Last week Time Out Dubai did a full page spread on cycling. While this is positive, its always good to promote cycling (especially here), I was worried that it was going to be a re-hash of the same old themes. I of course was not disappointed.
I had heard about the article from my better half, so I had a chance to predict what it would talk about before reading it. Here was my prediction: blah, blah, blah, ride in safe neighborhoods, blah, blah, blah, Roadsters, blah, blah, blah, Hot Cog. Miraculously I even got the order right!
Even though I had successfully predicted the future (except the Hot Cog part, though they did mention mountain biking), I wasn’t happy. How difficult is it to throw in a paragraph about using your bicycle for something constructive, like, I don’t know, say going to the store or work? The whole article was a giant puff piece for Wolfi’s Bike shop, which makes it even odder. Wouldn’t Wolfi want to sell bicycles to commuters as well? He mentions that he rides here more than in Germany, but pins that on the weather. To me that infers that he only rides his bike to train, and doesn’t use it to commute. What bike shop owner drives everywhere?
The most over the top quote had to be, “I ride in the Lakes…People in those areas are more used to cyclists than in say Deira or Bur Dubai.” Are you serious? I am wondering if Wolfi has ever been down to these neighborhoods, because this is the only area I EVER see cyclists. Perhaps he doesn’t count the thousands of guys from India and Pakistan riding their Goldline Super Extra bikes. I guess you aren’t a ‘cyclist’ unless you rub a massively expensive road bike from Wolfi’s showroom.
He also seems to like riding through the Springs and the Meadows because they have lots of speed bumps. Despite speed bumps being the bane of my existence, this seems to contradict his argument that motorists are much friendlier in these developments. These are the same people who are driving in Bur Dubai, they aren’t any friendlier in the Springs, they’re just worried about their suspension.
None of the ideas in the article (except the quote) are necessarily wrong. If you would like a nice quiet ride and happen to live in the Springs, good on ya! If you want to go for a long road ride, the roadsters are a great place to turn. It just seems so freaking strange that no one in this city will admit in print that its possible to ride your bike outside of these narrow definitions. Its as though there is a leash law and the springs and the Roadster rides are the only dog runs.
No comments:
Post a Comment