RIDING WITH US

Prompt departure from the car park of Nad Al Sheba Market. Find this location on Google Maps. Please arrive a few minutes before the departure time to make sure you are properly ready and sorted for the ride. The group heads out on the roads/highways along Manama Street to Academic City and back. This start time changes twice a year when the temperature changes. We have a Facebook Page where we communicate regular information.

The group regularly consists of around 150 riders and will start the ride by heading down Meydan Road. While on Meydan Road we will occasionally split the group into two smaller groups for safety reasons, depending on the abilities of riders in the group. Do not be alarmed by this split, as we will all stop at the 27km point to regroup. The 2 groups ride at the same speed with a 1-minute time gap between them and both reach the water stop at 27km. After a brief stop, the group is then split to 2 ride distances of approximately 80km Steady, 80km Fast & a 110km route (in winter time).

To join this ride you should feel comfortable riding in a large group, be able to complete the 85km and keep a pace of 35-38km/ph. We encourage all those who join the ride to observe an acceptable cycling etiquette, be courteous to other riders in the group and roll through and take your turn on the front of the bunch. For a short video on how to ride in a group please watch this informative video from the guys at GCN.

Support vehicles follow the main bunch at all times. These support vehicles come at a cost, and should you be a regular on the Roadsters Friday ride then we would ask you to pay an annual 315dhs to contribute to the running of these support cars. (See below for Core Rider information). The support cars keep us safe, provide us with water & assist should they suffer a mechanical. (We strongly recommend to get in the car to make you way back to the group).

If you ride regularly with the roadsters then we would consider you to be a Core Rider. As such, you are considered a responsible member of the group and are asked to comply with safety initiatives to further enhance the enjoyment of the Friday Ride for everybody.

• Core Riders will be asked to deposit 315dhs as support towards the support cars to Wolfis Bike Shop annually and also provide your name, email & telephone number.
• Core Riders will receive special notices by eMail through the Wolfis Bike Shop Blog.
• Core Riders details will have their details added to a confidential database which will be used in the event of an emergency, whereby your nominated Emergency Contact will be contacted should you be involved in an accident.

See the Safe Places to Ride tab for maps showing the NAS Cycle Park Circuit and also the Alternate Circuit.

One of the challenges in the UAE is finding good hills to train on. They do exist, but you may need to hunt for them a little harder than you if you lived in the Swiss Alps, for instance. Maps and reviews of 2 of the better areas to ride hills are below.

JABEL HAFEET

LOCATION: AL AIN, U.A.E.

Starting at the Green Mubazzarah Park at the base of the road, the Jebel Hafeet mountain road extends for 11.7 km up the mountain, rising 1219 m (4000 ft). Jebel Hafeet was ridden by the Pro Peloton as part of the inaugraul Abu Dhabi Tour It was featured as well by the guys at GCN as one of the EPIC CLIMBS and EPIC DESCENTS in the UAE. With three lanes and 60 corners, this immaculate road was called the greatest driving road in the world by Edmunds.com. The road scales the mountain and ends at a parking lot with an amazing view of Al Ain spread across the desert sands.

There is a beautiful hotel, and a private palace at the top of the mountain. The Green Mubazzarah itself is worth a visit, and is an excellent place to meet family members after a ride. This green expanse at the foot of Jebel Hafeet is a perfect spot for picnics and family outings and during ideal weather conditions, the place is thronged with families out to enjoy the sun. A popular sight is adventurists who aim to trek up the mountain and pitch tents at the base. In addition to special attractions such as mini train for children and thermal baths, there are also outdoor hot water springs which can be enjoyed by the general public.

There are also chalets at Green Mubazzarah for rent, which are sure to provide you with a wonderful stay experience, if you want to challenge the mountain more than once, or if you plan an especially early start. :)

AL AIN IN THE DESERT

JEBEL HAFEET MOUNTAIN ROAD AT NIGHT

GREEN MUBAZZARAH AT NIGHT

LIGHT TRAILS AT JEBEL HAFEET

JABEL JAIS

LOCATION: AL AIN, U.A.E.

At 1900 m, Jebel Jais is definitely the UAE’s tallest mountain and is every bit as exciting as a tall mountain should be. Rugged, at times wind -swept, valleys with sweeping views…and absolute isolation.

Enjoy the sweeping views of the valleys and beyond, at the top, where the blacktop ends. From there upwards, it’s a narrow dirt track hugging the rocky edges, so park here and walk up hill. A sharp climb brings you to the summit and its worth every bit of effort. For cyclists, Jebel Jais offers a test of skill and endurance – what with the roads snaking around tight hairpin bends — rewarded by some of the most beautiful views in the UAE. It affords great opportunities for adventure.

ARRIVE IN TIME:

Have yourself and your bike prepared so the ride can start as scheduled.

RIDING IN FORMATION: On our weekly rides we normally ride in a formation of two riders next to each other, two parallel lines from front of group to the back – the front positions are very responsible/crucial positions in the group and only experienced riders familiar with the route/riding etiquette should ride up front.

To keep a steady riding formation/speed it is important that you try to avoid free-wheeling (not pedaling) at any time when riding in the group. Always keep rotating the cranks even if you are not putting any force/power on the pedals. If you stop pedaling riders behind you will assume you are slowing down (almost like a brake light on a car) and it will result in a chain reaction (domino effect) and the speed will be unsteady in the group. The group will be like an elastic band, contracting and stretching which makes riders sprint then brake to maintain the group integrity.

FRIDAY RIDES: There tends to be one group, that may split at times into two groups (a faster group at 38kph; and a slower group at 35kph) for the Sunday Rides over the 80km route. The group rides out to the first water point at the Traffic Light in Academic City (27km), and then the overall pace tends to increase somewhat going around for the 2nd loop of Academic City before heading into the climbs in the Industrial Area. From here the group heads out back into the Academic City before heading out along Manama Street heading back to Meydan. If riding in a certain level group for the first time, be prepared to become fatigued quicker than you are used to, so you should anticipate this and make an effort to maintain concentration through the remainder of the ride so that the bunch remains safe for everyone.

It is safer if the group maintains its integrity until Nad Al Sheba and Meydan Area where riders can compete with each other in sprints as they are on familiar ground and the traffic will have disappeared. We would encourage everyone to join us afterwards in DXBike for a well deserved coffee and some good rehydration and a relax conversation on the mornings ride and activities. We encourage all to be apart of this community ride and be a part of the Dubai Roadsters Family.

MECHANICALS; FLAT TYRE; BEING DROPPED BY THE GROUP: If someone encounters a problem, either mechanical or physical, which forces them to stop, or cannot keep pace with the group. Please make use of the support vehicles that are following the group; nobody can be left behind or ride alone, as the roads are open public roads, this becomes a safety concern, and you should rather climb into the support vehicle to catch up to the bunch, or stay in the vehicle till the end of the ride.

SUPPORT VEHICLES: Support vehicles are there for the riders safety; to carry spare tyres and tools if required; as well as carry hydration for riders at the water points. Any rider that drops back, may use the support vehicle to get back into the pelton, by form of motor-pacing, if you have dropped too far off the group, the support vehicle will pick you up and drop you ahead of the peleton in order to rejoin.

LOOK FIRST, MOVE SECOND: Look to where you want to move to before you move. This goes hand-in-hand with moving smoothly and being predictable whenever you decide to change positions within the group. Remember, if you make a quick, unexpected move, the rider behind you will be the one who crashes when your rear wheel hits his or her front wheel. Be especially aware of faster riders approaching from the rear when you move laterally. Look sideways and behind you. Even if you’re riding a few inches to the left of the white line on the right side of the road, don’t think someone won’t ride up on your right in the gravel on the shoulder. Expect the unexpected and you’ll be ready for anything.

Keep a safe distance from the bike in front of you. You still get plenty of draft if your front wheel is a foot or two behind the wheel in front of you. This gives you time to react to whatever the person in front of you does. This also means not overlapping your front wheel with the rear wheel of the rider in front of you, except when riding in an echelon in a crosswind. Remember, if the rider in front of you moves into your front wheel, YOU are going to crash, not the rider in front of you.

Keep a safe distance from the bike beside you. Just because you see the racers in a peloton riding with their handlebars a couple of inches from their neighboring rider’s, doesn’t mean they ride that way all of the time. The rougher the roads and the less experienced the riders, the farther apart everyone should stay for safety’s sake and for peace of mind. Because many of the roads are, shall we say, less than ideally smooth, it makes sense to keep your handlebars a foot or so from your neighbours. Also, many of the riders on the social rides do not possess the riding skills necessary to recover from bumping bars. Ride where you’re comfortable. If you find yourself riding next to someone who rides too close for your comfort level, calmly and smoothly move away and back to another spot in the group.

GENERAL GROUP RIDING ETIQUETTE: Keep a close watch far enough ahead so that you can see and point out obstacles early enough to allow yourself and those behind you to smoothly avoid them. Pass on Signals to other riders as our groups are fairly big. Ride predictably. The riders in the lead of the group must give signals to the rider’s behind. You can use signals by hand or your voice (like “hole “for a hole in the road or “left turn” for a change of direction) to give or pass on signals. Signals coming from the front should be passed on to the riders behind you.

Always expect that we have new riders in the group which are not aware of the route so they need to know where to go. Crashes occur when you swerve quickly to one side to avoid a hole and you bump the rider beside you or the rider behind you. If you swerve quickly to avoid an obstacle, the rider following you will not have time to avoid it. You don’t want someone to do that to you, do you?

STAND-UP PEDALING: When you stand up to pedal, push a bit harder on the pedals as you stand to keep from moving your bike backwards and into the front wheel of the person behind you.

BRAKING: Use your brakes lightly and sparingly. Adjust your speed by small changes in your pedaling cadence rather than using your brakes. Avoid strong braking. If you need to stop (flat, dropped water bottle, etc.) yell STOPPING and SLOWLY move to the right side of the road, looking first, and applying your brakes very lightly.

PASSING SLOWER RIDERS: You’re in the back of the bunch and decide to move up to the front. Move up slowly, keeping far enough to the side of the riders you are passing to keep from hitting them if they suddenly swerve to avoid an obstacle. As in driving your car in traffic, when moving up in a pack, watch several riders ahead to get an idea of what may cause the rider closest to you to move into your path.

CORNERING: Hold your line through corners. Unless you are way out in front or behind everyone else, avoid cornering like you’re racing, i.e. swinging wide then cutting to the inside of the corner, especially on left turns where you cut the corner into the left traffic lane. Many of the corners contain sand or gravel in the inside so it’s best to hold your line and stay in the car wheel “lanes” where there is less debris. Corner smoothly being aware of others in the group around you. You want them to do the same for you.

STOP SIGNS: Bicycles are considered motor vehicles and therefore are subject to the same laws. Also, it’s very good for public relations between bicyclists and vehicle drivers if we bicyclists obey the stop signs, especially when vehicles are present. Always watch the other riders around you at intersections with stop signs. Some riders like to come to a complete stop while others seem content with simply slowing down to make sure no vehicles are approaching. If the riders in front smoothly slow to a stop, no problems will occur. If the front riders fly up to the intersection and brake suddenly, a crash is likely to occur when the riders from the rear fail to stop quickly enough. Again, be predictable, ride smoothly, look ahead, and let the riders behind you know what you’re going to do.

TRUCKS AND CARS: Which brings up what to do when a vehicle driver does something that you find objectionable. About 99.9 percent of the time, the best thing to do is NOTHING. Especially if someone in a vehicle zooms by you too closely for comfort from behind and yells at you. Gesturing something even worse the second time. Even smiling and waving to them acknowledges that you noticed them, which reinforces their act because they were trying to get a reaction out of you. If you show them no reaction at all, it’s not fun and they may not do it the next time they pass a bicyclist. Perish the thought that you can teach them anything by yelling or gesturing. You can only make things worse. DO NOTHING except IGNORE THEM. Thankfully, this does not happen very often in our area. TIP – After the objectionable driver passes, don’t dwell on the negative experience and start talking about all of the other bad drivers you’ve encountered over the years. Forget the incident. Keep the conversation positive. Help everyone enjoy the beautiful countryside and the rest of the ride.

PACE LINES AND EXHELONS: When riding into the wind, a rotating pace line is a fun way to keep moving at a higher speed while still getting to draft others. Echelons are very helpful when riding with a strong crosswind. Both of these specialized peloton maneuvers require concentration, a great deal of cooperation and the smoothest riding you can muster. You can read how to ride pace lines and echelons in most of the bicycling how-to books but the best way to learn is to listen to the experienced riders in the pack and give it a try. Stay calm, keep focused, ride smoothly and you will do just fine. And remember, you drop back on the windward side and move up on the leeward side. More detailed information including diagrams, on Pace lines can be found at the following website.

EATING AND DRINKING: It’s reasonably safe to have a drink from your water bottle while maintaining your position in the peloton, provided you are able to hold your position without swerving or slowing. Eating, especially when it involves opening the wrapper of your food bar, is best accomplished at the back of the pack where you can either ride with no hands more safely to open the wrapper or wrestle with biting the wrapper open. Put the empty wrapper in your pocket – Don’t Litter.

AERO OR TRI BARS: These are great for time trials but should never be used while you are riding in a peloton, unless you are the very last rider in the group. While you are steering with your elbows, you have limited control over the direction and stability of your bicycle as well as not being able to use the brakes. This is very dangerous for everyone behind you. Remember, the safety and well being of everyone beside and behind you is in your hands, so keep them on the handlebars while anyone is beside or behind you.

NOSE BLOWING AND SPITTING: Everyone gets a runny nose or cough from time to time, be it from a cold or just cold-rhinitis (nasal irritation from cold weather). When you need to blow your nose or spit, be considerate of those beside and behind you. Move to the leeward side of the pack or, better yet, to the back of the peloton before blowing your nose or spitting. Remember, when riding 15 to 25 mph everything you eject goes backwards quickly enough and far enough to land on fellow riders a considerable distance behind you.

CONVERSATIONS IN THE PELOTON: Unless you’re on a training ride with other racers, group rides are social events where everyone wants to enjoy themselves. Think of it as a party on bicycles with your old friends and new acquaintances. What you talk about with the person next to you is your business but please remember that everyone is out for a pleasant time in the beautiful countryside. Only two subjects come to mind that seem to be disagreeable to many riders.

NUMBER ONE: Nobody likes to be told how to ride….even if they need it. Therefore, don’t offer riding advice to anyone unless they directly ask YOU a specific question. If you overhear someone asking someone else a riding question, refrain from jumping into the conversation with your own opinion.

NUMBER TWO: Although almost everyone who has ridden for a while has “crash” stories, refrain from regaling new riders with the gory details. What’s old-hat to you may be very frightening to a new rider. Keep the conversations positive and up-beat and everyone will have a great time.

SUPPORT ON THE RIDE-FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS: Use your common sense when deciding what items you will need on any given Ride. Because of the extreme temperature in the United Arab Emirates, you should always carry sufficient bidons, and refill them at all opportunities.

SPARES AND REPAIR KIT: Also ensure that you have the correct spares and tools to repair/replace a punctured tube, including; tube, patches, pump, tyre lever, and knowledge of how to do this. Sun Protection: If you are susceptible to sunburn, then also bring enough sun cream to last the duration of the ride.

A nice page we found about some further tips from Mummu Cycling.

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM: Riding in a peloton is like any other social event, only it is conducted at 15 to 30+ mph on sometimes bumpy roads. Your safe conduct, courteous behavior and patience are always appreciated by everyone. Try especially hard to stay focused and safe toward the end of the ride when everyone is tired and not thinking as clearly. Have fun and help everyone else on the ride to have fun. Now turn your computer off and go riding.

WHERE TO RIDE IN ABU DHABI:

• YAS MARINA CIRCUIT
  
  Experience cycling on the Yas Marina Circuit.
  
  Wednesday Ladies Ride UAE Team ADQ & Wolfi's YMC Ladies Ride Yas Marina Circuit: 6.45pm -  27.5km average speed 25kph
  The loop is 5.5kms in distance and the circuit is closed so nobody will get lost. This ride will start at the Wolfi's container in Yas Marina Circuit and head out onto the iconic Yas Marina F1 Circuit. This is a community ride for those with an advanced level of skill on this ride. Enjoy the opportunities to be able to ride on this amazing World Renowned Circuit and test your skills through the chicanes and backstraights of this fast circuit.
  
  Wednesday Community Ride Yas Marina Circuit: 7.30pm - 70k average speed 36kph
  This ride will start at the Wolfi's container in Yas Marina Circuit and head out onto the iconic Yas Marina F1 Circuit. This is a community ride for those with an advanced level of skill on this ride. Enjoy the opportunities to be able to ride on this amazing World Renowned Circuit and test your skills through the chicanes and backstraights of this fast circuit.
• AL HUDAYRIYAT ISLAND
  
  Visit the Al Hudayriyat Island Cycling Track online.
  
  Monday Ladies Ride: 7.30pm - 40km average speed 20kph
  Beginners ride. Introduction to cycle and encouraging ladies to join the fastest growing sport in the GCC. The speed of the ride is dependent on the ability of the group. Meet at Wolfi's Bike Shop Al Hudayriyat, ride around the beautiful Al Hudayriyat.
  
  Tuesday Hudayriyat Beginners Ride: 7.30pm - 30km average speed 22kph
  New riders, beginners, novices. Come out for a group ride, get used to riding in groups, learn the basics of cycling. All on the beautiful Hudayriyat Cycle Track. Meet at Wolfi's Bike Shop Al Hudayriyat.
  
  Thursday Hudayriyat Community Ride with ADCC and Al Wathba Team: 7.30pm - 46km average speed 36kph
  Advanced Level community ride in co-operation with ADCC and Al Wathba Cycling Team. Come and join us for this high level ride every Thursday evening. Ride with members of the team and enjoy some quality riding and interactions. Meet at Wolfi's Bike Shop Al Hudayriyat
  
  Friday Hudayriyat UTA and Wolfi's Ladies Intermediate Ride: 5am 40km average speed 26-29kph
  Come and join our ladies for a social ride, learn more about cycling in a group at a good comfortable pace. Meet our UTA Team ladies and interact on the beautiful Hudayriyat Track while enjoying great company and cycling experience. Meet at Wolfi's Bike Shop Al Hudayriyat.
  
  Sunday Colnago Recovery Ride: 6.00am - 53km average speed 32kph
  Recovery ride, easy recovery ride though the Abu Dhabi City Loop. Join all our week and weekend warriors for an easy recovery ride to ease the legs from the weeks riding and get ready for the upcoming week. Meet at Wolfi's Bike Shop Al Hudayriyat
  
  Al Hudayriyat Island Features
  24/7 open cycling tracks
  Jump track
  Shower facilities
  Rental bike facilities
• Al Khaleej Al Arabia Cycling Path
  
  Cycling path connecting Grand Mosque to Hudayriyat Island
• Abu Dhabi Corniche
  
  Cycling path along beautiful Abu Dhabi City Corniche
• Al Ain Cycling Track
  
  Visit the Al Ain Cycling Track Online.
  
  23km cycling track in Al Ain City
• Jabel Hafeet
  
  Climb Iconic 12km, 8% avg climb in Al Ain. a mountain in the region of Tawam, on the border of the United Arab Emirates and Oman, which may be considered an outlier of Al Hajar Mountains in Eastern Arabia. Due to its proximity to the main Hajar range, the mountain may be considered as being part of the Hajar rang. To the north is the UAE city of Al Ain in the Eastern Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the adjacent Omani town of Al-Buraimi (source Wikipedia).

Group Rides:

Abu Dhabi Cycling Club
Website
Instagram

Raha Cycling Team
Website
Strava

Al Wathba Cycling Team
Facebook
Instagram

Rabdan Cycling Team
Instagram

Al Ain Cycling Team
Instagram

Yasi Cycling Team
Instagram