BICYCLE ILLINOIS
Transportation Service from Carbondale to Cairo Before the Start of the Event

Click Here to add to add the transportation service from Carbondale to Cairo after you have initially registered.

Participants will be transported aboard a charter school bus and your bicycle and baggage will be transported on a separate moving truck.

We will not offer a transportation service from Carbondale to Cairo after the end of the event because long term parking will not be available in Cairo.

Arrival Means in Carbondale

Participants Getting Dropped off
If you are planning on getting dropped off at the start of the event and will not need to park your car long term, we strongly recommend and prefer that you get dropped off in Cairo rather than in Carbondale. Doing so will eliminate the risk of you missing us as well as any potential damage from us transporting your bicycle and baggage in our moving truck. It will also save us and the other participants the time and hassle of having to load your bicycle and baggage into our moving truck in Carbondale.

If this is not possible though you can still meet us at the Carbondale Amtrak train station and use our transportation service from Carbondale to Cairo.

Participants Parking their Car Long Term at the Start of the Event
Long Term Parking will not be available in Cairo. If you want to leave your car parked long term at the start of the event you will need to park it at the Carbondale Amtrak train station and take our transportation service from Carbondale to Cairo before the start of the event.

Click Here for more information about long term parking in Carbondale.
Click Here to inform us of your long term parking plans.

Participants Initially Arriving in Carbondale Before The Start Of The Event
Participants initially arriving in Carbondale before the start of the event should arrive at the Carbondale Amtrak train station no later than 1:30 pm, 15 minutes before the scheduled arrival time of the Amtrak train from Chicago.

We need to have all participants at the Carbondale Amtrak train station at the same time because of our transportation plans. Please have your bags fully packed and your bicycle in great mechanical working order and ready to be transported when you arrive at the staging site. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE LATE – OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE DEPENDING ON YOU. If you are late we cannot wait for you.

You will receive your wristband for the entire event at the transportation service staging site which will also identify you as a member of our group for the Amtrak train service.

If you are also staying at the Cairo hotel, you will also receive six supported hotel baggage delivery tags (2 tags each for two bags and one floor pump) to identify each baggage item so that we can properly deliver your baggage to the supported hotel after the moving truck arrives in town.

Mechanical Support Services at the Carbondale Bike Shop
Since there is no bike shop in Cairo and the Carbondale bike shop is conveniently located directly across the street from the Amtrak train station you may be able to get any last minute bike parts, tools, cycling accessories, or repair services at the Carbondale bike shop while you are waiting to depart from Carbondale.

However, you should plan on arriving at the start of the event with all the bike parts, tools, and cycling accessories you need already and your bicycle in great mechanical working order and ready to be ridden on the next day's ride. We cannot guarantee that the Carbondale bike shop will have the specific part, tool, or cycling accessory you want or need. In addition we cannot guarantee that the Carbondale bike shop will either be able to perfrom the repair service you want or need or be able to complete it before we depart. We also cannot wait for you to make any purchases or complete any repair services to depart Carbondale.

If you know you are going to need any bike parts, tools, cycling accessories, or repair services at the Carbondale bike shop we strongly recommend calling them to confirm that they will have your items available and/or be able and/or have the time to perform these repair services. The hours and phone numbers for the Carbondale bike shop are listed on the Carbondale in town map.

We also strongly recommend arriving at the Carbondale bike shop well before the Amtrak train arrives to ensure that there will be adequate time to purchase these items and/or complete these repair services before we depart Carbondale and that you do not run into any time conflicts when participants arriving on the Amtrak train go over to the bike shop to purchase any last minute items themselves.

If you purchase any items at the Carbondale bike shop you will need to either place them in your baggage to be loaded onto the moving truck or carry them with you on the charter school bus. We will not be able to place any loose items into our moving truck.

Participants Taking the Transportation Service to Carbondale and Cairo Before the Start of the Event
Participants who are taking our transportation service to Carbondale and Cairo before the start of the event will transfer to the charter school bus directly at the Carbondale Amtrak train station to continue the rest of the way to Cairo.

Click Here for more information about our transportation service to Carbondale and Cairo before the start of the event.

Arrival in Carbondale
The moving truck should arrive at the Carbondale Amtrak train station very close to the scheduled train arrival time of 1:45 pm. If the train arrives before the moving truck does, the moving truck will arrive very soon after. However, it is impossible to know exactly when the moving truck will arrive in Carbondale though since our arrival time depends on when the moving truck is fully loaded and able to depart Chicago, how many mid-route towns we need to stop at, and on traffic conditions. We will attempt to keep in contact with you to let you know our progress and expected arrival time, but we cannot make any guarantees. However, you may always to call us at the main phone number (877) TOUR-ILL for our estimated time of arrival if it seems like we’re running significantly later than expected.

Transportation of People
Participants will travel aboard a charter school bus. Bathrooms and overhead racks will not be available on the school bus so you will need to use the bathroom in Carbondale before you leave.

The ride from Carbondale to Cairo will take approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Click Here for more information about the charter school bus policies and procedures.

Bicycle and Baggage Transportation
You will need to put your baggage into one of two piles – baggage going to the Cairo main lodging site and baggage going to the Cairo hotel since we need to load all the bags going to each location together. Please make sure to place your two supported hotel baggage delivery tags on your bags before placing them in the Cairo hotel pile so we can easily identify the bags that should be delivered to the supported hotel when we arrive in Cairo.

Baggage and bicycle loading will be begin promptly after the moving truck arrives at the Carbondale Amtrak train station.

We will first load baggage into the moving truck going to the Cairo hotel, then any remaining bicycles not on outside racks. Baggage to be delivered to the main lodging sitewill be loaded last since the first thing we will do when we arrive in Cairo is deliver baggage to the main lodging site, so we want these bags on top as much as possible.

It will be your responsibility to ensure that your bike and baggage gets loaded onto the moving truck before it departs. You will not have access to your bicycle or baggage until they are unloaded in Cairo.

Click Here for more information about bicycle and baggage transportation means.

Departure from Carbondale
The charter school bus and moving truck will depart Carbondale promptly once all bicycles and baggage have been loaded onto the moving truck.

We estimate departing the Carbondale Amtrak station at approximately 2:30 pm. Unfortunately it is impossible to know exactly when we will be finished loading bicycles and baggage and be able to depart Carbondale though since our departure time will depend on the number of participants meeting us in Carbondale, any complicated packing situations we may encounter and anything else we may have to attend to.

Arrival in Cairo
We estimate arriving in Cairo at the main lodging site at approximately 4:00 pm. Unfortunately it is impossible to know exactly when we will arrive in Cairo though since our arrival time depends on when the moving truck is fully loaded and able to depart Carbondale.

After we arrive will promptly begin unloading all bicycles from the moving truck as well as all baggage for participants staying at the main lodging site.

Participants Staying at the Supported Hotel
If you staying at the supported hotel, you will need to bike there from the main lodging site after your receive your bicycle. We cannot drop off individual participants or their bicycles or baggage directly at the supported hotel from the charter school bus either on our way into town or after we arrive. Your baggage will be delivered to the supported hotel when shortly after you arrive there after we have unloaded all bicycles and baggage for participants staying at the main lodging site.

If you brought any carry-on items with you on the school bus we can transport them for you to the supported hotel but you will need to wait to put them on the moving truck after we have unloaded all bicycles and baggage for participants staying at the main lodging site. You will also need to have the supported hotel baggage tags on your carry-on items to ensure they get properly delivered to the supported hotel.

You will need to bike back over to the main lodging site in time for the main check in and opening meeting.