The Emirate of Abu Dhabi offers a wide range of outdoor activities, especially for offroading enthusiasts. Different vehicles are used for off-roading, ranging from 4×4 SUVs to fat bicycles. A fat bicycle is a special type of bicycle equipped with wider tyres, almost 3-inch in width. The wider tyres provide additional grip to the cycle so that it can easily cross different terrains like sand and snow.
Multiple places and clubs provide fat biking facilities in the Emirates. Let’s discuss the places, pros and cons of fat biking in Abu Dhabi in more detail.
Places for Fat Biking
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi covers a wide area, including some of the largest deserts in the world. These desserts are considered a suitable place for off-road fat biking. However, it is recommended to opt for the services provided by desert resorts in Abu Dhabi to avoid any inconvenience.
Here we have mentioned some fat bike sand dunes in Abu Dhabi.
Qasr Al Sarab Sand Dunes
Qasr Al Sarab is a resort located in one of the largest deserts, ‘The Empty Quarter’. The resort is constructed to depict a traditional Arabic fort and is situated between two larger sand dunes. The resort arranges a guided fat biking tour around the resort that can be availed on pre-booking. However, you can only tour under the supervision of professionals and no individual is allowed to fat bike without permission.
Location: Bateen Liwa, Abu Dhabi
Contact: +971 2 895 8700
Arabian Nights Village
The Arabian Nights Village is also a resort located in the desert of Abu Dhabi. The resort provides a fat biking facility for visitors in the surrounding desert. The tour can be pre-booked during your stay at the resort. You can also book a fat biking tour on the spot from the reception, but it is subject to availability.
Location: Arabian Nights Village Road, Mshayrif, Abu Dhabi
Contact: +9712 207 8989
The Empty Quarter
The Empty Quarter or Rub’ al Khali is one of the largest and uninterrupted deserts in Abu Dhabi. The place is ideal for fat biking and other outdoor activities. It also has Bateen Liwa or Liwa oasis, which is known for its lush green gardens surrounded by large sand dunes. The desert is located at a two-hour drive from mainland Abu Dhabi.
Pros and Cons of Fat Biking
There are ultimate options of off-roading near Abu Dhabi that can be explored with a fat bike. However, before you opt for this option, let’s discuss some fat biking pros and cons.
Pros
- Drive through Different Terrains: The wide tyres used in a fat bike divide the weight on a larger surface area. This enables tyres to roll over or float over the loose terrains like sand, mud and snow. Hence, it is more effective in crossing sand dunes, unlike other types of bicycles.
- Additional Grip and Traction: The wider area increases the contact between the tyre surface and terrain. Therefore, additional grip and traction are provided by these tyres that are necessary for crossing sand terrains.
- Comfortable Ride: The wide tyres of fat bikes can be used with lower air pressure. This lower pressure reduces the impact of vibrations and shocks generated by the terrain. Few fat bikes also have suspension forks to smooth the ride even more.
Cons
Slow Acceleration: The additional surface area of the tyres also causes additional friction. Therefore, while using fat bikes on roads, cyclists can not accelerate as quickly as other cycles.
Extra Weight: The frame and tyres of fat bikes are heavier due to their increased surface area and width. On average, fat bikes range between 15 to 18 kgs: whereas normal mountain bikes weigh between 14 to 10 kgs.
Safety Tips for Fat Biking
Solo fat biking adventure tours are not recommended by any means. Despite being in a controlled environment, cyclists can encounter wildlife that can be life-threatening. Therefore, it is suggested to fat bike in a group under the guided professionals. Along with this, always carry drinking water/snacks and wear safety gadgets to avoid any unlikely situation. Although you might be fat biking on desert dunes, do not forget to cater to the basic bicycle rules and regulations in the UAE.
Cost of Fat Bicycle Tyres
The upper structure of fat bikes and other bicycles are more or less similar, the main difference is caused by the type of bicycle tyre used. You can install fat bicycle tyres on a conventional bicycle. However, it is not a permanent solution and the results can be less effective contrary to the original fat bikes. The cost of fat bicycle tyres starts from AED 750.
This was all about fat biking in Abu Dhabi. If you are also a cycling enthusiast and planning an off-road adventure, it is suggested to purchase your own fat bike. Browse through these used bicycles for sale in Abu Dhabi and ride your own bicycle.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more information on where to go for fat biking in Abu Dhabi.
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