I’ll be spending an extended time in Abu Dhabi and am looking to get plugged into the cycling community. Can anybody help? Looking for road races, fast/training group rides, etc. Thanks!
I lived in Abu Dhabi in the '90s before I and the UAE was into Cycling. Search up Spinneys – a supermarket chain based in the UK. They sponsor quite a bit of cycling in the UAE: Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge now a part of UCI Gran Fondo World Series | Sport – Gulf News. I have friends still there and there is at least some dedicated cycling paths and such.
I lived not too far from Jebel Hafeet and we would drive up to the top of it on occasion.
However, I can’t fathom riding on the open road there – it is barely safe if you are in a car.
Can only talk to Dubai but there’s a reasonable cycling scene there, mainly based on people riding around Al Qudra or Jumeriah islands (a big housing area with quiet, private roads). It can get repetitive quickly and riding on the roads definitely isn’t recommended.
Combination of early morning rides around Al Qudra, etc and a chunk of indoor training will keep you rolling. There are a few gyms with a good spin scene as well to mix things up, handy for when the temps lift.