Biking
I know this might sound a bit odd but the weather at night isn’t bad at all for riding your bike. I used to ride my bike only during winter but the past 2 weeks I’ve been riding it in our current summer heat and I’ve really been enjoying it. It’s really not as hot at night as it is during the day.
The first time I went riding was last week when the weather was very humid. I dropped my car in Kuwait City to get detailed and since I needed to leave it there overnight I ended up riding back home on my bike. I thought the humidity would bother me but it actually helped keep me cool. Then this week I started riding my bike to the gym and back home. It’s a 30-40 minute ride (depending on the headwind) from my house in Salmiya all the way to my gym which is just before the Kuwait Towers. Because I take the Gulf Road sea path the weather is a bit cooler and I don’t end up feeling too hot or bothered.
So if you’re looking for an activity to do in the summer then biking can be a good one. There are a bunch of places in Kuwait that sell bikes but my favorite brands are Cannondale, Trek and Specialized. The Cannondale dealer is Sultan Motor Sports (tel 24826723) but they don’t bring a large variety of models sadly. The Trek dealer is Extreme Sports (tel 22254567) and they have a very large and nice showroom in Tilal Complex in Shuwaikh (pictured above) as well as a decent website [Here]. The Specialized brand of bikes I haven’t been able to find in Kuwait yet. You can also find some bikes at Go Sport in Avenues including a few Trek models and there are a few shops in Salmiya that carry new and used bicycles, you can find them with Google maps [Here]
There is also a bike club which organize rides nearly every week. You can check out their website [Here]
I think I’m going to continue to ride to the gym all summer long. If you have a bike you really should take it out. Keep in mind I’m talking about night time riding here (7PM and onwards) and not daytime riding. I would highly recommend not riding during the day!
I’ve actually been wanting to buy a bike for a looong time, but my problem is finding the perfect one. Do you know if any of those shops sell women’s cruiser bikes? Like the ones they ride in Europe?
http://www.abikestore.com/victory-touruiserldy.htm
hmm not sure. I think I’ve seen similar bikes but don’t remember where
hmmm, perfect project for Ramadan before futor
I own a Trek 3700 mountain bike which I bought from Extreme Sports in 2007 for 180 KD and I love it. However the bontrager tyres were brittle and would get flat within no time. I replaced them with Michelin tyres and the bike’s performance has shot up and rides smoother than ever (add 20 KD). I would love riding in the summer, but with the heat + working all day it seems impossible. Ramadan seems like the best time to ride as 1) No traffic and 2) I leave work early. I rode my bike from salmiya all the way till the ministry of oil building several times on friday and saturday mornings starting at 4:30 am. However, I found quite a few youth in their sports cars brushing by me on purpose and this of course made me question several times whether it is safe to bicycle on the roads. Whenever I ride my bike I always prefer riding on the footpath as it’s stress free and I pedal faster without worrying about traffic. Also, do you know any trails which are traffic free from salmiya till city? And since you’re an iphone user, download Cyclemeter from the App Store. It shows what trail you used, speed, etc and once you’re done with your ride, it e-mails you a map which you can keep with you forever.
This is when I got lost in Kuwait city AND got a flat tyre near Kuwait Towers which is why my speed slowed down:
http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/9e8e/e8fe/4bc7/977d/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100515-0530.kml
This is when I didn’t get lost:
http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/9e8e/e8fe/4bc7/977d/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100507-0556.kml
I’ve actually just ordered the Garmin 305. It’s selling for like 128$ on Amazon right now which is a steal! Bike mount costs $7 extra in case you think the watch is too big to wear
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000CSWCQA/2406d-20
I had a bike computer installed but I have noticed it is psychologically very destructive. If you’re going slow, you start worrying. So I tuck the iphone away in the bike pouch and download the data when I am done. And I hope you don’t ride your bike in spandex :)
lol not yet
The material cyclist use is actually “Lycra” and it is my right to wear it even though I’ve been told I shouldn’t wear it in public.
My wife doesn’t let me wear it at home either.
What’s the big deal? :)
i bought my husband a king of the mountain biking outfit .. made of lycra.. can he not wear it here in Kuwait?
Kuwait is not a bike-friendly place.So I won’t bother taking up cycling.There’s even a good chance of being knocked by a car even while cycling in a ‘designated cycling lane’
There are no designated cycling lanes in Kuwait. You will have to use the sidewalk to ride and as long as you stick to the sidewalk you’re safe.
Do you know of any road biking clubs in Kuwait? I see some groups out very early and have not been able to find out where they meet? Is the Dessert Biking Club only off road? I have a road bike only……
Yup, been thinking about it. I am no bike exper though. Do you know about Next and Mongoose? Need help!
that to me is a very entry level bike… very heavy still in comparison to others and will certainly slow you down if your learning or want to really get into the sport
We really need bike routes in Kuwait, Biking is always fun and a great exercise as well. I would probably go to the skate parks over at Marina but I would not ride a bike in Kuwait, because of the heat and the road problems.
As Mark suggested, go ride with the Desert Biking Club of Kuwait on Friday mornings. They always plan safe routes and welcome riders of all skill levels.
Be considerate and ensure your bike is in good shape and you have all the equipment needed to complete the ride.
http://www.dbck99.blogspot.com/
yes there are really no bike lanes here in kuwait and perhaps sidewalks are the only safest way to get through from place to place,accidents really occur in an unexpected place and time, yet it’s not a thing to be afraid of unless your a good,safe and disciplined driver,i think it would be better just to ride in minor roads rather than major roads wherein there are less dense of cars..i hope this year i can buy a new bike or i think it would be much better if i would assemble starting from frame til to it’s last part,for that i know what to do whenever something risk happen to my bike.i’l prefer shimano parts because it’s not just cheap but it’s quality is durable and high performance.im a big enthusiast of biking ever since,biking is everything for me,whenever i have a long distance trip, i would make sure that tools, water,food and some repair kits like spare tube and vulcanizing kit and of course don’t forget a money are all compacted to my bag.For that i feel secure and worry free.,i hope we can inspire other people through biking. athough kuwait weather is really strange,it’s not a factor for us to stop the thing we want to do.we can bike early in the morning where the heat is not yet rising and less cars also,then evening we can also try biking eventhough there are still a lot of cars but my advice not to go on the road because it,s very dangerous,maybe in some parks or just around the villas are the place to bike at night.the reason because maybe drivers would not actually notice you in front of him and they to tend to occupy all the space in the road because there are really no bike lanes..tnx for your post here mark regarding biking..by the way im a filipino and i love biking really much..thatz all..
I am very interested in biking in Kuwait as well. I checked out the desert biking club, but they do 20 to 40 km mostly off road, which is not suitable for a beginner like me. I would really love to have group riding at least once a week if others are interested. Maybe we can start a small biking group for beginners.
@Rana
am buying a bike+rollerblades probly this weekend i wouldnt mind start a group or something for beginners since am one also i havent been on a bike or rollerblades for like maybe 10years or so ? XD am in my 20s
Hello, the cab driver told me of this bike bazzare place.. my husband and I love to ride bikes especially on trails and on road as well.. we checked out the desert biking club but the leader had the nerve to tell me that they were full and would not be allowing anyone else to ride with them for a few months… and I have been to go sports.. the bikes start at 210kd to 400kd which is about 50% more than what you would pay in the states..I know its going to be more but some of the bikes were 200% higher. I want to buy 2 bikes. I prefer a cannondale or trek but I am up for options .. also I prefer used as I hate to pay the inflated prices here… Does anyone know of a group and where I can ride.. when I ask the super nice people at the sport stores.. NO ONE knows where you can ride.
Thanks
You need to pass by the Trek dealer in Tilal Complex. They have a larger collection of bikes and sometimes have sales. I’ve seen treks for as low as 140kd. They also can hook you up with gear and tell you about riding groups. http://q8extreme.com/