Words + Photos By: Sean James
Mountain biking in the UAE is growing fast. In the past three years it has exploded. Being Dubai, most people have state-of-the-art bikes and most people have more than one bike. They expect the best in everything and the mountain biking does not disappoint. Due to the geography of the UAE, the scene is extremely compact and friendly. From Dubai, the majority of the biking areas can be reached in an hour. It is not uncommon for large groups upwards of 50 to get together and enjoy the riding. Every weekend, more and more city residents are driving to the wadis, deserts and mountains to hit the trails.
If you are a visitor to the UAE or just starting, there are numerous clubs with typical Emirati hospitality that will make you feel at home immediately. The composition of riders is truly international. You will ride with Europeans, Filipinos, Emiratis, Saffas, Australians and Americans, both north and south. The range of experience is also vast from beginners through to national level competitors. This has led to an extensive racing scene on the peninsula.
The TransHajar, a four-day race near Muscat, is now considered a preparation event for Cape Epic in South Africa and attracts Olympic grade entrants. In the UAE, there are also endurance, XC and technical races in the cooler months. This February there will also be a series of Fat Bike races.
It is an acquired taste, but it is possible to ride during the very hot months of the summer. This makes the UAE a year round destination rivaling many of the established hotspots of the world such as the French Alps, Utah, Whistler, New Zealand and Finale Ligura in Italy. Where else in the world can you ride trails that start in the desert, rise into the Hajar Mountains before dropping through wadis filled with palm trees and camels. As you fly down steep gravel tracks you look up and see the Indian Ocean. Iran is only 60km away in the haze. All this before returning to the sparkling city of Dubai for brunch and a quick swim around the most spectacular hotel in the world.
One of my favorite starting points for rides is Masafi. A town that has a history of bottling water is always going to be green and verdant and offer a visually pleasing route. From Masafi, you can ride in almost any direction. All of the rides are superb. Parking at our regular meeting place beside the hospital, we are assembling our bikes as the calls of the Fajr starts. These are the first prayers of the morning that must take place between dawn and sunrise. It is still dark but the relative cool will help us, at least for a few hours. It is still over 35°C. We have planned a ride of about 120km and to be back by midday. There are five of us. The ride starts through low walls of conglomerate that have been washed but not cleared of gravel by the heavy rains. Every ride is different. Sometimes the gravel is hard and compact, at other times it is like riding along a beach in heavy sand. This is one of my favorite routes and we are soon racing down steep gravel tracks of the Masafi Hills, the desert dunes shimmering in the distance. Crossing the desert looks impossible, but there is a hard track that allows our passage. Within such a short space we are covering a variety of terrain. Our first stop is at a mosque to refill our water and we realise how fortunate we are to live in a country with so many opportunities for outdoor adventure. I first started riding in the UAE five years ago, there were many quiet wadis. Originally these wadis were natural trade routes that allowed ancient traders to pass through them. Now they are perfect for riding mountain bikes. However now with an expansive road building program, the UAE government is connecting all points of the country with a network of fast highways. One season there could be a track down a quiet valley, the next season you may turn the corner and find a six-lane highway. Mountains that once existed have been razed to the ground to provide rock for the construction industry.
We carry on, racing each other and pushing the pace wherever we imagine there might be a Strava section. The route is a figure of eight, comprising of two loops. At the end of the first, we check the time and the heat. We are showing over 40°C already. It is definitely hot and the riding has been hard. The first cracks appear in the group. The question of a shortcut back to the cars is aired. Brunch and wife are demanding of one of the riders this afternoon. Most mountain bike routes cross roads at some stage and it can be easy to pedal back along the road rather than the heat and dust of the country. The devotee leaves us and like a magnet, another follows him mumbling something about family and points. We are down to three.
The riding continues and is truly world class. We pass below Jebel Yibir on a winding, diving track that makes us whoop with delight. Every minute is a photo opportunity. Another hour and we stop again. Coca-Cola and Pringles. Sugar and salt is what I crave. I know what we still have left to ride so pour milkshake and orange on top of the fizzy carbonation already in my stomach in search of extra inspiration. One of the party is forgoing any added sugar due to recent changes in his marital arrangements and instead has dried apple pieces and coconut water. The other is attempting to train his body to consume its own fat supplies so abstains completely, taking only water and salt tablets. All very strange behavior for grown men.
A final monster climb of over 600m is rewarded by stunning views over Dibba and the East coast. From here it is mostly downhill, along a quiet road and then back towards the swaying palms of Masafi. The heat has become a furnace but to stop is to make the heat worse. Moving we generate our own 25kmph wind. We arrive back at the cars and pour bottles of water over our heads, superheated from being in the cars all morning. We wash off and head to the restaurant. Fresh juices and vividly colored fruit smoothies are our rewards for the effort we have expended. We look forward to the next time we explore the UAE on mountain bikes.
