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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Personal Electronic Device Power Sources

Removable Batteries Standard Removable Batteries Non-Standard Removable Batteries
Internal BatteriesPersonal Preparation


Relatively short battery lives can be a major issue with personal electronic devices. By far the most common way a device will fail on the road is simply running out of power and is best prevented through proper personal planning beforehand.

Removable Batteries
If your device uses any type of easily removable battery, you should always carry at least one extra set (preferably two) of fresh, fully charged spare batteries with you on your bike so that you are fully prepared in case your device runs out of power.

We feel it is best to wait until the device completely runs out of power before replacing the batteries in order to maximize the device's usage time. This also prevents mixing up used and unused batteries and accidentally using ones that are only partially charged, particularly if your device uses two or more of the same batteries at the same time (such as 2 AA batteries). Otherwise you can place fresh, fully charged batteries in the device before the ride if you prefer to have the maximum amount of continuous riding time without having to change the batteries.

We also recommend coming up with a system for knowing whether your batteries are fully charged or not. For disposable batteries we recommend just keeping new ones in their original package and discarding them as soon as they get used up so that you don't mix new and used batteries. For rechargeable batteries, we recommend numbering each battery with a permanent marker so it is easier to track which batteries are fully charged and which ones need to be.

And even if you know exactly what to expect with your devices's operation and/or are carrying extra batteries with you on the road, it's still best to conserve power anyways just in case because you never know when a battery might unexpectedly die.

Standard Removable Batteries (e.g. Garmin eTrex and GPSMap60 series GPS units)
Using devices powered by standard, removable batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, etc.) is unquestionably the best option. These types of batteries are light, inexpensive, easily replaced, and readily available anywhere. If you completely run out of batteries you can run into almost any store and buy new ones in an emergency, and you can use any extra batteries left over after the event for lots of other purposes around the house.

If your device uses standard, removable batteries we recommend using disposable batteries instead of rechargeable ones, particularly for multi-day events. Doing so eliminates having to bring a battery charger, plugging it into a wall outlet, and keeping track of which batteries are charged or not. If you do decide to use rechargable batteries on a multi-day event, we recommend using a charger that can show you when the batteries are fully charged (such as a light that changes color, etc.) We also recommend using a charger that can charge double the amount of batteries your device uses (e.g. a four battery charger for a device that takes two batteries) to ensure you can always carry an extra fully charged set of batteries with you on the road.

  • Click Here for the battery charger we recommend and also use in our support vehicles. Not only can this charger charge four AA, AAA, C, or D batteries at one time, it can also charge 2 additional 9V batteries at the same time and run off either wall or car power. We've been using this fantastic versatile battery charger for years and absolutely LOVE it!

We also recommend initially packing a full set of new or fully charged batteries necessary for the entire event (plus a couple extras) in your baggage so you won't have to worry about any buying extra batteries or recharging them during the event.

We will carry extra standard disposable batteries in our vehicles as a "part" according to our mechanical support services policies.

  • Click Here for more information about our mechanical support services.
  • Click Here for more information about our parts and accessories we have for sale.

Non-Standard Removable Batteries (e.g. smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy series)

The battery in these types of devices is rechargeable and can quickly and easily be removed, but is not a standard battery type (AA, AAA, etc.) In order to recharge it you can either plug a power cable into the device or you can just swap out the battery with a fresh, fully charged one.

If you only have one battery for your device, it is absolutely critical that you bring a way to charge it with you such as a wall charger. If you do not remember to plug the device in and fully charge it the night before the ride and it runs out of power, you will not be able to use the device at all.


Wall Charger

Battery is charging

Battery is fully charged

For these types of devices we strongly recommend purchasing at least one extra battery (possibly 2) and an additional separate wall charger just for the battery (see pictures above). That way you can charge two batteries at one time and carry at least one extra fresh, extra fully charged spare battery with you on the road. Ideally, the wall charger will also indicate when the battery is fully charged (see pictures above). Extra batteries and chargers can easily be purchased online or at a specialty store, such as a cell phone store. Otherwise if you do not purchase a separate charger, you will need to swap out the batteries after one becomes fully charged.

Internal Batteries (e.g. Garmin Edge and Forerunner series GPS units and smartphones such as the iPhone)

The battery in these types of devices is internal and cannot be quickly or easily removed and replaced. In order to recharge the device you have to plug a power cable into it, such as a wall charger, USB computer cable, or 12V car charger.

We do not recommend using these types of devices because it is absolutely critical that you bring a way to charge it up with you and also remember to plug the device in and fully charge it the night before the ride. Otherwise you will need to wait for your device or charge or may not be able to use it at all on the road because it cannot be quickly or easily charged.

Additional External Power Sources
On Road Charging While Riding
Put pack in saddlebag or somewhere else on bike for additional power on the road

External Battery Packs
- chargable
- solar

AA USB Chargers
We will also have AA battery USB chargers and new AA batteries for sale.

  • Click Here for more information about our AA battery USB chargers.

Personal Preparation
It is absolutely critical that your personal electronic devices have enough power to last throughout the ride before you depart that day since we cannot guarantee that you will be able to charge your device on the road.

  • Click Here for more information about personal electronic device charging on the road.

Before the Event
We strongly recommend testing how long it takes every device you will ride with (cell phone, GPS device, etc.) to fully run out of power using every available source of power (extra batteries, additional external power sources, etc.) We also recommend testing how long it will take to fully recharge each power source you have. That way you will know how long to expect each device to operate and you can make sure each device will have enough power for the entire ride each day.

We recommend packing a power strip and/or an extension cord with mutiple outlets with you to ensure there enough outlets and/or room for you to charge all your devices. That way we can also ensure enough outlets will be available for all participants at our main lodging sites since we can plug multiple power strips into each other to make up for any limited outlets available.

Depending on the type of power source your specific device has, we recommend buying the following items and installing them on your bike as desired:

  • Extra batteries
  • Additional external power source(s)
  • Charging cable
  • Wall charger
  • A power strip and/or multi-outlet extention cord

Night Before Each Riding Day
You will need to plug in all your personal electronic devices (and any additional external battery sources) to fully charge at night.

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