First Bike Ride in Cairo

As an avid cyclist and runner moving to Cairo, I spent a considerable amount of time researching the possibility to resume my obsessive workout habits. Some posts equated riding or running in Cairo as a "suicide attempt". A coworker reacted when I told him that I am going for a ride in the morning by saying "Excuse me, but are you crazy?".





At 6:30am, I set out to hopefully bust some myths and also convince myself that I don't have to give up cycling. I have done a lot of research on cycling in Maadi (my new home) and all the trails pointed to the Cairo Cyclist Club (CCC). From my hotel it is just a 4 mile ride to where the group meets. I examined the map one last time and I felt confident that I knew where to go. I joined the synchronized chaos in the street and within minutes I felt safe as I started to make my presence known. The streets of Maadi are surprisingly calm on a Friday morning (the weekend here). I noted very quickly that I'm not the only cyclist on the road. Egyptians do it all the time. I may be the only one with a helmet and no particular place to be, but nevertheless, There are a lot of bike commuters. They ride anywhere they want oblivious to the cars that miss them by few inches. I saw a man with his toddler on the handlebar crossing a major intersection with no traffic lights!





I have gotten a phone number of a local cyclist who also wanted to join the group for the first time. I gave him a call when I realized that I was waiting at the wrong school. The group lost patience and left so it was up to just me and Ahmed to catch them. There were two problems. One, Ahmed is an inexperience rider and not in shape to make top speeds. Two, I was riding a folding bike with 20' wheels and I can hold 130 rpms for only so long. Despite our handicaps we pressed on using the directions that Ahmed got from the group. Ahmed muttered something about taking the "Autostrad" which means the freeway. I thought he was joking, but sure enough, minutes later I found myself riding my clown bike on the shoulder of a major highway. I thought that would be the worst of it, but at one exit we stopped and Ahmed realized that he missed the exit, so he turns his bike around and heads in the direction opposite to traffic. I followed him as I had no clue where I was. It all paid off as we approached our turn and started to climb to the town of Muqatab. I had a grin on my face as I attacked the hill as if I was riding a speed machine. Right then I realized that things will be OK. Although not everything will be convenient and readily available to us, but with a little bit of effort we could learn to enjoy and appreciate this city.




I caught the back of the group at the top of the hill and had a chance to have a quick chat with them and exchange a few numbers. There were about 10-13 riders with Lycra and all. I wanted to tag along with them, but I wasn't about to leave my new friend Ahmed who got me this far. Ahmed made the top of the hill and 32 miles later we were back in Maadi.





I have been able to run in every country or city that I have been to. That includes Malabo, Port Gentile, Tripoli, Free Town and some other towns where wild life is more of a concern than traffic or potholes. I am a firm believer that anything is possible as long as you are willing to fight for it. Traffic, pollution and lack of running tracks or bike lanes are certainly major challenges in Cairo. But I always think about those bike commuters on the street who do it out of necessity and poverty. If they can go venture out in the middle of the week and during rush hour, then I can surely go for a spin on a quiet Friday morning.



I look forward to the adventure ahead in Cairo. Where will I go for a long run?