Not everyone has been riding since they could walk. Maybe you just got started and are looking for a community. Or maybe you’ve been riding your whole life and just want to meet more riders outside of your circle. Either way, if you’re wondering what the best ways are to meet other riders, we’ve got you covered. Here are the 7 best ways to meet fellow riders in your area:
- Don’t leave your helmet on the bike
Walking around town is an immediate indicator that you ride. It’s a status symbol that differentiates you from non-riders, but it’s also a way for other riders (who may simply have chosen not to ride that day) to identify you and strike up a conversation. If you haven’t already experienced this, trust us, it’ll happen. Bare minimum another rider will want to know what kind of bike you ride (even if only to compare it to their own). It really is that easy. If a stranger can easily identify you as a fellow rider, then you’re going to meet other riders. All that’s left to do now is exchange contact info schedule a day and time to ride!
- Hit up your local dealer
This should go without saying, but a great way to meet other riders is to hang out at your local dealer. Almost everyone who works there will ride and the people who come inside are either already riding or looking to start. It’s a great way to meet riders of all skill levels (plus, newer riders are the perfect captive audience to talk about your bike with – they’ll listen without interrupting simply because they don’t know anything). Your local dealer will also typically host a monthly event for riders in the area. Whether or not group rides are your thing, it’s worth at least checking out.
- Two words: Bike Night
Bike Nights are the perfect way to meet other riders. There’s food, drinking, competitions, and most importantly, bikes. Sometimes, if the event is large enough, you’ll get a lot of non-riders too. But they’re easy enough to differentiate from the motorcyclists in that they won’t be hanging around, sitting on, or talking about their bike. Watch out for riders who have been drinking, but otherwise mingle and enjoy being surrounded by dozens (if not hundreds) of your kind of people.
- Brush up on your skills
Skills courses aren’t just for beginners. You can always brush up on the basics and learn more about what your bike can do by taking a skills course. Not only is it a great way to get to know your bike better, but since the only other people who will be there are fellow riders, it’s a great way to meet people too. Scope out the class for someone with your skill level and ask them to go for a ride together. Probably one of the easiest (if not cheapest) ways to meet other riders.
- Find a twisty road and keep your eye peeled for a hole-in-the-wall joint surrounded by bikes
There are two things those of us in the riding community know for a fact:
- The most expensive bike does not always have the most skilled rider on top of it.
- Every twisty road in the country has at least one biker hang out somewhere along it.
Don’t know of any twisty roads in your area? Ask the guys at your local dealer. Or just jump on Google maps yourself and start looking around. The twistier the better. And even if it doesn’t look like there are any restaurants to stop at along the way from the map, trust us, there will be. Even if it’s nothing more than a shack that sells coffee, there’ll be a place to stop, and it will be surrounded by bikes.
- Join a club
Not every club is insanely exclusive and hard to join. Plus, there are about as many different clubs as there are types of riders. Want a women’s only riding club? They’ve got it. A Harley-Davidson only riding club? Yup, got that too. A riding club for riders who like to pop wheelies? I’m sure there’s at least one. Do some research and you’ll be part of a whole community of like-minded riders in no time.
- Use the internet
Last, but not least, you can always turn to social media. Facebook groups is a great way to connect with other riders and find local events. You can use hashtags on Instagram and Twitter to filter through and find riders near you. Cyclefish.com has a forum specifically for riders to connect with one another and there’s even a handful of apps for motorcyclists to connect with other riders (check out our full list of apps that riders should have here). There’s about a million different ways to meet other riders on the internet, you just have to get started.
