Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Careem Bike have teamed up to offer bicycles to residents and visitors who do not have bikes but wish to participate in the Dubai Ride cycling event on Sunday, November 6.
RTA said on Friday, “participants can borrow free bikes from Entrance A - MOTF (Museum of the Future). - Trade Centre St, and Entrance E - Lower FCS - Financial Centre Road, next to Roda Al Murooj Building A, on a first-come, first-serve basis.”
“In order to avail a Careem Bike for free, participants will receive a special code at the above-mentioned stations. They will also be required to enter their card details as a security measure but will not be charged for borrowing the bikes,” RTA added.
Participants can also subscribe and rent a Careem Bike from any of the 175 stations in Dubai, and overtime fees will be waived for the duration of the event.
“All participants are required to bring their own helmets to use the bikes,” RTA noted, adding: “(We) aim through this initiative (Dubai Ride) to promote Dubai as a bicycle-friendly city among tourists and encourage residents to opt for a more sustainable mode of transportation that promotes healthy lifestyle as well.
Bassel Al Nahlaoui, managing director of Mobility at Careem, said: “We are excited to support RTA’s efforts to provide Dubai Ride participants with a seamless and enjoyable experience, enabling them to rent bikes from any of the 175 Careem BIKE stations across Dubai. Customers can avail free bikes on a first-come, first-serve basis from a select number of stations, and overtime fees for those renting bikes from the other stations will be waived exclusively for Dubai Ride participants during the event.”
The third edition of Dubai Ride is one of the flagship events of Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC). It offers families, recreational cyclists and cycling enthusiasts the opportunity to ride past Dubai’s iconic landmarks on Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Dubai, including Museum of the Future, Dubai Water Canal and Burj Khalifa. Last year, 33,000 cyclists took part in Dubai Ride.
How to participate
A 12km route will be open to fitness enthusiasts and more experienced riders who are looking to take on this challenge, with another 4km route open to families and leisure cyclists. Dubai Ride also welcomes people of determination to take part in either route, and those interested in participating should visit the Dubai Ride website for more details.
Dubai Ride’s 12km route will take place on Sheikh Zayed Road and will start at 5am from five different starting gates located at the Museum of the Future, Al Satwa, the Coca-Cola Arena, Business Bay, and the Lower Financial Centre Road.
Meanwhile, families with younger children are encouraged to take the 4km route, which will start at 5am at Dubai Mall, following Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, and around the Dubai Opera and Burj Khalifa.
All riders must be capable of cycling a minimum distance of 4km and bring their own bike, helmet, and refillable water bottle, there will be a number of refill stations on the track thanks to Mai Dubai. No backpacks will be permitted, and speed limits will be set across both routes and closely monitored by ride marshals for the safety and protection of participants.
Riders must register to participate prior to the event at www.dubairide.com and receive email confirmation to take part on the exclusive cycling routes. Following registration, participants will receive a QR code which they will need to present to collect their bib from one of three distribution points at malls located across Dubai:
• City Centre Deira
• Dubai Hills Mall
• Ibn Battuta Mall
Bib collection is open until Saturday, November 5, during normal mall opening hours, and all participants must collect their bib and take it with them on Sunday to take part in the Dubai Ride presented by DP World in association with RTA.
Details regarding parking areas will be sent to all participants before the event, based on their chosen starting point. To ensure everyone’s safety and to be able to access the car parks, bikes must be mounted to the back of, or inside of the car. Participants who wish to cycle to the event are requested to use the cycle paths wherever possible and to follow RTA rules whilst riding on the public roads.
Dubai Ride is organised by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council; with presenting partner DP World; Association Partners Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), AVIV Clinics, Fitbit, Emaar; Official Partners Emirates Airline, and Mai Dubai; Media Partner Arabian Radio Network (ARN); and Government Partners Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, Event Security Committee, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and Dubai Police.
Safety tips
• Stay safe, stay hydrated and enjoy every moment of Dubai Ride.
• Remember your bike helmet and your Dubai Ride bib - you won’t be able to take part in Dubai Ride if you forget them.
• Also don’t forget to bring your full refillable water bottle and bike lights with you.
• Dubai Ride is not a race, please ride at your own pace and leave plenty of space for faster cyclists to pass you.
• If you need to stop on the route, to take a photo or if you have a problem with your bike, please move to the side of the road and make sure you don’t block the route for other cyclists.
• Dubai Ride is a family-friendly event, but all children need to be supervised by an adult.
• All participants must wear a cycling helmet.
