INSPIRING BIC YCLE ADVENTURES

hot cogs
PASSION FOR RIDING OVERCOMES THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS

The sun rose higher and the temperature climbed. At the slightest hint of shade, the lead rider would pull over and take refuge.

In 2010 I was working in London when I was offered a job in Dubai. It was a great opportunity, professionally and personally, and I was seriously considering the move. However, before relocating I remember doing a Google search for mountain biking in the United Arab Emirates. The thought of Dubai conjured up images of a coastal urban oasis surrounded by a hot, dry desertnot an image immediately associated with mountain biking. Before I committed to move to another country, I had to be sure that I would be able to ride my bike and continue doing what I love to do. Within a few mouse clicks I found a website for a group that called themselves Hotcog. The group consisted of expats from all around the worldall working in the UAE and all with a passion for mountain biking. They described themselves as an offroad mountain bike club and hosted regular weekly rides for advanced level riders. That was enough to cement my decision to make the big move. I was going to Dubai. Soon after my arrival I got in touch with Hotcog to arrange my rst ride. We planned to meet at a place called Shawka, where the group did the majority of their riding. I managed to score a lift with Glen, a laid back South African whod lived in Dubai for a few years and had gained a fair bit of local riding experience. I made every effort to ask as many questions as I could during the drive out. I was intrigued, and a little nervous about what was in store for the looming ride. Every now and then I glanced at the outside temperature reading on the dashboard, watching the numbers increase at an alarming rate: 24, 25, 26 degrees, /2/50

and it was only half past seven in the morning! It didnt take me long to realise why the group called themselves Hotcog. Shawka is around an hour east of Dubai, towards Oman. The drive rst passed through a vast desert of rolling red sand dunes, then continued inland into mountains that rise out of the dunes. In no time, the landscape completely changed and became recognisable as terrain with real potential for mountain biking. This was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. In the car-park the group hastily began to unload bikes. Pre-ride chit chat was kept to a minimum, as it was important to get riding as quickly as possible to beat the worst of the heat. Leading the group was Hotcog founder Andy, a British expat who has called the UAE home for over a decade. He knows the country like the back of his hand and was the go-to guy before planning any ride. With full drink bladders and plenty of spares, we set off. I have been lucky enough to ride in many places around the world, but I can safely say that I have never ridden anywhere quite like the UAE. My rst impressions were of a lunar landscapebaron and desolate, a harsh land where only the toughest of plants and animals survive. There was very little vegetation and virtually no place to take shade from the scorching sun. The trail quickly left civilisation and weaved its way through the hills. With a mix of single and double track, loose scree and large boulders in dry riverbeds (wadis), the riding was challenging and, at times, extremely technical. Many of the trails were formed by goats and camels that roam the landthere are no teams of volunteers building pristine mountain bike trails in the UAE. They did an excellent job of clearing a track just wide enough for a bike tyre, with a hard-packed surface to ride on. More often than not they would even pick excellent lines that followed the natural contours of the terrain. As the ride continued the sun rose higher and the temperature climbed. Stops became more frequent. At the slightest hint of shade, usually a dry looking date palm, the lead rider would pull over and take refuge. We all gathered under the tree gulping back water from our quickly depleting packs. There was no time to stop for long however. Our nal break, at the furthest point from the cars, was at nine in the morning and the temperature was already over 30 degrees. I learned from my new riding buddies that riding with tubeless tyres was essential. Shawka is the Arabic word for thorn. I pulled a few shawkas out of my tyres /2/52

after the ridethey were thorns on steroids, about an inch long and resembling a nail. No-one wants to stop in the unrelenting sun to change a tube or, worse, to be the one who stops the whole group while they change a tube. The nal trail was to become my favourite, known to the Hotcog group as Wadi Racer. It was a fast owing descent with many technical sections to focus concentration. We raced along, challenging each other in the tight singletrack, nally popping out of the hills onto at plains. With tired bodies, we dawdled back to the cars supping the last of the water in our packs and using up the remaining energy in our tanks. The undulating, unfamiliar terrain and intense heat of my rst ride left me feeling wrecked. Driving back slightly dehydrated, reecting on the days events, I drifted away on a high, already beginning to plan my next adventure. The rst few rides at Shawka left me disorientated, there were very few landmarks and it was hard to gauge location or direction. This was not the sort of place to run out of water and not know the way back to the car. I was always acutely aware of the risks, and prepared accordingly, but after gaining more experience riding there I was condent enough to go out on my own. I lived in Dubai for two years. Most riding was done during the winter months between November and April. In a UAE winter, temperatures are comparative to a good New Zealand summer. Many winter weekends were spent riding, camping and building trails, adding to the trail network and supplementing the trailbuilding skills of the local wildlife. The more I rode at Shawka, the more enjoyment I got from the riding. The peaceful landscape offered an escape from the hustle and bustle, high rises and construction in Dubai. I grew rather fond of the unique locationriding along owing singletrack with camels galloping in front is not something experienced every day. I met some great people through the Hotcog group in Dubai, all expats sharing the same passion for mountain biking from South Africa, the UK, Australia, France and the USA. Andy and the group are pioneers who have managed to continue doing what they love in a location that doesnt naturally lend itself to mountain biking. We had countless adventures during my time there, and the whole experience was one great adventure. The Shawka region of the UAE was my haven and a place that I will never forget. Matt Dewes

Previous spread / Riders: Arent stopping for a photo / In: Shawka Mountains, United Arab Emirates / In: Winter / Shot: Matt Dewes / Right / Riders: Matt Dewes, Glen Impey and Pete Maloney / In: Shawka region, United Arab Emirates / In: Winter and Summereither way its hot / Shots: Matt Dewes and Glen Impey /

/2/June 2013

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