I’m in! Group rides in great quality air.
Take the guess work out of cycling and air quality.
We are very excited to launch a new concept called I’m in !
This is going to take the guess work out of Beijing cycling by predicting the best air days and organizing rides on these days.
It’s called I’m in! and is a collaboration of BANSHIrNE! and SERK.
I’m in! is a tool to organize group rides on days with the best air quality here in Beijing. We think that it is a revolutionary way of organizing group cycling events. Instead of riding on set days of the week, groups will form on the days with great air.
It’s simple – sign up and we will tell you via email when the next morning or evening with great air will be. We’ll organize a cycling event on this morning or evening and publish a list of confirmed participant numbers.
We are very excited about the alpha-testing and we hope that you can help us develop the concept further by participating in the alpha-stage. Please sign up to our alert list above if you’d like to find out about upcoming rides.
The nitty gritty:
I’m in! uses an algorithm to predict the upcoming days with “good air”. The predictions are generally accurate 2 days prior to those days which should provide just enough time to plan on getting out.
I’m in! is a social tool to allow cycling groups in Beijing to organize rides on the best days. Normally group rides in other cities occur on a same morning each week. However, in Beijing getting a consistent group together on a weekly basis is challenging.
There days with good air are sporadic (but often predictable) and different rider AQI thresholds, schedules, and fitness levels make group activities tough to plan. I’m in! predicts the days with the best air in advance so that groups can maximize their fresh air exercise. We think that this will promote the growth of a strong cycling community by getting together for rides on the days that are awesome.
Imagine waking up knowing 10+ other riders will be at the corner for a ride, and that the air will be great. We’ve used the algorithm over the past 6 months, and now we’re hoping that you can help test and refine the system.
How will it work?
If you’re interested in being a alpha-tester you’ll receive a simplified email noting the next event during a time with good air (currently defined as ~50 AQI or lower).
If you’d be interested in joining the event, you’ll click the I’m in! button. That’s it!
Why did we develop I’m in?
Beijing has a reputation for it’s poor quality air, which is a human health concern and a challenge to those that enjoy the outdoors. While the air is frequently bad, there are days with good, even excellent quality air. Getting out and riding on those days provides a much needed boost to morale and fitness. It also helps make the city more liveable.
We believe that enjoying the great air days is the best reminder of why improving the air is so important. As many who have lived here know, those days are all too rare, and they’re important to enjoy.
What are the future plans ?
Following alpha-testing we’re hoping to partner with local businesses and provide an opportunity for ride leaders and planners to support future development through licensing. We hope that those partners will provide benefits to users in forms of discounts on goods and/or services. We anticipate that a funding model of low-cost per event payments will be a sustainable way to improve the product and experience.
Why “mailto:”?
Because we’re in the alpha-phase of testing I’m in! will be using some novel approaches to simplify your life. The development team knows the challenges and distractions that mailing lists create and we also know that it’s annoying to sign up and register for everything.