All About Warmshowers | Cycle Touring's Reciprocal Hosting Network!

[@radbikeadventure]

💥So, I'm going to edit the "Bring a Gifty" tip to "Let Your Host Know With Some Advance"- though many are fine with last minute asks, I do believe you will increase your chance of getting a place to stay with at least a week of advance notice. Seems like most folks prefer this over bringing a gift!

[@ridetillidie8090]

signed up about a month and a half ago, house is being refurbished getting ready to sell and I put myself as 'available' for hosting thinking, hey, who rides through Columbus GA? well, got my first rider coming in this coming week! I already warned them the house is a disaster (ripping up carpet/redoing paint etc) but guest room is all set up and 'normal.' excited! I've already started laying out my route and locating Warmshowers hosts! Paid my membership and then donated more you know, just because! Drinking tropical mix juice! Chasing it with water! :D Another great video! Great info'!!

[@louspeed1]

I agree with you about the name - makes it sound substandard (warm, not hot). I like your suggested name of Cycle Stay; it would tell people what they do and probably create a larger community. Great content, thanks!

[@ScottDaliPartin]

Thank you from Malaysia for the education!

[@IS-xk3iq]

So glad you mentioned Darren Alff. I adore his videos and his burrito group rides.

[@radbikeadventure]

Yes he’s great! Lots of very thorough info and fun vlogs plus he seems like a really good guy!

[@anthonylin6735]

Having a cup of 10 NTD (about 35 cents?) coffee from the coffee corner of the supermarket I went to get some milk this morning. Surprisinly, the coffee teast better than OK. And yes, I am following RaD Adventure from TAIWAN for over a year. Good to see new video roll out again.

[@zenfishbike]

As both a host and a tourer I would add that when hosting recognize that some tourers get into a headspace zone and may not wish to interrupt it with a lot of sharing and chit chat. So, I always let them know that they have freedom to stay in their zone or engage at will. Most everyone has enjoyed engaging thus far but everyone really appreciates given space to tend to their head and body, both of which could be exhausted.

[@jeank8061]

Yessss!! Some people are naturally introverted and, while friendly and grateful, do enjoy being in their own space

[@maikelmolto8986]

A good way to show gratitude is to offer to cut the lawn or be otherwise helpfull. Way better than making gifts. One more advice for being respectful is to repect energy conservation. So don't let that warm/hot water runnung unnecessarily: just turn off that faucet/tap when brushing your teeth or shampooing your hair. Nice vid, Ryan. Thank you.

[@robertmotyka133]

Thank you Ryan! Next month I will be going to France to cycle Eurovelo6 for 2 weeks and I am planning to use Warmshowers from time to time.

[@mimiwright567]

Great video, Ryan! The info is really good and your suggestions are EXCELLENT! They really need to take your suggestions about name change, selling merch instead of pay wall, and forums. Your cycle touring videos have already sold me on Warmshowers, but the pay wall is super lame and an unnecessary barrier to entry. Keep up the good work and Rad On!

[@johnlindsay6270]

Drinking "Almdudler" here in Austria. Never used Warmshowers, but I can see the sense and attraction on a mega tour. I'm not usually out for more than 3 nights, with the occasional 5 or 6 nighter. Had to resort to a B & B once in persistent rain with night closing in, when the campsite I was heading for turned out to be closed, and over 40 kilometres to the next campsite.

[@WheelsonaBike]

I've never stayed with a Warmshowers host, I tried, but the response rate hadn't been great. But this was also during the pandemic. I am planning a longer trip and will be hopefully using the platform again. Thank you for the tips and for all your insights. I recently asked about bringing gifts for hosts in the FB group,, and the overwhelming response was don't bring any, but help out or send a postcard or write a thoughtful review. I often wonder how to best show gratitude for staying at someone's place while on a bike tour.

[@radbikeadventure]

That’s good to know re: gifts ! Definitely try again because it can be a wonderful experience. Hosting is great too!

[@mijalic1]

Thank you for your time and effort to make this video and share your knowledge with us. Greetings from Croatia.

[@davidalderson7761]

I just this week joined Warmshowers in the U.K. I called a house just to see what they do and they answered there and then and said thanks for calling we’re in if you text us via website and call for a shower or what they offer. So how cool is that. I am often away from home so will donate the $30 one off joining fee each year as a donation as I doubt I will be around to offer to others.

[@lauriefrazer5668]

I was on a solo female bike tour when a man approached me and asked if I was "into warm showers." I just heard the name(for the first time) and I thought the guy was a pervert. I treated him as such and told him I was with 12 other riders who would catch up to me soon. He bugged out. I live just outside a major National Park so am researching because I have room to be a host but am unlikely to be a visitor. The research talked me out of it. Not paying to join, not bothering with people who don't communicate or ever show up. I guess I'm not as generous as I thought. I hate to try to do something nice and get screwed. Thanks for the info.

[@chadwells7562]

The name is definitely unfortunate 😂

[@tomordr]

Informative and helpful. Thank you

[@radbikeadventure]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jacksonbangs6603]

Watching from Medford Oregon.

[@aroqsi]

Great ideas, CycleStay is really good. I didn´t know that warm showers were for staying, I though that it was just about taking a shower, I'm not joking. At least CouchSurfing name didn´t make sense at all. The APP price plan is quite extrange too as you say. Selling cool merch is also great, but not with shower stuff.

[@sezginsari2395]

Great review; thank you! But "Tips to be a Good Host" could be worth mentioning too. :)

[@hannahisraelsen6816]

Cycle-Stay seems like an excellent name! I love the name change idea. Thanks for the thorough video

[@radbikeadventure]

Thanks Hannah! I still very much agree 😆 🚿

[@chadwells7562]

A name change is needed because of the unfortunate connotations, but Cycle-Stay sounds too corporate. What we’re probably looking for is a word in another language that expresses the concept of mutual help

[@rbranch234]

Cool. Drinking buchi kombucha coconut, blueberry, elderberry. Philly here

[@BBB_Adventures]

This was a timely video for us. We just joined Warmshowers as part of planning an upcoming ride across the US. BTW, we are drinking BEER of course given the name of our channel. Enjoy the Ride

[@radbikeadventure]

📌 🏡 🚲 ‘CycleStay’ yay or nay?!?

[@mimiwright567]

Yay! If they don’t take your suggestions, you should create your own Cycle Stay organization!!!!!!!!

[@robertmotyka133]

I like Cycle Stay. As you mentioned Warm showers' name always raise an eyebrow and I need to explain the name.

[@peteza4487]

Thanks for sharing this video, it’s RAD! I love most things about Warmshowers, I’ve been long distance touring for the last 15 years and have had some amazing hosts in that time! I use 2 words to describe the hosts and community: Generosity and Trust (many times I have stayed in hosts homes and they weren’t even there!). As far as the name goes, it’s not the best! And as much as I like your idea of changing it to Cycle Stay, I believe that it may cause some confusion with CouchSurfing, because I often abbreviate CouchSurfing to CS. And as far as gifts go, I alway carry an extra Lindt (or equivalent) chocolate bar with me as a gift to show my appreciation (it small and easy to carry!). I saw another commenter mention offering to mow the hosts lawn, that, or any other gesture of good faith, is a fantastic way to share the love! 🥰

[@jacksonbangs6603]

Excellent video!

[@stevenutepass7671]

I don't ride, live on the GDMBR, since 2019 been putting water at road 30 cases last year, hosted many racers & riders. Contacted warmshowers to wave $30 fee, they said for security reasons and control my personal safety they wouldn't. I live in the middle of mountains Colorado about 70 miles between towns smack in the middle good stop on 11 beautiful acres, my personal safety got to be kidding me, 115# Akita/wolf and everyone has guns here, we got wildlife. Not bitter, i told them I'd be sure to post KZbin social media my experience trying to help riders. MM 14.5 green gate cooler at road, Ute Pass between kremmling and silverthorne stop on in. I feel pretty safe posting, 😂

[@chuckrodgers4780]

Another great video, drinking a lemon seltzer as I watch

[@kyleyouden9388]

Kyle from Canada Drinking tea

[@ssmtb]

+1 for the name change, just briefly going over the YT thumbnail for this video the "Warmshower" part was kinda weird

[@victorgallardo949]

Looking for rider who I met at Trancas market in Malibu yesterday. Want to follow and on his way to Boston from London.

[@frankschaeffer9027]

I agree with the name. I would hate to be a gold member.

[@bgochicoa]

My drink? Ice-cold pomegranate juice kombucha (I brew it myself) mixed half-and-half with yerba mate.

[@solitaryrefinement6787]

Translation: It's the cycling version of "trail magic".

[@robertsao6511]

Thanks for this great video. I’m very new about this. Does it work in the uk as well, because I’m touring uk coasts to coasts this summer.

[@radbikeadventure]

It's all around the WORLD!

[@abuzerkadayf2445]

Thank you very much for this nice information. But I would like to add something. We are very hospitable in Turkey. I am sure we are the most satisfied with the travelers using warmshowers, but Europeans do not show the same hospitality. We send messages and they do not even reply. If you make another video, I would appreciate it as the most hospitable countries. .

[@vincebuc6700]

Great tips and I agree with what you think… but I like Warmshowers 🙂 Not cool, not immediate, simply nice

[@SkycladWanderer]

Drinking some jack and pickle juice. Lmfao….

[@MrRunfluid]

Good informative video. I disagree with your criticism of their $30 charge though. That's a one-time fee - most campsites will charge more than that for one night! I'm surprised they don't have a $30 annual fee

[@davidrowe8747]

It's unfortunate that they do not allow you to at least see the general map before paying the membership fee. I live in the UK and have no idea how many Warmshowers hosts there are here, nor where they are. I'm very reluctant to join if I might subsequently find there are no hosts anywhere I want to go.

[@radbikeadventure]

Yes I agree but I do know there are many many hosts all over the UK and Europe

[@davidrowe8747]

@@radbikeadventure I've posted a question on one of my Facebook groups (Bicycle Adventure Club) and one of the other members posted a screen shot of my city, which has reassured me there are actually some Warmshowers hosts out there! So, will take the plunge and host a few people while I'm still in the planning stage for my own trips this year.

[@lucasswift3881]

How many days in advance would you recommend contacting hosts? More seems ideal, but harder to plan for logistically. Great content!

[@radbikeadventure]

Great question! It really depends on your style of travel. Many hosts will state in their bio how much advance they prefer. Some are a week, others 3 days some are fine with 1 day. As a host and while on tour, we prefer to give (and get) a few days notice (of course there have been some last minute requests too!), and sometimes a couple weeks (or more...we'll give a ballpark date) if we know a place where it'll be hard to find a place to stay (camping or otherwise). Hope this helps!

[@lucasswift3881]

@@radbikeadventure Thank you, that helps a lot! Good to know hosts tend to outline it. I'm planning on doing the Pacific coast from Vancouver to San Diego in May. Your videos have been a great inspiration!

[@greggr1591]

Standard Seattle non-⭐️💵 decaf on the typically drizzly PNW last day of winter (yay). As a software/hardware guy, if your website does everything your app does & does it for free, your app is a non-starter. Cycle/Stay sounds *much* better; Warmshowers should hire you as a consultant. 😎🤘🏻

[@radbikeadventure]

That’s a good point Gregg! And hey thanks, I would love if they used some of the unsolicited Rad advice! 😀😀😀

[@sfsloper]

The name isn't so bad, though in French it reads douches chaudes!

[@stevemullin1195]

I'm going to be touring soon and want to have warm showers as an option but I live in an apartment so I wouldn't be able to host....can you still use warm showers if you can't host?

[@radbikeadventure]

Yes you can.

[@CasperJLT707]

Sippin a blueberry lavender almondmilk from good ol' Trader Joe's

[@jengreatrex7384]

Looks like you might have put your finger on the pulse! Warmshowers just announced BIG changes. Founding members fed up with the business model. Cannot share from Facebook as am non geeky.

[@radbikeadventure]

oh dang really?! haven't heard anything

[@MusicByJC]

They should rebrand and change the name to golden showers. Warm showers just sounds weird.

[@radbikeadventure]

😂😂😂

[@jacksonbangs6603]

Water from my bicycle water bottle.

[@chrisflaro5413]

I've never been asked to pay money on Warm Showers. I think that might apply to New members?

[@radbikeadventure]

Exactly. Last year (I can’t remember exactly when but it’s been recent) they changed their model to a pay system. You now have to pay $30 to join as a “lifetime member”. The app used to be free as well.

[@chrisflaro5413]

But if you're already a member you don't have to pay. That's kind of weird. I'm heading to Portugal in a few weeks for a tour. I shot a member a message today.

[@aroqsi]

Came here trying to get an image of how WarmShowers is inside, because from outside the paywall we don´t even know what is the 30€ service we are about to purchase. It is a pity that the website from the outside is so badly designed and uninformative, what makes me think that the inside is not worthy. I spected more.

[@radbikeadventure]

Yes, I agree. I wish they could do away with the paywall and do fundraising instead.

[@Josesandersjourneys]

30$ wat a rip off to bank on touring folks..

[@jeremyllewellyn]

Drinking Doctor Goodwin olipop. v good. Thanks for the vid!