Cycling in Khasab

Cycling guide to Khasab

Khasab sits at the head of two long coastal rides in Oman's Musandam region. The shorter of the pair is a 92.8 km out-and-back with 856 m of climbing that runs through Al Jeer, Ra'alat Ad Darah, Tibat, Ghamḑā', Fadgha and Bukha, then continues past Al Jādī, al Harf, Ţaff ar Rakham, Wa‘ab Mubārak, Qada, Wa`ab Salim, Sharqi, Mūkhī, Ḩannā, Al Jari, Hil and Ḩill al Gharbīyah before turning back. The bigger outing is a 146.6 km loop from Khasab with 768 m of gain. It takes in the same string of coastal settlements — Tibat, Ghamḑā', Fadgha, Ḩill al Gharbīyah, Hil, Wa‘ab Mubārak and Qada — then swings through Wa‘b al Laff, As Salyan, al Habalyah, Ra's Hafif, Khabbat Fatim, Sima, Sall A'la, Ghaban Hamad, Khazinuh, Al Haqat and Ruwaybah, returning by way of Sharqi, Bukha and Al Jeer.

Best time to ride

Recorded rides fall in the cooler half of the year: December and January at 25-27°C, and March already at 29°C.

Terrain

Both routes are low-lying and largely rolling, with high points of 199 m and 171 m. The main effort on the out-and-back begins at 56.2 km: 3 km at 5.7% average for 171 m of gain, with a maximum of 10.1% and a top at 193 m.