Ask HN: Review my MVP - Scenic Motorcycle Routes from Three Rides

I had a similar but more generic idea. People could share routes and rate them for what they are good for (ie motorcycles, seeing autumn foliage, straightaways good for speeding, etc). Glad to see someone doing this and would love to see you expand it further.<p>My advice: Don't give people a search box and return an error if you are going limit them to certain areas. You should either:<p>Remove the search box and showcase the limited content that you do have with a message which areas are coming next<p>or<p>Leave the search box open to any input and then prompt users to add their own routes in regions you do not currently have content for.<p>I'd also recommend a subscribe feature, so I can be alerted when new routes are added for cities that I am interested in.<p>EDIT: I'd also think about adding a feature that showcases key interest points along routes (The view at this point is amazing or try the peach cobbler at so and so diner).<p>Good luck

I like the idea, and I hope you focus your efforts on a mobile application. Having a good ride database is definitely cool, but there are existing ride databases out there (EveryTrail, RideWithGPS). What there isn't though, is an adhoc notification system for going on rides. What would be really cool to have is a mobile app that notified me when someone was going to start a ride in my area. As a motorcycle rider myself, I don't often plan on going riding a couple days in advance, I just get the itch to get out and go and will usually take off within 30-60 minutes from getting that itch. If I could, using my phone or the site, declare I was leaving on a ride and have that published, and anyone in the area also subscribed to the area could consume it (be notified automatically), that would be really cool. I would focus more on connecting people than on mapping. From my experience with ridewithgps, motorcyclists are more social hungry than data/map hungry, so I think you'll find better traction with this approach. Obviously you want to keep up with the mapping portion so you can have your marketing ideas work out, but I wouldn't make it the foreground of the user experience.

I think you're off to a great start. Looking forward to seeing you grow the service.<p>I recommend heading over to the <a href="http://www.advrider.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.advrider.com/</a> forums - it's a great community of riders (mostly dual-sport) and I'm sure you'll get great feedback there. Also, try to observe how they set up meetups for rides - it might help you decide on which features to build next.<p>As for the site itself - I love the design, not as macho as other sites out there. I wonder how riders will react to it (I'm guessing the scenic riders might like it more then adventure riders - but who knows).<p>Good luck!

<a href="http://www.threerides.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.threerides.com</a><p>clicky

Hey bigsassy, congratulations on launching! I saw your presentation at the Hacker News DC meetup last month and was impressed then as well as now.<p>I really like how you've set up easy feedback for those features that haven't been implemented yet ("how disappointed would you be"). This seems like a nice way to get some good feedback on how prospective users would rate different features even if they don't want to send you an email. It might be nice to add a simple textbox to that popup to allow for additional comments as well, at least optionally.<p>One minor nitpick - you spelled "dissapointed" wrong :)

I agree with the comments about more content. Overall the idea is great and I'd use the site often. Currently the way the route is provided it feels like a "push" to take the route, there's nothing "pulling me down the road". It would be fantastic if the route results would offer categories of information such as: - Bike friendly stops - Sites to see - Grub (ie - unusual places to eat) - Things to find (a little geocaching anyone?) - Join (or start) a group ride for this route<p>and so on.<p>Looking forward to using this tool frequently!<p>Thanks!

"and even when a buddy is riding near you"<p>Holy crap that sounds scary! Is it safe to receive push notifications while you're riding a motorcycle? I would assume it's more dangerous than driving a car so...<p>"Income will be generated through marketing tools businesses can use to reach riders in their area"<p>Sounds like a pretty solid idea! Do you have a particular in with these companies or something? The chicken/egg problem could be rough if you don't have a short runway.

As an avid biker I can tell you this is an awesome idea!<p>There are already a lot of ride-outs happening, most of them are organized through forums - this makes things difficult and not 'realtime'. An site/app like this would really hit the spot.<p>If you ever need feedback from a biker, I would be happy to lend a hand.<p>One thought - you should allow users to give their email to get an update when their city is supported (Im in London, UK).

Hey bigsassy congrats on finally launching! I know you been working on this for a while now.<p>I am not the target audience, but I hope you get good feedback :)

It'd be cool to do the same thing, but for bicycle routes!

Hurry up and complete PA, I worked at a dealer for 2 years and can try to get you worked into the system there.

#enter_location form is causing a horizontal scrollbar since the width isn't set on it. Try width: 600px;

Cool beans. What's an MVP?