Al Qudra Stick and Loop

85 km road cycling loop106 m climbing2½–3 hoursGPX

Dubai, United Arab Emirates · Road

A flat 85 km road cycling loop from Bottom of the Stick through Mugatrah and Al Yalayis 3, with 106 m of climbing. 96% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane. There is a 46 km stretch without a café, shop or water (km 19–65).

Route contributed by Marcus and Richard Chapman · Last ridden Saturday 13th June 2026

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At a glance

Best for: Steady riding away from traffic
Distance: 84.5 km; Loop
Elevation gain: 106 m; 1 m per km
Riding time: 2½–3 hours; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Moderate
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 99% paved · 0% unpaved
Traffic: Mostly cycle paths; 1 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 81.2 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water: Longest gap 46 km; 1 café or restaurant · 3 shops · 1 water point · 2 petrol stations · 1 public toilet · 2 bike shops
Best months: Dec to Feb; Dubai climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start and finish: Bottom of the Stick

On the road: Al Qudra Stick and Loop, Dubai

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 106 m
Distance: 85 km

What it was like to ride

Rider notes on the Al Qudra cycle track

Al Qudra is Dubai's best known cycling track: a dedicated tarmac path with no cars, out in the desert south of the city. With more than 220km of track there are a variety of rides to suit all levels of cyclist. From the car park at the D63 roundabout a straight 17 km "stick" runs down to the start of the loop section. Here you can find a Trek shop with bicycle rentals and the famous Zad's foodstore amongst other small retail outlets. From here the common ride is either the full 50 km loop as shown in the route map here, or a slightly shorter inner loop most commonly know as "Jurassic". [Ride it and it will make sense!]. In both versions you ride through the dunes and circle back to Zads which provides a rest/coffee stop with just the stick left to take you back to the start. Flat all the way other than a few small inclines that can't really be described as hills.

Zads is the only stop, and you pass it twice: at 19 km on the way out and 65 km on the way back. Shops, toilets, water and a bike shop are all there. Depending on your direction of travel, there is also the mosque near to Bab Al Shams which offers drinking water all year round. Around the rest of the loop there is nothing other than a number of shaded areas with seating, so fill your bottles at Zads and carry enough for the loop. From May to September that means starting before sunrise.

The path is open and unsheltered, so the wind decides how hard the day is. Weekend mornings are super busy with groups on the stick; the loop thins out. Lights are worth having if you start before sunrise: the track is mostly unlit and most riders are out before dawn. For an entirely different experience try the same route at night. It's very dark and mostly silent when you're out towards the back of the loop beyond the solar park.

Best part: The iconic ride for nearly all Dubai cyclists. Most of us have ridden this route 100s of times. The perfect place for a traffic-free group ride either early morning or late evening.
Watch out for: During Saturday mornings there can be riders of all experience levels all on the track at the same time. Always pay attention, be respectful and shout before passing. On night rides you may be treated to all manner of interesting creatures. Watch for oryx, camel spiders, hedgehogs, lizards, mice, and more.
Best stop: Zads Foodstore

Route description

Bottom of the Stick
Mugatrahkm 50
Al Yalayis 3km 79
Bottom of the Stickkm 85

The Al Qudra Stick and Loop starts near Dubai, with the lowest point at 42 m around 0.9 km and the highest at 110 m by 26.5 km. The route is predominantly flat, with 98% flat terrain and just 0.1 km of climbing exceeding 10% gradient. The entire 84.5 km loop follows a mix of mainly cycle paths (81.2 km, 97%), quiet streets, main roads and minor roads making up the remainder.

Riders stay mostly on paved surfaces (99%). The three longest named roads cover most of the ride: Al Qudra Cycle Path Routes 4 and 1, and Link 1 with 35.2, 34.6 and 11 km respectively. There is 1 km on main roads without a cycle lane. The path includes a steepest 500 m section located at the start.

Along the way, the route passes through Mugatrah at 50.3 km and Al Yalayis 3 by 79.1 km. There are convenient stops at 18.8 km including shops, toilets, bike rentals, petrol stations, and drinking water. Beyond 18.8 to 64.9 km riders face a 46.1 km stretch with no cafés, shops or water. Further supplies and food come near 64.9 km with restaurants and convenience stores.

Why ride this route?

96% on cycle paths or lanes.

Highlights

Mugatrah at 50.3 km
Al Yalayis 3 at 79.1 km
Highest point 110 m at 26.5 km
Al Qudra Cycle Path Routes 1 and 4

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

Mugatrah 50.3 km
Al Yalayis 3 79.1 km

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Much of the route is separated from traffic: 96% is on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane.

Roads: 97% cycle path · 1% quiet street · 1% main road · 1% minor road
Main roads: 1 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Cycle paths: 81.2 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used: Al Qudra Cycle Path Route 4 (35 km), Al Qudra Cycle Path Route 1 (35 km), Al Qudra Cycle Path Link 1 (11 km)
Surface: Paved: 99% of the route is mapped as paved.
Gradient: 1% climbing · 1% descending · 98% flat

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

The longest stretch without a café, shop or water is 46 km, from km 19 to 65. Along the route: 1 café or restaurant, 3 shops, 1 water point, 2 petrol stations, 1 public toilet and 2 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

3.2 kmEnoc · petrol station · 50 m off route
18.8 kmGeant at ADNOC · convenience store · 110 m off route
18.8 kmDrinking water · 60 m off route
18.8 kmToilets · 70 m off route
18.8 kmTrek · bike rental · 80 m off route
18.8 kmADNOC · petrol station · 100 m off route
64.8 kmAlqudra Ambulance Medical Centre · clinic · 80 m off route
64.9 kmSpicy Village Restaurant · restaurant · 130 m off route
64.9 kmZad Foodstores · convenience store · on the route
64.9 kmCareem · bike rental · on the route
80.6 kmZoom · convenience store · 40 m off route

Know before you go

46.1 km without café, shop or water between 18.8 and 64.9 km
1 km on main roads without a cycle lane

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

8 photographs from the road

Group rides on this route

Organised on Cyclists.com: one link, one live list.

Completed

Sat 5 Sep

Team Oryx Saturday Ride

7 riders2 photos

About this route

Ridden by: Marcus and Richard Chapman
Dates ridden: Friday 13th April 2018 to Saturday 13th June 2026 · 147 recordings
Route line: Built from 147 GPS recordings of the ride.
Elevation: Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services: Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months: Ten years of ERA5 weather for Dubai (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Thursday 3rd September 2026
Page last updated: Thursday 17th September 2026

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Al Qudra Stick and Loop