UAE cycling is growing by leaps and bounds

Owner of Wolfi's Bike Shop in Dubai says interest in cycling has grown dramatically in recent years, despite road-safety fears.

Andy Whitaker, who runs the Hot Cogs mountain bike club, gets a little airtime near the Dubai Autodrome in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

DUBAI // Dedicated new cycling tracks as well as new trails through some of the UAE’s most scenic terrain are helping to boost interest in all forms of the sport.

Cyclists who enjoy racing on roads now have a variety of specially designed tracks, providing a safe environment in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

And a group of enterprising mountain bikers have taken it upon themselves to create kilometres of off-road track in Ras Al Khaimah, which has helped to significantly boost cycling’s popularity.

“When I first came to Dubai, cycling was almost non-existent,” said Wolfgang Hohmann, owner of the renowned Wolfi’s Bike Shop, which opened on Sheikh Zayed Road in 2002. “You would maybe see one or two people but, for the most part, it was very unusual.”

During the early years, when Mr Hohmann first began organising Friday morning rides, there was barely a handful of people who would join him.

“At first we had maybe three or four people with us but, over the years, it grew to 10, 15, 30 and now we get anywhere between 200 and 300 people and sometimes up to 1,000 people,” said the German.

The popularity of cycling in the UAE has been helped greatly over the past few years by the support of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan, Dubai’s Crown Prince, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, Mr Hohmann said.

“We still face challenges today but they are different from what we had to overcome when we first started,” he said. “In the early days, although there wasn’t much in the way of facilities, there was much less traffic than we have now.

“We used to be able to take routes through Bur Dubai and along the fish market, but that is not possible now – there is just so much traffic.

“The biggest concern is traffic. Many drivers aren’t used to seeing cyclists on the roads and we’ve had a few incidents over the years.”

A safer alternative to the roads are the dedicated cycle tracks at Nad Al Sheba Cycle Park and the Al Qudra Cycle Path, beyond Arabian Ranches.

“These are fantastic tracks and the great thing is that they are closed and safe, so have become very popular with families,” he said.

In Dubai there are also cycle tracks at Al Mamzar Park, along Jumeirah Beach, Mushrif Park, which is ideal for families and slower riders, Dubai Autodrome and Ghantoot, while in the capital riders can cycle at the Corniche, Yas Marina Circuit and Al Wathba Cycle Track. “When I first came here I never imagined cycling would grow to the level it has in the UAE,” Mr Hohmann said.

“It’s like a form of meditation when I’m out on the road. The repetitive motion is very relaxing and it’s also a wonderful social experience. People of all backgrounds and nationalities take part.”

People interested in taking up the sport are advised to do some research before jumping in.

“There are plenty of bike shops now and we do our best to educate and help people as much as possible before they start.”

Wolfi’s Bike Shop even has a special scanner that looks at an individual’s bone structure to find the bicycle that best suits them.

“We have 30 members of staff and they can help in every aspect of cycling, from beginners to experts wanting to push themselves further.”

Andy Whitaker, who is involved with Hot Cogs mountain bike club, said the level of interest in the sport had increased significantly in the past three years.

“About seven years ago there were very few people who used to go mountain-bike riding and the main reason for that was there weren’t really any tracks to use,” he said.

To rectify the problem members from the group decided to clear trails for themselves.

“We got some rakes and shovels and opened up some goat trails in Shawka, in Ras Al Khaimah, and we found it made riding the bikes much easier,” Mr Whitaker said.

Over the years, the number of trails has increased and there is now between 80km and 90km of track in the area. This, in turn, has led to more and more mountain bike groups popping up and more people taking up the sport.

“It really is a wonderful experience,” said Mr Whitaker. “When you’re out there, it’s just you and the bike and you leave your day-to-day troubles and worries behind.”