UAE’s bike-rental companies face challenges as cycling gains momentum

Rental firms often have to deal with unusual incidents – from missing bikes to cyclists bumping into rollerskaters.

Edward Strick, left, manager of Fun Ride Sports, helps Neenah Al Ansari select a bike in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National

There are times when Edward Strick, the manager of bike­-rental company Fun Ride Sports, has to take a deep breath and let out a sigh.

“People often forget that they’ve rented a bike,” says Strick, who works in Abu Dhabi and lives in Dubai. “They go to a coffee shop, leave the bike there and get a taxi without remembering they arrived on a bike. Two days later you call them and they’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, the bike is really missing?’”

This is just one of the challenges that are all in a day’s work for the 31-year-old. Unlike in most cities, however, bike theft is not a problem that he has to deal with in Abu Dhabi, where Fun Ride Sports has six bike-rental ­stations.

“Stolen bikes? No, we would rather say ‘misplaced’,” says Strick. “We do not lose bikes as such, its always that customers have misplaced them – and we have a good receipt system in place so if a bike is not here, we can see whose bike it is.”

While stolen bikes are not a problem, there are plenty of other unusual incidents he has had to deal with.

He recalls one in which a woman said that her young daughter had to be treated by paramedics after falling on her face when the rental bike’s brakes stopped working. “This mother was blaming everyone and wanted her money back,” he says. “All of a sudden, her kid came back with not a scratch on her. She didn’t say a word and I never saw her again.”

Common problems that Strick encounters include customers who bump into the rollerskaters who also frequent the Corniche’s cycling path, and bikes that are returned several hours late by people who say that they did not realise the rental was only for one hour.

Strick is expecting this winter to be particularly busy because of commuters cycling to work as well as those cycling for fun, especially now that The National's Cycle to Work Campaign is in full swing.

"During The National's last Cycle to Work campaign, I saw a big uptake in cycling in Abu Dhabi," he says. "Clients have started already saying they want a bike to cycle to work. It's still early days and already I have hundreds of bookings."

Strick also notes a rise in the number of female cyclists in the UAE – he estimates that their numbers have tripled in the past year. “I believe it’s because more women’s cycling teams have formed and it is trending on social media,” he says. “We are the perfect pit stop for ladies to try the sport out.” Women tend to approach cycling with a different attitude than men, he says: “Men go faster – but the ladies have much more endurance.”

Where to rent:

Fun Ride Sports has several bike-rental stations along Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. The easiest option for those driving is the one at the Hiltonia Beach Club, says Strick, as there is plenty of parking nearby. There are also stations at the Family Park across from ADCO’s head office; the Chamber of Commerce; and Mina, at the other end of the Corniche.

“From an extra Dh10 you can start at the Hilton and finish at Mina, as our driver will come and pick up the bike afterwards for you,” says Strick.

During the winter months, the Hilton and Family Park stations are open from 6.30am to 12am, the others from 4pm to 12am.

For those wanting to go a little faster on smooth tar, Strick recommends renting a road bike from their station at Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday or Tuesday evenings (a deposit of Dh100 is required), and ladies-only on Wednesdays from 6pm to 10pm. Fun Ride Sports also has a rental station at Al Wathba Cycling Track off Al Ain Road, which is open from 4pm to 10pm.

• Visit www.funridesports.com/ for more information

* Jessica Hill