Cycling in Nazwa
5 cycling routes from Nazwa, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 65 to 166 km, 590 km mapped in all, with up to 999 m of climbing in a day. Mostly flat riding (4 m of climbing per km on average), mostly road routes, 93% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane. Best months to ride: Dec to Feb.
At a glance
- Routes
- 5
- Lengths
- 65–166 km
- Biggest day
- 999 m
- Terrain
- Flat
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Bike
- Road bike
- Difficulty
- Moderate to Hard
- Best months
- Dec to Feb
- Longest gap
- 56 km
- GPX
- Every route
Know before you go
Added up from the recorded routes and OpenStreetMap; nothing estimated.
- Surface
- Paved almost throughout — 8 km of gravel or unpaved road across the routes.
- Roads
- 93% of the riding on main roads without a cycle lane.
- High point
- 526 m on Nazwa to Showka and the Hills.
- Bail-outs
- A railway station or ferry within reach on 1 route.
- No services
- 56 km on Nazwa to Al Aqah.
- Ridden
- Jan to Feb, May, Oct to Nov, 15–31 °C recorded.
Cycling guide to Nazwa
Cyclists riding from Nazwa in the Hajar Mountains have access to multiple loop routes ranging from 63.7 to 88.2 km and longer rides up to 165.7 km to Al Aqah. These routes pass through places like Mahafiz, Al Fayah, and Al Dafain. Elevation gains are generally low, between 115 m and 154 m for loops, with the longer point-to-point route to Al Aqah offering 841 m of climbing and reaching a high of 488 m. Most roads are paved with the longest stretch without services being 55.7 km on the longest route. Main roads without cycle lanes feature prominently, with up to 149.8 km on the longest rides. Railway stations are rare, with only one near the Nazwa to Al Aqah route.
More on best time to ride, terrain
Best time to ride
January, February, June, October, and November have recorded rides here with temperatures between 14°C and 34°C, suitable for cycling.
Terrain
The terrain in the Nazwa area is mostly flat to gently rolling with typical elevation gains under 200 m on loop routes. The longest route to Al Aqah climbs 841 m over 166 km, including a 3.6 km climb averaging 2.9% gradient with a maximum of 5.8%. Other climbs are shorter and milder, with maximum gradients around 10.8% on hills.