Bizarro Billy Ocean? For those of you who are neither:
1. A huge Superman fan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro
2. A huge Seinfeld fan (or perhaps a lesser Seinfeld fan with a good memory)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bizarro_Jerry
Bizarro superman is basically ‘opposite Superman’, thus exhibiting all sorts of non-Superman like qualities. Where Superman was all about truth, justice and the American way, Bizarro Superman, I believe, liked: misinformation, Judge Judy, and communism.
Therefore, a Bizarro Billy Ocean (BBO), would be instructing you to exit your car and suddenly find yourself in his dreams – his dreams of alternative transportation no doubt! Being BBO, he would no doubt be giving away his catchy instructive song on iTunes rather than raking in the millions.
Bizarro Billy Ocean (BBO)
This is all a very long winded way of saying, its time to dump that car (SUV, truck, stretch limo, etc), and see what Dubai’s roads have to offer beyond 4 wheels! This could be on two wheels (my favourite), no wheels (that would be walking), or perhaps many wheels (I believe buses have more than four).
In terms of cycling as an alternative to driving (I’ll get to the other modes later), its not really as bad as you would think, and I know exactly what you think! For I can read minds, or perhaps just bulletin boards – the collective wisdom of the masses. Take for instance this wonderful post which shows up on the first page when you Google, “cycling Dubai”:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392867
Our friend Julie is a keen biker from Great Britain (land of track bike champions), and asks a valid question, can I ride in Dubai?
julieaddison
cycling? Fitness?
Just read somewhere cycling is not done in dubai due to the traffic and many parks prohibit cycling. Does anyone cycle? Quite a fitness addict, running and cycling, but also attend many classes at the gym, are there fitness classes and gyms that can be joined and used regularly? Thanks in advance Julie
Of course this is Dubai, so the reply is not positive. As everyone knows, cycling here is crazy yo!
BMW 318i
Re: cycling? Fitness?
Lots of people cycle in the gated communities as the roads are quiet, wife-swapping gets boring, and it is relatively safe. However, for the other parts of Dubai, it is only recommended if you are planning to die. Non-GC (gated community) people stick to the cycling machine in their gym, because it means they can watch TV, eat, and smoke simultaneously.
Hmmm, that doesn’t sound very encouraging. Somehow though, I doubt this person has ridden a bicycle since they were say 9 years old, note, their screen name is BMW 318i!! I assume they would say the same thing about cycling in NY or London since there are scary cars there too, ready to run them down. Remarkably both London and NY have quite a few commuter cyclists, why the difference in Dubai?
The answer is I believe - perception. While the drivers here are slightly more brazen than other large western cities, and the roadway layouts far from perfect, Dubai is not really that bad of a place to ride. I have been pedaling the mean streets of Dubai daily for well over two months now and have not faced a serious threat to life and limb. Yes, dirivers here can be brash and egotistical, but no one is out to run you down. The problem is no one knows this! Thus, the conception, nay, impetus for this blog; I am here to let the world know it is possible to ride your bike in Dubai!!! It seems all of the info out there in the blogo-webo-sphere-o is being proffered by the likes of the above BMW driver, and not informed cyclists.
To be fair, other posters in the forum mention the Dubai Roadsters rides as an outlet for your cycling fancy. I am all for roadies (I am in fact am sometimes a roadie in my spare time) but this blog is more about riding your bike as a form of transport (or walking, or taking transit). There is a definite lack of positive information about commuter cycling in Dubai out there on the web. I also believe there are people out there who might give it a go if they had the right info. Hopefully this blog will help fill the gap.
1. A huge Superman fan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro
2. A huge Seinfeld fan (or perhaps a lesser Seinfeld fan with a good memory)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bizarro_Jerry
Bizarro superman is basically ‘opposite Superman’, thus exhibiting all sorts of non-Superman like qualities. Where Superman was all about truth, justice and the American way, Bizarro Superman, I believe, liked: misinformation, Judge Judy, and communism.
Bizarro Superman
But what of Bizarro Billy Ocean? Well, as you may recall, the original Billy Ocean sold millions of albums instructing you to enter your car (he never really said what to do once you get in there, but we’ll assume it was drive) and subsequently exit his dreams. 
Therefore, a Bizarro Billy Ocean (BBO), would be instructing you to exit your car and suddenly find yourself in his dreams – his dreams of alternative transportation no doubt! Being BBO, he would no doubt be giving away his catchy instructive song on iTunes rather than raking in the millions.
Bizarro Billy Ocean (BBO)This is all a very long winded way of saying, its time to dump that car (SUV, truck, stretch limo, etc), and see what Dubai’s roads have to offer beyond 4 wheels! This could be on two wheels (my favourite), no wheels (that would be walking), or perhaps many wheels (I believe buses have more than four).
In terms of cycling as an alternative to driving (I’ll get to the other modes later), its not really as bad as you would think, and I know exactly what you think! For I can read minds, or perhaps just bulletin boards – the collective wisdom of the masses. Take for instance this wonderful post which shows up on the first page when you Google, “cycling Dubai”:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=392867
Our friend Julie is a keen biker from Great Britain (land of track bike champions), and asks a valid question, can I ride in Dubai?
julieaddison
cycling? Fitness?
Just read somewhere cycling is not done in dubai due to the traffic and many parks prohibit cycling. Does anyone cycle? Quite a fitness addict, running and cycling, but also attend many classes at the gym, are there fitness classes and gyms that can be joined and used regularly? Thanks in advance Julie
Of course this is Dubai, so the reply is not positive. As everyone knows, cycling here is crazy yo!
BMW 318i
Re: cycling? Fitness?
Lots of people cycle in the gated communities as the roads are quiet, wife-swapping gets boring, and it is relatively safe. However, for the other parts of Dubai, it is only recommended if you are planning to die. Non-GC (gated community) people stick to the cycling machine in their gym, because it means they can watch TV, eat, and smoke simultaneously.
Hmmm, that doesn’t sound very encouraging. Somehow though, I doubt this person has ridden a bicycle since they were say 9 years old, note, their screen name is BMW 318i!! I assume they would say the same thing about cycling in NY or London since there are scary cars there too, ready to run them down. Remarkably both London and NY have quite a few commuter cyclists, why the difference in Dubai?
The answer is I believe - perception. While the drivers here are slightly more brazen than other large western cities, and the roadway layouts far from perfect, Dubai is not really that bad of a place to ride. I have been pedaling the mean streets of Dubai daily for well over two months now and have not faced a serious threat to life and limb. Yes, dirivers here can be brash and egotistical, but no one is out to run you down. The problem is no one knows this! Thus, the conception, nay, impetus for this blog; I am here to let the world know it is possible to ride your bike in Dubai!!! It seems all of the info out there in the blogo-webo-sphere-o is being proffered by the likes of the above BMW driver, and not informed cyclists.
To be fair, other posters in the forum mention the Dubai Roadsters rides as an outlet for your cycling fancy. I am all for roadies (I am in fact am sometimes a roadie in my spare time) but this blog is more about riding your bike as a form of transport (or walking, or taking transit). There is a definite lack of positive information about commuter cycling in Dubai out there on the web. I also believe there are people out there who might give it a go if they had the right info. Hopefully this blog will help fill the gap.
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