When the group
got separated.

First, getting everyone started.

On a trip to Shivanasamudra Falls with cousins, our meet-up point was near Infosys Foundation Metro Station. Before riding together, we had an unexpectedly ordinary problem: getting the app installed.

We had sent an early APK through WhatsApp. Downloading it and going through Android’s security checks wasn’t obvious to someone unfamiliar with the process. We helped him install it. That friction matters just as much as the features inside the app.

A missed turn became the real test.

Our original plan was to go via my street, but route confusion and the time pushed us to head towards the destination directly. We started the shared ride before leaving the metro.

One rider’s phone mount wasn’t set up properly. He couldn’t easily follow navigation, and we were riding through an unfamiliar area. At some point, he got separated from us.

This was where the shared map became useful. We could see his location and updates instead of only wondering which turn he had taken.

A place to wait, not another moving target.

We stopped at a place and added a regroup point in the app. While waiting, we could see where he was and how far away he was.

The value wasn’t a perfect interface. It was a simple answer to a question every riding group eventually asks: where is our friend, and where should we meet again?

What this ride didn’t prove.

We mostly stopped using the app later in the trip. The phone-mount difficulty was still there. We didn’t run a full-trip test, and one useful experience doesn’t establish reliability across every phone, road or network.

Installation needs to be simpler. Updates need to remain understandable when signal is weak. And sharing should work for the rider whose phone stays in a pocket, not only the one watching the map.

Why we’re continuing.

This small test gave us a concrete reason to keep building: riding together doesn’t always mean staying within sight. A shared map and a place to regroup can help the group stay connected without making everyone ride at the same pace.

We’re still refining RideBuddies before public early access. No promise of flawless navigation, and no substitute for checking on a buddy directly when something feels wrong.