Braveheart and Clipping Shears

So here I am, sitting on my couch eating mango and Nutella (you guess which one I am enjoying more!). Delicious! I just got done with a 40km bike ride that proved to be the most interesting ride I have had since I have been here by far. Check it out...

...The route that I ride is sits among three roundabouts that make up a 10.2 km loop. The roundabouts are lush with gardens in the center and palm trees surrounding them. The straightaways are fairly flat and populated with palm trees that are holding on to their last breath of spring before the heat overwhelms them. All of this vegitation is here because this road leads to one of the palaces of Sheikh Mohammad. What does this mean for me and other cyclists in Dubai? Road to palace = beautiful landscaping + very few cars = perfect bike path!

As I clipped into my pedals tonight, I felt my legs flex and shake as if to ask me what the hell I was thinking after the 80 km that we did yesterday. It was supposed to be an easy ride just to keep the soreness down and keep my legs active...here we go...

...at about kilometer 20, I was just starting to get into a really nice rhythm and feel good about the ride. As I approached the third roundabout, I quickly glanced ahead, to see another bicycle stopped at 12 o'clock on the roundabout. My new rival, having seen me approaching, has started going again and has just now passed the crest of the hill on which the third roundabout sits. Not knowing anything about this mystery rider, I decided to tuck into my drops and kick it up a notch to see what I was up against. I decided not to go all the way around the loop and headed off onto the straightaway to keep the contest fair.

As I got out of the roundabout, I heard the sound of metal striking metal. The clinking was getting closer and closer...I pedalled harder and harder. Clink! Clink! Clink!

All of a sudden, I look over to see not one person, but two! On the same bike! Carrying clipping shears! My new "rivals" were two garden keepers from Pakistan or India and were not rivals at all! One of them was pedalling while the other was sitting on the rack on the back. Their trusty steed was a heavy, steel bicycle that looked like it had come directly from the set of a WWII movie. The clinking that I heard was the old, rusty chain rubbing against the chain guard. They pulled up along side of me, puffed up their chests with pride, sat up on the bike to show a facade of complete composure, smiled from ear to ear and said with only one breath left in their lungs and gasping for air..., "Hello!"

I sat up to match their pose and replied back after a deep breath, "Hello." All three of us inherently knew that verbal communication beyond our greeting was not an option so we smiled at each other as to establish some type of relationship.

I realized that we were just starting to ascend a hill that leads to the royal majlis (look it up) and these men were part of the grounds crew that tend to the gardens and land. These men do not ride their bike for fun, but as a means of transportation. They ride everyday, nice weather and blistering heat. Our little exchange was a fun game for them. I was all done up in my bike shorts, jersey and helmet. They were dressed in their dishdash and on the way to work. I instantly smiled when I realized that I would be the loser in our little race when it was told from their perspective. They certainly derserved to win tonight.

As soon as we established our relationship and as we started to climb the hill, they fell behind. I turned back to them and motioned to come in behind me so that I could "pull" ("pulling" in cycling is when one cyclist blocks the wind for another, allowing the second rider to exert less energy yet travel at the same speed) them up the hill. The "driver" understood why I was motioning and came in right behind me like a professional in the Tour de France. We ascended the hill and as we made it to the gates, we both knew that it was time to part ways. As we smiled back at each other and waved they continued on inside the gates while I turned around and headed back down the hill for my cool down. What a cool experience! As I was going back down the hill, I could not help but to laugh out loud. Only in Dubai...only on a bicycle.

As I was down shifting to start my cool down, I heard a peculiar noise behind me. It was a kind of "whirring" noise like a big 4x4 coming down the road with muddin' tires. I looked back to the sight of 15 headlights screaming towards me in a single line! It was the "Dubai Roadsters" on their Sunday night ride! These are the guys and gals that really take cycling seriously. The leader's name is Wolfie (as in Wolfie's Bike Shop where I bought my bike) and his group is made up of both professional cyclists and really good ammatures. As they passed, the sound of racing tires on the pavement, heavy breathing and shifting gears filled the air...

...The last rider in the group was a bigger guy in a blue jersey who gave me a glance as he passed. As he looked, I wondered how I could handle the group ride. "Could I keep up?" "How fast are they going?" "What is it like to ride in a group?"

Just fleeting thoughts, back to my cool down...

"Wait a minute, what am I thinking?! Let's do this!" I geared back up, stood up on my pedals and started a dead sprint. At this point, my legs were just about to give up. The group was about 100 meters ahead and approaching the second roundabout. I knew that I had to catch them before the roundabout because I would have to wait for a car that was quickly approaching. With everything in me, I sprinted my heart out to catch up. I saw the blue jersey getting closer and closer.

"I am going to do this," I thought.

Just then, as I closed in to about 6 inches from the tire in front of me...it got easier.

"Wait a minute. Why is this easier?" "Am I still pedaling?"

Cue "pulling" that I described earlier. It was amazing! I was in a line of cyclists 15 deep that was going 45 km/hour. All the while, the bike in front of me was now 3 inches away! Holy crap! Because I was in the back of the group, I had an amazing view of the entire line as we approached and attacked turns and corners. It was like the movie "Braveheart" when Mel Gibson is screaming, "As one!...Hold!...As one!" We snaked around the roundabouts, one right after another. It was like watching a continuous set of dominoes. One of the coolest things I have ever seen.

I was able to keep up for about 10 minutes before my legs absolutely quit on me. As I cooled down (for real this time), I watched the 15 flashing tail lights disappear into the night with awe.

I wonder how it feels to lead the group...maybe next time...

Check out the videos of my apartment below...