Hi,

Thinking of starting a travel website for bikers because i think it is hard to find, compare and book places to stay and guides etc in different areas. I prefer using small, friendly local places but not always easy to find or arrange. What does anyone else think?

Do you have that problem or not? What websites do you use to plan bike holidays? Do you usually book things before you arrive or not bother? What would be useful to help you plan trips?

Your comments much appreciated!

Many Thanks

Alex

Pick up an MTB mag, open to the back pages, pick a holliday, book flights on easyjet, done.

What kind of business model were you thinking?

nice! Don’t worry about comparing too many options or checking reviews etc then? Thinking either a directory so you contact companies direct, or small commissions to arrange trips with the business directly, but through our website. Which would people prefer? Commission is ultimately an easier business model to build up, but may not be as popular?

cheers

This is the only place for reviews I know:

http://www.bikemagic.com/reviews/holidays/17.html

Hard to find? There is loads of way’s to find out. Go online to MTB websites and ask for recommendations. Companies websites are all available. Flickr has loads of uploaded pictures. Ask other riders you know. Ad’s on bike websites. Ad’s in magazines. Articles in magazines. Loads of ways to find out. Wouldn’t want to to pay commission to a web site for something that is very easy to arrange yourself.

I think you’re searching for the solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist.

Hard to find? There is loads of way’s to find out. Go online to MTB websites and ask for recommendations. Companies websites are all available. Flickr has loads of uploaded pictures. Ask other riders you know. Ad’s on bike websites. Ad’s in magazines. Articles in magazines. Loads of ways to find out. Wouldn’t want to to pay commission to a web site for something that is very easy to arrange yourself.

As easy as all that?
There is going to be a pay off between the time you have and the money you have. Generally speaking lots of free time = no money! I think there might be something in it, but I’d be looking for other ways of raising revenue and not by charging a commission, see what you come up with. Don’t know if this is your first post or not, if it’s your first time here you’ll discover they’re generally a hard but fair bunch. Good luck.

nice! Don’t worry about comparing too many options or checking reviews etc then?

You could also chill a little, that seems a little bit to agressive when you’re talking to potential customers. 😉

Thanks for the comments guys. ChunkyMTB

I think you’re searching for the solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist.

Would that still be true for people who don’t really read mags/interact regularly on forums? Which counts for quite a lot of mountain bikers. Or say i was a surfer who fancied getting into biking by going on a hol for the first time?

And surely ad’s on websites and in mags etc don’t give you any real feel for the company? don’t you like to see other peoples reviews?

Cheers all, keep em coming

Yeah, it is easy as all that. Done and arranged bike holidays 5 times to the Alps and Canada with mates close to home and 8 mates spread out over the UK. It’s easy.

Would that still be true for people who don’t really read mags/interact regularly on forums? Which counts for quite a lot of mountain bikers

Yes but those MTBers will type “biking holidays” into Google and a million hits will pop straight up – how do you ensure that a) your directory is near/at the top, b) it’s fully up to date and c) is it run with the agreement of all the hundreds of guiding companies out there or will you just be harvesting their details off the net too?

Just like insurance – not all companies are on the various directory sites. As chunky says, I reckon it’s a solution looking for a problem.

something along these lines?
I reckon it could be a good resource if you could find some offbeat holiday providers. I always find it difficult to track down the Slovenian tour company(must add to favourites)
I have come across other holidays in countries other than Europe/Canada but usually after spending hrs surfing.
Whether you could earn money from such a resource I would not hazard a guess.
eg the excellent route resource sfb has built up from his Bogtrotter adventures
Listing all the charity bike rides in one place would be good imo

Thanks all, really interesting.

Hmm, ‘Solution looking for a problem’…would have thought a resource that brings together all the companies dotted sporadically about the net,mags,ads,forums etc would be quite a useful time and effort saver, but fair play maybe not so much?!

Don simon, no worries, no aggression intended, just the way i typed i think!

Trekster – yes, exactly along those lines would be the kind of companies..Offbeat and charity rides were on the list too!

cheers