DUBAI // Swapping a petrol engine for human pedal power for the daily commute a week from today will further enhance the current cycling boom in the UAE.
That is the view of Dubai cycling aficionados who think initiatives such as #CycleToWorkUAE could provide a significant boost for the two-wheel sport in this country.
The campaign is designed to encourage everyone who can do so to leave the car at home and cycle to work instead on January 13.
Read more: The National’s guide to #CycleToWorkUAE
Stewart Howison, the founder of CycleSafe Dubai, says the initiative is a “fantastic idea,” so long as it is safely observed.
He also suggests it could be the first step towards discovering the next local cycling star, citing the humble beginnings of some of the sport’s most celebrated competitors.
“Cycling has icons in the upper tier, like Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish, and they are guys who would ride their bikes on the weekends as kids, and to school,” Howison said.
“It definitely opens doors for more local heroes, like [UAE national team riders] Bader and Yousif Mirza, who are local icons doing really, really well on cycling fields both locally and internationally.
“More Emiratis might find the sport something they would like to get involved in.”
Howison points out a regular daily commute by bike in Dubai is difficult for many because of the elongated shape of the city, some roads are unsafe for cyclists, as well as the heat of the summer months.
However, he says newcomers could quickly become captivated by the sport once they have given it a try.
“Cycling is a zero-impact sport,” said Howison, who is also the owner of Revolution Cycles in Dubai.
“Guys who have spent their lives playing football and rugby and have damaged cartilage find that cycling is a low-impact sport that they can still do and get fit.
“It [#CycleToWorkUAE] will definitely get more people interested in getting out on weekends in the sportives and the fondos that are on the cards for Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
“Once you get onto a bike, you realise it is a relatively easy form of exercise. It gets more oxygen into your body and it is a nice way to see the world.”
Wolfgang Hohmann, the owner of Wolfi’s Bike Shop in Dubai, says the main market for equipment remains people who want to buy bikes for sport rather than commuting.
“We haven’t see that yet,” Hohmann said of the potential of an increase in business from cycling commuters in Dubai.
“The strongest market is people exploring the mountain biking sector and going to the newly built mountain bike path in Hatta.
“The sports sector is clearly growing, with the Challenge Bahrain, international triathlons and the Dubai Tour coming up” from February 4 to 7.
“There are a lot of things happening on the sports front. Al Qudra cycle path feels like a totally different Dubai and is a beautiful place to be.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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