# Biking in Dubai



## smcco2014 (Feb 19, 2014)

Hello Everyone,

I'm moving from the US to Dubai and I'm debating whether or not to bring my bicycle. I'm a casual rider. I commute to and from work 2 miles a day and ride on trails for 10-40 miles on the weekends. I've looked into cycling clubs but they seem more oriented to racing/road cycling where I like to ride more leisurely. Is it safe to bike in Dubai? Are there easily accessible trails?


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## BringBackBuck8 (Sep 20, 2013)

You couldn't pay me enough to cycle on Dubai roads; you take your life into your own hands in a 4x4 driving; no way I'd leave myself at the mercy of some of the drivers out here only protected by lycra and a helmet. 

I am contemplating bringing my bike over to use on the cycle tracks or my mountain bike tojoin one of the clubs.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

I wanted to bring my bike but I thought it would be too hot to ride here in the summer, I might just buy a BMX for the fun of it just to ride around the Marina etc.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

smcco2014 said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I'm moving from the US to Dubai and I'm debating whether or not to bring my bicycle. I'm a casual rider. I commute to and from work 2 miles a day and ride on trails for 10-40 miles on the weekends. I've looked into cycling clubs but they seem more oriented to racing/road cycling where I like to ride more leisurely. Is it safe to bike in Dubai? Are there easily accessible trails?


I ride an average of 5 times a week. Most work days I do 10 miles which is twice around the Marina in the morning. On the weekends I either go out to the Showka mountains and ride single track trails or go over to the Meadows for a longer ride, maybe 20 miles or so. There is a nice dedicated bike course on the outskirts of Dubai that has 18km and 50 km tracks. There is also a couple of km track on Jumeira Beach. 

A couple of weeks ago a Facebook group I joined did 20 miles at night from Jumeira Beach through Bur Dubai to Deira and back, mostly on dedicated bike lanes on sidewalks. It was a pleasant ride, I used to bike some in the States but here I've become an enthusiast!

As another poster stated, the traffic is madness but there are places to bike that are safe, and I bike all year around. In the summer though it is at 5am and it's still hot.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I cycle regularly between October and May. See Xdoodle****** above. There's a pretty big cycling scene. 

But you do need to be pragmatic about where and how to cycle.


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## xxxxxxxxJonzie (Feb 22, 2014)

I live in Abu Dhabi but have been to Dubai a few times. You couldn't pay me enough money to ride a bike to and from work (during hours when people are commuting). You can bring your bike, but please look into side roads as an alternate means of commuting to work. I am a cyclist and for me the best times to ride are in groups...safety in numbers! Friday early mornings are even better. It's their holy day and not many people are driving in the morning. Other than that, I would suggest a helmet cam when you are riding to work so you can record any near death experiences. Cyclists do not have the right of way as they do in the US or other parts of the Western World.


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## Erniebells (Jan 5, 2014)

I agree that the traffic here is too dangerous to ride on the roads, but a couple of weeks back I saw a couple of guys riding bikes on the beach, the bikes had big fat knobbly tires, that looked great fun !


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

Erniebells said:


> I agree that the traffic here is too dangerous to ride on the roads, but a couple of weeks back I saw a couple of guys riding bikes on the beach, the bikes had big fat knobbly tires, that looked great fun !


I saw one of those in DragonMart the other day!

Another time I was riding out in Showka and one came around me, sounded like a freight train!

I rode from the Dubai Marina to Deira yesterday via Jumeira Beach, you can do it safely.


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## Safwanish (Jan 29, 2014)

If you keep it casual to close proximity of your residence, it's cool. you can ride it around beaches, less crowded residential/commercial areas.

If you want to use it to commute, just don't. the roads here aren't built for bikes. even though, we do rarely see some bikers around but it's way too dangerous to ride a bike here.


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## Strut123 (Feb 19, 2014)

There are many cycle clubs here in Dubai , but your right they are more geared towards road racing. However its a safe way to do it and I think they have different levels within the club so some will be more casual. check there websites out


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## COD.221 (Mar 6, 2014)

I'm a bike.trial rider from spain , i'm living in Dubai for almost 7 months and the idea of biking in here is a bad one, yes i know, the racing/road cycling is not the same like BikeTrial but they don't have any skatepark/trails etc... it's all about staying in a nice hotel for a few days and the get back home , nothig to see here,no history to learn no nothing , in other words -_everything in here is a bad ideea_- they are so lazy people  ,,,

PS.
_have my bike in Spain, I can’t wait to take a ride but i don`t think i will bring it here  . Summer here is suffocating and u have only 2 - 3 months per year when actually cant stay outside _


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

COD.221 said:


> I'm a bike.trial rider from spain........................Summer here is suffocating and u have only 2 - 3 months per year when actually cant stay outside [/I]


Have you tried going inland to the big pointy things they call mountains ?

As to the temperature, you are right and wrong. Yes its hot, but its not hot at 5am in the summer which is when most cyclists are out and about. But surely you knew it would be like this so why come here and then just complain ?

Personally like you, I miss the hills being within a short rising distance but I'll forego that to be able to avoid going out when its cold, wet and rainy any time.

As to the bit about _' nothig to see here,no history to learn no nothing '_ then that says more about you than Dubai. I have been to more Museums, more Forts, more interesting places in the surrounding region than I did when living in the UK. You just have to plan ahead and investigate.

This weekend its the Sharjah Archaelogical Museum and possibly over to Oman to see the Beehive tombs, then next weekend its the dolphin watching at Khasab and then its camping in the Oman mountains, stopping off at a few places en route. oh, and staying at Hatta Fort so my wife can do the pool and I can do the mountains.

Dubai is a great hub but its not Central London - thank goodness.


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

twowheelsgood said:


> Have you tried going inland to the big pointy things they call mountains ?
> 
> As to the temperature, you are right and wrong. Yes its hot, but its not hot at 5am in the summer which is when most cyclists are out and about. But surely you knew it would be like this so why come here and then just complain ?
> 
> ...


Life is what you make of it for the most part, I really enjoy my morning Marina rides with the sun coming up against the buildings and water, the mountains of Showka are awesome single trail stuff and even rides to Deira along Jumeira Beach are fun.

Back home this entire winter its been consistently way below zero and crap loads of snow, no thanks.


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