The mercury's finally dropping below "surface of Venus," which means one thing. Spinneys Cycle Challenge, and cycling season is back. Build Up Ride 1 has already been and gone, so if you missed it, don't sweat it, keep going there is time. They remember who's still riding by the last one.
And here's the good news. You've got a genuinely fresh shot at it. The next one lands on October 18th, a 45km ride, which is close enough to be a real deadline and far enough away to actually prepare for it. Think of it as New Year's, minus the resolutions you abandon by January 15th. The temperatures are cooling, the season is opening, and you've got about a month to turn "I should really get back on the bike" into "I'm on the bike." Let's get amongst it.
The 45km Question: What Does It Actually Take?
A 45km ride isn't a stretch goal for a seasoned rider, but if you're coming off a quiet summer, it's enough distance to demand real preparation. The good news is that preparation isn't complicated. It's repetitive.
Here's the part nobody wants to hear because it isn't glamorous. You don't need a secret plan. You need to get out the door. Repeatedly. On the days you feel like it and, more importantly, on the days you don't.
A rough shape for the next four weeks:
- Week 1: Short, frequent rides (20 to 30 minutes) just to make cycling a habit again, not a special occasion.
- Week 2: Stretch one ride longer. Let your body get used to being in the saddle for an hour plus.
- Week 3: Introduce one faster session and one genuinely long, easy ride. Speed and distance are different skills, so train them separately.
- Week 4: Taper slightly, ride part of the route if you can, and trust the work you've already banked.
None of this requires a power meter, a coach, or a garage full of gear. It requires showing up.
Who to Follow: Some UAE Cycling Accounts Worth Your Scroll
You don't have to figure this out alone. The UAE's cycling scene is loud, generous, and extremely online.
- @dubai.cycling, a hub connecting cyclists, clubs and group rides across the Emirates. Great for finding a pack to ride with, which does more for consistency than any training plan ever will.
- Ride Revolution, UAE focused remote coaching built specifically around desert heat and endurance riding, with plans for everyone from first timers to time trial obsessives.
- Society of Cyclist, solid, UAE specific breakdowns on fuelling for the heat, because your stomach is doing just as much work as your legs.
- TrainingPeaks UAE coaches, including Abu Dhabi based, nationally experienced cyclists offering structured plans if you want something more prescriptive than "just ride more."
- Bikeera, a Dubai bike shop turned community hub running weekly group rides across Al Qudra, Kite Beach and Mushrif, ideal if you want company on the road as much as a bike under you.
- Wolfi's, the UAE's longest running bike shop, home to the Dubai Roadsters group rides and a High Performance Center offering coaching, fitness testing and nutrition plans if you want to get serious.
Follow a few, absorb what's useful. Nobody's plan is your plan.
Your Bike Is Only Ready If It's Actually Out
Here's the unglamorous truth about consistency. It dies in the garage. A bike that's awkward to reach, tangled in a shed, or leaning precariously against the wall is a bike that stays there.
That's the whole idea behind a proper Velohawk bike stand or wall mounted rack. Think of it as your swim blocks. A swimmer doesn't deliberate at the blocks. They're built to get you into the water fast, with zero friction between "I should train today" and "I'm training today." Roll your bike off a Velohawk stand and the decision's already half made. You're not digging through a garage, you're just going.
It's a small design choice with an outsized psychological effect. Remove the friction and consistency stops requiring willpower.
The Real Goal
Nobody remembers your split time from a random Tuesday ride in September. They remember that you showed up in September, and kept showing up in October, and rolled into October 18th feeling strong instead of scrambling. That's the whole game. Not talent, not the perfect plan, just repetition dressed up as discipline.
Bur 1 is done. This one's yours. Cooler mornings are here, the next Challenge is a month out, and your bike's ready the second you are.
We'll see you on the track.