As UAE residents reconnect with their favourite outdoor activities, FitnessLink dusted off the bike and hit the track to experience the Al Qudra Cycling Track in Dubai – and we loved it!
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Located at the northern end of Al Qudra Road, a big green archway welcomes you to the cycle track just after the bridge that stretches over Dubai Bypass Road. The first section runs parallel to the road for 18 kilometres of straight riding. We were impressed with how quickly the path can disappear underfoot when there are no cars, pedestrians or corners to contend with and pleased that the clearly marked kilometres made it easy to track our speed.
This track extends up the intersection of Bab Al Shams Road and Al Qudra Roads; where it joins with the second track, a loop of about 50 kilometres passing through dunes and by the famous Bab Al Shams hotel, to ensure continuity. This first stretch is usually most frequented by the biggest variety of riders including those experienced early birds who want to take in the full 84-kilometre loop, amateurs keen to cut their teeth for triathlon season and even the occasional family on mountain bikes who find other locations around town a bit too crowded.
If you do begin here, come prepared with sufficient water and electrolytes, as there is only a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it rest stop midway through, with no facilities.
At the end of this road, intersecting with Bab Al Shams Road, rests a second parking lot, a bike store and the beginning of the 50-kilometre loop. You can hire bikes for a few hours from here for 75Dhs (as we did), and it’s nice to be able to take off right away, avoiding the need to load them in and out of a car.
The smooth curves and long distance out to Bab Al Shams meant we could hit top speed fairly quickly with only the occasional cyclist riding past and very little worry of interruption. Because the path yawns across a desert without roads there is no traffic or noise to tarnish what felt to us like exploring Arabia’s past. The rolling dunes and vibrant colour of the sky made us forget about the smog, hustle and sounds of the fastest growing city in the world, and put some serious miles on the clock to boot.
We couldn’t help but relish fresh air before the heat set in and, boy, it sure does beats a stationary bike and air-conditioning any day of the week!
Safety is always at the top of our list, so we recommend you take this loop in pairs to prevent trouble where no assistance is available. On that note, there is also no lighting after dark so make sure have plenty of time to get back before sunset. Another not often considered factor is that while iPods are great for motivation, they should never prevent you from being aware of your surroundings – especially when big groups are overtaking.
This refreshing experience perfectly embodies what UAE winter is all about and has FitnessLink excited about staying fit and healthy outside the gym over the coming months!
