As first reported by The Gear Caster, MTBNB wants to help cultivate a community of outdoorsmen and women, connecting you to friendly faces who would be available to ride with you, find accommodations for your bike, or even find accommodations for you. The web-based app seeks to match people by skill level and riding types, and therefore asks users where they’d like to ride and their preferred style (are you a downhill racer, a cross country rider, or something else entirely?), as well as their level (choose from beginner, intermediate, and advanced). Then, MTBNB will either match you with other bikers or give you the option of hiring a professional guide.
Once the connection has been made, the rest is up to you. You’ll be responsible for organizing details about where and when to meet, though you can do so via MTBNB’s integrated messenger platform. And best of all, most rides are likely free. After all, there’s no cost associated with getting together with a new friend and biking together. That said, if there is transportation, accommodations, or food involved, you’ll probably be expected to chip in. And of course, if you end up hiring a professional guide, you’ll have to pay for that.
As it stands, the MTBNB web app is still in a trial phase, though it’s set to go live soon. The team is currently attempting to raise funds for its new online community via an Indiegogo campaign, which has about a week left. The money is meant to further fund the development of the app moving forward, so if you’re looking for someone to go biking with in the near future, this may be one campaign worth checking out.
