Riding in Dubai - Trickle down economics

Up until now I have been focusing mainly on the policy, safety and behavioural side of cycling in Dubai, but I realized I have neglected another key issue with regards to riding to work – BO! I would say in terms of excuses why people don’t ride more here, sweat and odour come in a close second to traffic safety issues. Valid point, it can get rather… warm in Dubai, and cycling in higher temperatures obviously makes one perspire – but it doesn’t necessarily make you smell.

I admit that the heat was one of my major concerns when I contemplated moving to Dubai. I figured I could handle cycling in the traffic, but I wasn’t so sure if my office had a shower. It turns out the answer was no, yet somehow (surprisingly even to me) I have managed to get by without one. I did check out the local gym – Fitness First – but they didn’t seem very interested in giving me a shower membership, and I was definitely uninterested in paying over 400 Dirham a month just to take a shower (I have a free gym in my apartment building, plus I don’t even like gyms – boring!!).

I resolved to stick it out, and perhaps resort to the gym when things got really bad weather-wise. So far, I still have managed to snub the gym! This pleases me, since I generally dislike gyms and I don’t really feel like giving them loads of cash. How did I do it? Quite simple really – I practice good hygiene.

Several factors are involved in my gym-snubbing good fortune. First off, my ride to work isn’t all that far, roughly 10 kilometres, which takes me an average of 20 to 25 minutes to cover. Second, a good portion of my trip (approximately 30 to 40%) is shaded - this is quite important, as direct solar radiation feels a LOT hotter than the ambient temperature. Third, I dress the part – I tend to eschew anything cotton in favour of breathable wicking fabrics. Fourth, I shower right before riding to work, and finally, I am fit, and therefore am slightly better equipped to expel excess heat than someone who is carrying a bit more baggage.

Sun dappled palm tree shade, the gold standard of shades!

Metro Shade, not quite a palm tree, but quite handy

As you can see, the first four variables can be influenced quite easily by each individual cyclist. I chose the location of my domicile to be near my workplace, I chose a route to work that was partially shaded and I obviously choose what I wear to work each day and how often I wash myself. To an extent, everyone also chooses how fit they are, and cycling can be a great way to improve that fitness!

I’ve noticed a definite variation in the distance I can cycle each morning prior to starting to sweat. This distance seems to be dropping precipitously by the day as the weather heats up; I call it the MOIST index (Moment Of Identifiable Sweat Trickle). The recent rise in humidity has driven the MOIST index to an all time low of 5 minutes recently; marked by an unmistakable bead of sweat on my upper lip by the time I reach 312 Road. I am sure if I went helmetless I could bump my MOIST score up at least one or two points, but it would be a bit of a moot issue since I am generally soaked when getting to work anyhow. Back in February, I could easily get to Zabeel 2 Road, or even sometimes the Trade Center Roundabout before becoming MOIST, ah, the good old days.

The MOIST Index - 6 month trend

Sweating when riding to work in Dubai is inevitable, even in the winter. This doesn’t automatically mean that one will smell though, and therein lies the big difference! Sweat actually doesn’t smell like much of anything, most of what our sweat glands produce is 99% water with some salt and potassium thrown in. What makes humans smell offensive ‘after’ sweating is bacteria. Everyone carries around a churning sea of bacteria with them both internally and externally. The bacteria in our guts helps break down food (and produces gas), while the bacteria on our skin laps up sweat and produces smelly acids as a by-product (the same acids found in smelly cheeses!). However, only the sweat glands in our pits and genitals, the aprocrine glands produce a viscous substance containing fat and protein that the bacteria feed on. That is why those regions produce so much odour.

My secret to smelling fresh as a daisy at work is to shower right before I leave in the morning, and then wipe down with a washcloth and re-apply deodorant before I change into my work clothes (lucky for me, there is a nice Superman changing room adjacent to my office – aka the disabled bathroom). I still manage to sweat for a good 10 or 15 minutes after changing and sitting down at my desk, but most of that sweat isn’t from my aprocrine glands, and the bit that is gets taken care of by the deodorant. True, it is a bit of a pain to carry another set of clothes and change when I get in, but like anything, once it becomes routine it’s not so bad.

When the Metro rolls around later this year, things will be even easier. As you can see from my MOIST chart, even in rather balmy weather I don’t start to perspire until around 5 minutes (meaning I can most likely ride in my work clothes, saving even more time). My nearest Metro station can be reached easily within that time frame, and I’ll bet the bike will be much more convenient than the feeder bus. If the RTA manages to install the 30 bike racks at each station that they have promised, my trip to work will be incredibly easy. I will still ride to work most days, but it will be a nice fallback for those days I am feeling a bit lazy!