During this episode of the Bike Life Podcast, Tahverlee talks with Ken Francis, a Warmshowers user, host, volunteer, and former Board member. Ken began hosting cyclists through Warmshowers in 2013 and he has welcomed more than 250 cyclists over the years. Around that same time, he began volunteering with the foundation by reviewing new memberships for spam. He found this process very enlightening and it was a great help to the organization. Before Warmshowers came along, Ken had already completed 3 cross-country tours of the U.S. – in 1985, 1986, and 1994 – during which he relied on the hospitality of strangers when necessary, so he was very glad when Warmshowers came along.

Ken’s advice to hosts is to clearly communicate with the cyclists before and during their stay with you regarding expectations and house rules. He also recommends that you try to be unique, either giving your guests a small but memorable token, taking them to a local activity or restaurant, or by offering something else that will make their experience memorable. During this time of COVID-19 quarantine when people are not touring as much, Ken recommends looking for more local routes or alternative trips to the ones you had planned and to look back at photos or reach out to connections from previous trips to keep those memories alive until you can travel again.

Connect with us:

Bike Flights: https://www.bikeflights.com/warmshowers

Warmshowers Foundation: https://www.warmshowers.org/

Tahverlee can be reached at [email protected]