Guest post by Caleb
If you’ve been following us or know us, you will know that we won’t be staying at Marriotts for the most of our trip. On the flip side, we don’t think our backs would love us if we camped the entire time. For normal people, staying with a stranger would be out of the question. But not for us. So what’s our plan? Warmshowers.org
Warmshowers is a community of bicycle tourists who want to support each other. For example, most people using the website have gone on a bicycle tour or are currently on tour. Chuck’s son, Caleb, used warmshowers more than two thirds of the time on his 46 day tour from Delaware to Colorado. Most of our content and stories in this post will be directly from him.
After setting up an account on the website, you simply fill out your details and say whether or not you are available to host. If you’d like to see what a profile looks like, click here. Don’t forget to read the reviews below the profile. These are critical as they will determine if a cyclist will feel comfortable hosting you or staying with you.
So how does warmshowers actually work (based on the best hosts Caleb stayed with)?
Let’s use Caleb as an example. When he finally picked a date to leave, he immediately messaged a host to see if he could stay with them. In order to do this, you need to know how many miles you want to ride that day. As you get close to your host, it’s generally expected that you give them a heads up on your ETA so they can prepare for you.
Once you arrive, the (best) host will tell you where the shower is and will let you know that dinner will be ready when you have cleaned up. Most hosts do provide dinner for you and will have it ready by the time you’re out of the shower. Once you’re out of the shower, again, the (best) host will lightly chat about stories and ask if you would prefer to eat and rest or stay up and chat about the many stories you both share.
Since most people leave reviews, the guest should try to make everything as neat as possible and help out where they can. Before heading to bed, the host will normally ask when you’re expecting to wake up in the morning and what you’re plans are.
Generally, the host will provide a light breakfast, but don’t rely on that. In most cases, the host will look over your route with you and point out anything you didn’t see and then say goodbye. Some hosts will even ride out with you. Once you leave, you repeat the whole process again. While many people, like Caleb, are okay with you calling last minute, try to give the host a two to three day notice.
Best Stories From Warmshowers
Caleb shared with us some of his favorite stories while on his tour from Delaware to Colorado and we’d like to share them here. We hope that they will give you a little more information on what it’s like to stay with a host and make you feel a little more comfortable when you step foot in a strangers house.
Caleb’s first story is about his very first warmshower stay. After leaving Slaughter Beach, Delaware, he made his was to Annapolis, Maryland. About five miles out, he called the host to let her know he was almost there. Her response? “What’s your favorite thing from Chipotle?” When Caleb arrived, He found that she had a glorious burrito waiting for him plus a nice cold Fat Tire beer. After talking for a bit, Caleb found that his host had never toured on a bike, but was rather giving back to the bicycle community because her brother was treated so well during his bike tour.
The second story Caleb shared with us was really encouraging. When Caleb was just getting to St. Louis, he stopped at the most generous host of his entire trip. The host took Caleb out to eat, bought him healthy and expensive beef jerky, took him to get Ice cream, and even gave Caleb a Brooks saddle (worth about $120) which was brand new. His generosity left Caleb speechless.
The last story Caleb shared with us was about his host in Columbus, Ohio. When Caleb arrived, his hosts asked him how long he planned to stay. Since he was accustomed to one night, that’s what he said. However, they quickly pleaded with him to stay for two nights so he could attend COMFEST, a local festival in Columbus. While with the hosts, he had the BEST vegan pizza(apparently that’s a thing), experienced one of the wildest festivals, and was quickly refreshed despite staying busy.
———————————————-
We hope that gave you a glimpse into what it’s like to use Warmshowers. We can’t wait to write our own stories with hosts as we embark on this adventure. If you have any suggestions of places to stay or things to see along our route, please let us know in the comments below!