POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Us Providing GPS Units to Participants

GPS Units • Batteries • Handlebar Mounts • Security • Training

Individual Handlebar Mounted GPS Units

When we decide to provide individual GPS units to every participant who does not already have their own instead of painting the route, all participants who will not be riding with their own individual GPS unit will receive an individual handlebar mounted GPS unit with the route and rest stop locations pre-programmed in from us! This service will be included with registration, there will not be any extra charge, and we guarantee to support all units that we provide to the participants ourselves.

We understand that you might be a little nervous about using these units, especially if you would not consider yourself to be technically savvy. You have nothing to worry about because we have been using these units ourselves extensively since 2006, are intimately familiar with every aspect of them, and have tested everything ourselves. Also, you can always contact us at any time for help in case you have any questions or problems with the GPS units while riding and we encourage you to ask as many questions as necessary so that you not only feel comfortable but also very excited about using GPS technology to navigate by. We're really excited to be able to help you learn how to use them!

Your individual GPS unit will be ready to be used to navigate when you receive it - all routes and waypoints will already pre-programmed in. You will not have to upload or download any type of data yourself and you will not need any type of computer or laptop at all. We may also individualize the routes on each unit for each participant as appropriate, such as staying at the main lodging site or supported hotel, riding days for partial day tours, etc.

You will receive your individual GPS unit, a full set of batteries, and a handlebar mount as appropriate for the entire event at check in. Each unit will be individually numbered and assigned to a specific participant and you will be responsible for keeping track of your own individual unit.

Otherwise if you prefer to not mount the GPS unit on your handlebars, it will also easily fit into a jersey back pocket.

At the end of the event you will return the unit, any leftover batteries, and the handlebar mount back to us.

GPS Units
Most participants will receive a Garmin eTrex Legend Cx GPS unit. Depending on the availability of these units, we may also provide a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx or Garmin GPSMap 60CSx unit instead.

Each unit will have an individual number marked both on the outside and also on the unit's welcome message. We will track which unit is assigned to each individual participant so please make sure you have the right one and don't get it mixed up with anyone else's.

Initial Unit Set Up
We have gone through and set up every unit specifically for the purposes of following our routes and have eliminated as many unnecessary functions as possible to confusion.

PLEASE only operate our units as instructed and do not try and "tweak" or "customize" anything, especially if you are more familiar with the operation of these GPS units. We do not perform a factory default setting reset on the units after each event and if you "tweak" or "customize" any setting it could be incredibly confusing and frustrating for the next participant who uses the unit, particularly if they are not very familiar with the GPS technology, not technically savvy, and very, very nervous about relying on the GPS units for navigation instead of painted marks on the road.

• Click Here for more information about Our GPS Units.

Batteries
We will provide you a full set of disposable AA batteries as necessary for the entire event. We will not provide rechargeable batteries because we do not have the capability to pre-charge all batteries for all units before the event or swap out discharged batteries with fully charged ones after the ride each day for multi-day events.

Stored data is not lost when the batteries are removed

• Click Here for more information about GPS Unit Power.

We will provide you a mount to attach our GPS unit to your handlebars. Rubber spacers will also be supplied with the handlebar mount to eliminate any gap and mount it securely and ensure it fits tight and doesn't slip. We will also have electrical tape and different sized screws available if necessary.

Most handlebars are typically 1 inch (25.4mm) diameter although occasionally, some handlebars are "oversized" at 1 1/4 inches (31.8 mm) diameter. These oversized handlebars are typically only found on higher end carbon handlebars. The handlebar mounts are about 7/8" wide and the GPS unit sits about 5/16" above the handlebars when attached.

When you register you will let us know what diameter (width) your handlebars are so that we can ensure we will have the proper size mount for you.The easiest way we've found to measure your handlebars is to simply take a ruler and put it behind the handlebars (see picture). You can see pretty clearly these are the oversize 1 1/4" wide handlebars.

You may need to readjust some things on your handlebars in order to make room for the GPS unit and mount and if necessary we strongly recommend doing this at home rather than at the start of the event because it will be MUCH easier for you to do it there.

Handlebar Mount Installation and Removal

You will need to install the handlebar mount before the start of the event. The handlebar mounts are very easy to put on and take off. The only tool required to install the mount is a #2 Phillips head screwdriver. We will have a couple of screwdrivers available but we strongly recommend bringing your own screwdriver with you so that you won't have to wait for anyone else to install it.

To install the handlebar mount to your handlebars, loosen the screw and fully open the mount. Then close the mount around your handlebars where you want to install it and tighten the screw to clamp it secure. You may need to use the rubber spacers and/or some electrical tape to ensure the mount remains tight and doesn't slip. Make sure to install the mount in the right direction so that the GPS unit is not mounted upside down - it can be installed backwards. You can also easily set the angle at which you view the GPS unit while riding by just adjusting the angle the mount in installed on your handlebars.

In order to remove the handlebar mount from your handlebars simply unscrew the mount and remove it and any rubber spacers and/or electrical tape used to mount it.

The night before the first riding day of an event is by far the best time to install the handlebar mount if you can arrive then. If you have difficulty installing the mount we can also help you.

Security
Because we don't give you a choice as to whether or not we will supply you with a GPS unit to navigate by, we really can't ask for a security deposit or charge you if you lose or break them. So we ask that you PLEASE BE CAREFUL and remember to remove them from your bike and keep them sure when not in use because any repair or replacement costs come directly out of our pocket.

Here are pictures of the mount installed on handlebars and the GPS unit itself attached on the right side.

Training
We will rely on you initially reading through these web site pages in order to become more familiar with what to expect and how to operate the GPS units to save time during the event itself.

We will also have an extensive hands on training session during the opening meeting on how to use the GPS units. If the opening meeting is the night before the first riding day, you will also get a good chance to practice using the GPS units in town that night, such as using them to go to dinner.

The syllabus for the GPS training directly parallels the information on the web site about How to Operate Our GPS Units. Click Here for more information.

• Using the GPS Unit on Your Handlebars
  • oHandlebar Mount Installation and Removal
  • Attaching And Removing the GPS from the Handlebar Mount
• Overall Unit Operation
  • Replacing the Batteries
  • Turning the Unit On and Off
  • Welcome Screen
  • Satellite Signal Acquisition
• The Map Page
  • Your Current Location
  • Zooming In and Out and Panning
  • Battery Power Status
  • Lost Satellite Reception
  • Getting Back to the Map Page
• The Route
  • The Route
  • Waypoints and Waypoint Nomenclature
• Navigating Via the GPS Unit
  • Seeing Your Movement
  • Following the Route
  • Supplementary Road Markings and Orange Flags
• Limitations
  • Sleeping at the Wheel
  • Route Distances

Unit Operation

• Click Here for more information about how to operate Our GPS Units