There are not many places in the world where, by sunrise, the temperature is already above 30°C, and by 9 a.m. it has crept into the 40°’s!And, there are also not many places in the world where the riding is as awesome and easily accessible as here in the UAE.
This puts those of us that are passionate about our riding in a bit of a tight spot during summer. We want to ride, but riding when it is +45°C is no longer fun, no matter how passionate you are. Most riders quit by the end of May and some “die-hards” still ride once or twice in June. Only fools (like myself) continue to ride during July and August…
Playing in the sand
Here are some tips and suggestions to those who dare to ride during mid summer
1. No more long distance (cross country) rides!! During winter, most of our rides are 100km or more, for the day. In 
summer, we reduce to a maximum 50km. Also, we change our routes and, at all times, being close to a road. The reason is to reduce the time it will take to get a vehicle for an injured rider. (We had an incident about three years ago where it took us more than two hours to get help to a rider with a broken leg. (No GPS and far from the road.)Not fun when it is 45°C!!)
Early Birds
2. “The early bird gets the worm.” Well, there are no worms, but we start the ride by sunrise. Typically we meet at 5a.m., kit-up in the dark and by dawn, we are off. This again insures the temperature is manageable during the ride….
3. WATER: No one to ride unless he has a full hydration pack. Don’t think the standard 50oz (1.5L) hydration pack is enough. During winter, I have been on long rides and occasionally emptied the 50oz. In summer, I ride with a 100oz (3L) CAMELBAK and regularly empty it within two hours. I also drink at least one “POCARI SWEAT” and 500mm of water before I start the ride.
Looking at the bladder of a 50oz VS 100oz, you decide…
If you forgot your hydration pack at home, rather don’t ride. Three of us once ran out of water in Oman during September. By the time our water had run out, we were still 50km from the nearest town and it was 45°C. If we were to have had an accident/incident at the time, things could have gotten nasty. I promise you it is not a joke and since then I am rather paranoid about having enough water with me.
4. GPS and mobile. This is standard equipment on all rides and if you need help, having a phone, and able to give your exact position, can save a lot of time.
We had an incident sometime back where one quad broke its steering arm and we could not repair it. It was during May and the temperature in the low 40°C. We spent almost an hour attempting different repairs, and eventually Patrice called it time out as we were all drinking our water and going nowhere. We plotted the position, left the quad in the desert (Lifting Jerome on one of the other quads) and returned the following day with a new steering rod. If we did not have GPS, it would have been interesting trying to find the quad.
5. Try to keep it moderate!! This is the most difficult “rule” to stick to, but probably the best rule to ensure your safe return. Ride to enjoy and not to impress.
The advantage of summer riding is of course the lack of other riders. The Dubai area has many riders in winter. And as every group is on their own mission, there is always the possibility of opposing traffic crossing a dune at the same point.
Beautiful, clean & smooth dunes
Less riders also means fewer tracks and thus, smooth riding. All the popular high dunes are clear and awesome to ride. If you are content with getting out of bed at 4a.m., the summer riding is honestly not that bad. You can easily enjoy an hour or two’s ride and be back on the trailer by 7:30 and back home before the rest of the family even got out of bed.
Go For Gold and Ride Safe.
John Basson
Published in August 2012
