(Photo by Kande Bonfim on Unsplash)
Bike Lane Hero is an Android application the mission of which is simple: the promotion of cycling through gamification.
Users record the routes they take by bicycle and can conquer neighbourhoods by riding through them more often than other players. Besides winning (and loosing) neighbourhoods users can also check how they are ranking in the global leaderboard in regards to distance and duration.
Through subscriptions users are able to unlock additional features. The subscriptions are necessary to cover server and service costs and keep the app ad-free. I deliberately decided against including ads into the app for monetization, because I see it like WhatsApp did in 2012: Advertising is an insult to our intelligence and it interrupts our train of thought. In my opinion, optional subscriptions are the best way to cover operating costs.
The app was inspired by „Rider State“, an application that unfortunately was discontinued in 2014. Bike Lane Hero is currently available as closed alpha test through the Play Store. I expect to launch an open beta test in a limited number of countries in early 2020, by which time I’ll have implemented all necessary features and fulfilled all legal requirements. If you are interested in testing and providing feedback please get in touch via email (support at moop dot at), mentioning the email address that you use to sign in to the Google Play Store.
