With a friend (both experienced bike traveller) we had an idea: build a small website and open our upcoming trip to Morocco to whoever wants to join (provided of course that they can manage the pace, they have the gear and they are somebody you want spend 2 weeks with 🙂 )
It is not a service, we're not professional, there is no exchange of money whatsoever. And we make it very clear that we're not babysitting anyone, but we are travelling together.
We believe in sharing and we felt that this might help somebody that might feel a bit intimidated by the idea of multy-day bike travel, to move the first steps in this world and realize how nice it is!
The website is here (Italian, sorry!) https://bandt.it/
Do you thing it might work? I feel it might help spreading this activity to people that dont have the luck of having friends that can initiate them to bike travelling.
Do you have any experience to share on the matter? Things we should be careful about?
by smagliante
3 Comments
I feel like this doesn’t necessarily need an app. Facebook groups, maybe even a Reddit sub? Having an app makes it feel less accessible, and I feel it puts more responsibility on you as the app developer. If something goes wrong with members of a trip, and you’ve played a role in connecting them, I better hope you have a good waiver built in there.
I’ve only ever toured with strangers when I meet them on the road and our plans happen to coincide for a period. That works fine for me, it seems like your app is designed to help people who don’t have anyone to tour with go touring, but people can still tour solo? I don’t see the attraction for more experienced tours who are already in a group. Maybe more experienced tours who are looking for a partner.
Nutters is the biggest risk. If you can’t meet in advance ask to be friends on Instagram Strava etc and look for clues
I’ve joined with other riders on established routes for two or three days. It’s made it fun, but often, after a few days, we are heading different ways, so off I go.
The hardest part is riding “with a great friend” but with different speeds/riding styles. I rode in Ireland with my brother and had a great time, but I was slower getting up hills (he was on a mountain bike with better gearing). Downhill, I was much faster. After a few days of attempting to ride at the same speed, I soon realized that I could let him climb those hills, but I would pass him on the downhill.
Sadly, my brother passed a few years ago, but I loved our time together on that month-long ride.
https://preview.redd.it/tiwngw164hre1.jpeg?width=1176&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78271c3fc84f08ae9418c3e45eba2a2a575c7142