed on your bike and you won't have to install our handlebar mount or rearrange anything on your handlebars. Also, you will probably already be very familiar and comfortable operating your own GPS device or if you're not you can use the event as an opportunity to install it and/or learn how to use it better. In fact, we have our own GPS devices so well set up on our bikes and we're so familiar using them that even if we got another GPS unit to use for free during an event we would probably turn it down because we wouldn't want to install it or be able to use it nearly as well as the devices we already own.

In addition, you will probably be more likely to take better care of your own GPS device and remember to remove it from your handlebars when you are done riding than one of ours. Using your own GPS device also allows more of our GPS units to be available for participants who don't have already one and also as spares on the road in case of any of our GPS units fail to operate properly.

Participants Who Own an Unsupported GPS Device
If you indicated that you plan on using an unsupported GPS device to navigate while riding when you registered for the event, we will still plan on providing you one of our GPS units so we can be sure you will be able to successfully navigate the route using a GPS device.

Work with you
Use you us a guinea pig
Learn from your device
Particularly if you will be riding with some device anyways

  • Click Here for more information about unsupported GPS devices.

P.O. Box 8454 • Chicago, IL 60680 • (877) TOUR-ILL [868-7455]
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