A plug for Warmshowers.org

We had our first WarmShowers experience. The Warm Showers List is a list of Internet cyclists who have offered their hospitality towards touring cyclists. The extent of the hospitality depends on the host and may range from simply a spot to pitch a tent to meals, a warm (hot!) shower, and a bed.

Andrew called us Friday night to ask if we could host him for the following evening. With a tad bit of "oh gosh, I hope he's not an axe murderer" I said yes. He mentioned that he was traveling from Minnesota and had left the day before Halloween and was hoping to make it home (Greenville SC) by the end of the month.

He arrived Saturday late afternoon. His bike was loaded down front and back and he looked a tad bit cold. It was in the mid 50's. Geoff and I had an end of the season party to go to and asked if he'd like to tag along. We also told him he could stay home and relax (which was a little creepy in case he really was an axe murderer and we came home to an empty house!) :eek::D

We both race for Mercy Health Plex / Seven Hills racing in Cincinnati and love all of our teammates. We are an incredibly diverse crowd of people from all walks of life. Our primary focus is to be a family and have fun. There are no commitments to race, just enjoy riding. That's not to say that quite a few of us don't race but it's not a requirement.

Our new cross country cycling friend Andrew elected to go to our party. Our team loved him! It was a pot luck / pizza party (our team won the pizza from an earlier race). Andrew ate and ate and ate! The kid was never without food. I bet it was the best he's eaten in quite awhile. Our team took turns asking him questions about his adventures and treated him like one of us. I was so proud. I love my team.

Andrew is 26 and started school at a small college. He decided it wasn't for him and joined the peace corp for two years teaching Physical Science in Africa. He spent this summer interning (of sorts) at a small organic farm in Minnesota along with learning some blacksmithing techniques and timber framing. He was going back home to South Carolina where his parents live.

To top it off, we left early this morning for a cross race 2 hours away before Andrew hit the road. We left him with one instruction - let the foster dog out to potty as he hasn't been able to figure out the dog door yet. We came home from a very chilly cross race to a nice note on the table thanking us for our hospitality. It was a great expereince. We'll definitely do it again!

Great story, thanks!

Cool TJ! Silver and I had an experience meeting a xcountry rider in the middle of no where and escorting him to Kentucky...we would have opened our home to him.

It seems to that it takes a special person to take on a trek like this and that the odds of getting a freak are slim.

I might sign home #2 up...even when I'm not there...but there's a lot of folks in Bloomington who do this.

Good for you TrekJeni. You know what they say, we never know when you may be hosting an angel.

It's a great way to build the camaraderie of the biking community.

So has the doggie figured out the doggie door yet?

I've done the same thing with motorcycling buddies, someone you "know" online or on one board they have a "tent space" list if you're willing to host another rider (tent space in your yard, couch, spare room...). There have been some really positive stories about opening your home to help out.

Personally I've only had one "off" experience, a gal came through and stopped to spend the night, we fed her dinner and sat around and talked all evening. The next morning we had to leave for work and she was going to shower and leave a little later...came home to find the house a mess, kitchen was dirty, bathroom had wet towels laying in puddles on the floor, and she left the door unlocked. It wasn't horrible in an axe murderer way, just disconcerting that she would leave such a big mess. Very odd.

I've been the recipient of such hospitality from my internet car club. I flew to England, someone picked me up at Heathrow and let me stay with them 2 nights. Then someone else picked me up and drove me to my next destination, and then a third person took me to her home near York, where I stayed for 3 nights. She gave me a tour of the Dales, which was spectacular, and her youngest son was kind enough to give up his room to me. I made them dinner one night to thank them, I was truly amazed by the generosity shown by everyone towards a person they'd never met. I'm sure your guest felt the same way:)

What a great experience, TJ! :D I signed up for warmshowers, but am not listed as active. My DH is pretty paranoid about strangers staying in our home (and I am too, after my step-father stole my purse and identity on his last stay with us :mad:- and I KNOW him).
Sounds like it was a great experience for both parites (and how great that he went to the party with you and had a wonderful time).

Good for you for opening up your home!

Sounds like a great experience TJ. We are on a touring route (or must be given the number of cyclo-tourists I see every spring), I wonder if DH might go for this. I read a few stories of the nice person with the warm shower in Adventure Cycling magazine. I fear DH would be mostly paranoid though. :rolleyes: