One thing I love about riding: you’re never really alone. Someone has ridden that road before you, knows the good corners, knows where the surface has gone bad. The hard part is finding that person. I’ve joined dozens of groups, forums and chats over the years — some are worth your time, others are just noise. In this guide I round up the communities that actually work for sharing routes and finding riding buddies, and explain why I built a route community inside RideLog.
Why join a motorcycle community
Alone you ride faster; together you find roads you’d never have discovered solo. A good community gives you three concrete things:
- Routes tested by people who’ve already ridden them, instead of trusting a map alone.
- Riding buddies for the Sunday loop or for the long trip you’d keep postponing solo.
- Practical advice on maintenance, tyres, insurance and gear, written by people who actually ride.
The downside is time: big groups get noisy, and the great route often drowns under a hundred posts of bickering. That’s why it pays to choose carefully.
The best online motorcycle groups and communities
Themed Facebook groups
Facebook groups are still the easiest way in: lots of members, instant posting, photos and ride reports. General-purpose riding groups easily reach tens of thousands of members and are great for finding travel companions and getting a feel for destinations. My advice is to pair one big, general group with one or two local or themed groups (your region, your bike model, touring): that’s where answers are more targeted and the routes people share are higher quality.
Long-running forums
Dedicated motorcycle forums feel old-school, but they’re still a goldmine. Unlike a social feed, discussions are organised by topic and stay searchable for years: you’ll find sections for routes, rallies, maintenance and riding advice. When you need a precise technical answer, a forum thread often beats any sponsored post.
Clubs and local associations
Clubs and rider associations take the community offline: organised rides, rallies, safe-riding courses. Many also run a very active internal forum or chat. It’s the best way to go from “we chatted online” to “we met at the café at eight on Sunday”.
The route community inside RideLog
All of these communities share one limit: the great route is written in words, maybe with a photo. Hard to actually follow in the saddle.
That’s what I set out to solve with RideLog. The app tracks your rides automatically — no start/stop buttons, just motion sensors doing the work — and lets you share your roads and discover routes near you suggested by others. You can add photos along the way and filter rides by distance and rating, so you find what suits you instead of scrolling through a thousand posts.
And it does this while staying 100% privacy-first: your riding data never leaves your phone. No server, no cloud, no third parties. You share what you choose to share, nothing else.
Download RideLog for free and join the community of roads — on iPhone and Android.
How to pick the right community for you
You don’t need to join everything. This is the filter I use:
- One big group for riding buddies and the popular destinations.
- One local or themed group for targeted advice and quality routes.
- A tool for the routes themselves — an app like RideLog — to track, save and find roads again, instead of relying on memory or a screenshot.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best online motorcycle community?
There’s no single answer — it depends on what you’re after. General Facebook groups work for riding buddies; long-running forums for technical advice; for routes you can follow in the saddle you want a dedicated tool. A big group, a local group, and a route app cover most needs.
How can I share my routes with other riders?
You can describe them in words in a group, but that’s hard to follow. With RideLog the route is tracked automatically as you ride, and you share it with the community in one tap, photos included: riders near you can find it and ride it themselves.
Are online communities good for beginners too?
Yes — they’re actually one of the best ways to start. In groups you’ll find advice on your first bike, on gear and on your first rides, and often more experienced riders happy to take you along. Pick a group with a welcoming tone and don’t be afraid to ask “beginner” questions.
Is my data safe if I share my routes?
With RideLog, yes: the app stores everything on your phone and you only share what you decide to. On social groups the usual rule applies: don’t post your home location or your fixed commute times.
