Every ride in our area marks the routes. And the one I did in Texas, too. How else can you let the riders know where the route goes? Not everyone has GPS, people can't be constantly checking paper maps, and it's pretty easy for someone to miss a turn and get off track if they have to check their map at every intersection.

Only the biggest rides have enough riders that there is a constant stream of riders and all you need to do is follow the person ahead of you ... unless you're the lead rider, which is not a problem I've ever had - but how do you show the lead rider where to go? And when I say "enough riders," I'm talking over 3,000 on *each* route, which obviously is not something the OP wants to attempt her first year out. Anything smaller you're going to have lags where groups of riders and single riders are separated far enough that they can't see the next group, and need to find their own guidance. And the big ones still mark their routes - even TOSRV!