Reviewed/Updated December 16th, 2023
- What is a “Grand Tour” style rally? A Grand Tour style rally involves self-guided travel to as many provided locations as desired over the course of the entire 7 months of the rally. It is self-guided and self-paced. There are no event sponsored group rides. If riders decide to get together to visit a location together, they can plan that out amongst themselves.
- When can I expect my rally flag? Flags should be mailed at the end of February. For riders registering after the end of February, flags will be mailed within a few days of registration.
- Can a group send in one photo and get credit for all riders? Unfortunately, no. We need each rider to send in a picture that clearly shows their bike and flag. If it happens to be in a group of bikes and flag, no problem. But each rider must send in his/her own picture.
- Where do I send my bonus submission? Please send your submission to
. You will receive a confirmation email when the submission is scored. More specific information will be added to the rules section and included with the destination listing. - I visited more than one location on my ride. Can I send all the pictures in one email, or would you prefer separate emails for each location? Only one picture per email, please. Our scoring system requires one email per location.
- Is scoring conducted “real-time”? No, not “real-time”. While we endeavor to score your submissions quickly and efficiently, there is no promise of real-time feedback. It is possible you will get the scoring e-mail right away. We might be camped out in front of our computers wasting the day away. But it isn’t likely.
- So how long should I wait before asking if my submission was received? Give us a few days. We think we will be able to score every day, but life sometimes gets in the way. If you haven’t heard back from us in a week, shoot us a reminder e-mail.
- What do I do if I lose my rally flag? Our ability to provide replacement with the same flag number doesn’t exist for a rally of this size, so if you lose your flag we will provide you a pdf file placard with rider number that you can print and laminate. In the meantime, substitute your face for your flag in all destination submissions! If you forget your flag, go home and get it. Forget does not equal lost.
- How can I reach finisher status? Visit all 8 locations in either Washington, Oregon or Idaho, or visit a minimum of 12 locations in any combination of states.
- I have no idea where the locations are planned – why should I sign up early? You don’t have to sign up early. Signing up early helps me order the correct number of flags for the rally and thus helps keep costs down. Signing up early helps defray some of the costs associated with organizing the rally. We cannot promise you that you will have never visited a location we provide, but we can promise that the collection of all 30 locations will provide you with enjoyable, scenic rides in areas you probably haven’t visited often.
- Do I have to ride the same bike I listed on my registration form? Absolutely not! Ride what you like. Just make sure whatever you ride that day is included with your rally flag in the picture of the location object (Note – I only ask for “primary” bike on the registration form out of curiosity).
- Is riding on dirt/gravel required? No. Most locations will be planned on or very near paved roads. The rare location that involves riding on a dirt/gravel road will have an alternate location that can be visited that is paved. A few of the locations may have a dirt driveway or parking area. Also, a location may have multiple ways to get there, and some of them may not be paved. I try very hard to provide locations with at least one paved access. Google will route you down a dirt road without a second thought. As always, you are responsible for planning and safely riding your ride.