If you are a keen motorcyclist, chances are that you must be aware of what an endurance ride is. And if you’re aware of what an endurance ride is, you must also know that it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
In the UAE, endurance riding has picked up quite some pace in the last few years. Many riders of different calibres (beginners, intermediate, experienced) are participating in such rides to test their and their motorcycles’ abilities. When it comes to endurance riding in the UAE, Vicky M is a popular name in the motorcycle community. He is the president of the Biker Buddies Brotherhood and has successfully organised many endurance rides in the past. His most recent one was the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020.
Over 70 riders from various motorcycle clubs in the UAE and other countries in the Middle East participated in the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020. They had to cover 2500km in 36 hours. Some of the group captains have shared their experiences of completing the challenge.
Captain Subin Mohan
Captain Subin Mohan lead the group Stormriders which had 14 riders. The entire group under Subin’s guidance completed the challenge in 36 hours and created a record in the Middle East.
Subin, who had his first endurance ride experience in 2017, said, “It was a privilege and honour to lead the team. In endurance group rides, one has to look at after each other and keep the motivation levels high. Even the captains at times require inspirations. Safety of your fellow rider and ensuring his/her success is paramount than your ambitions or aspirations. There is a lot that you can learn from such long-distance group rides and I am keen to learn more with more rides in future.”
He added, “The whole journey became a learning experience and with every ride, you get something new. And when you’re riding with people, they are going to be your biggest source of strength. You need to inspire and get inspired all along the way. For future challenges, I have just two words – persistence and determination.”
Captain Chirag Rami
Captain Chirag Rami is an active member of Road Toads, UAE MC. He had been a part of a few endurance rides in the past. For the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020, he was the Road Captain for the Leap Legends Group which had 18 riders. Out of those, 13 rode 2500km in 30 hours. That’s a world record.
Completing such a long-distance endurance ride isn’t a walk in the park. It takes a toll on your mental and physical well-being. Fatigue and body ache slowly creep in. However, in the end, all that is worth the sheer joy and happiness.
“Having done the endurance ride a few times earlier, I was confident about completing this one too, however, a thought crossed my mind a few times through the ride – “What’s in it for me now?” This time, it was for friends who had not attempted such rides ever before. Having seen the joy on the faces of my fellow riders upon completion and being instrumental in guiding them to this success was priceless and undoubtedly the best feeling. It took away my fatigue and going forward will always be my motivation to do these rides over and over again. I am sure hitting this milestone has taken the morale of all the riders to the next level and they are more confident about their capability to endure long rides,” said Chirag.
Captain Ali Al Amoodi
After successfully completing a 1600km/24 hours endurance ride last year, Captain Ali Al Amoodi was prepared to take on bigger challenges in life. That’s why he signed up for the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020. He was the batch co-captain of the Fist of Freedom group that had 17 riders. 12 of them completed the challenge in approx 33 hours.
In long-distance endurance rides, riders cover thousands of kilometres crossing various territories. They encounter different weather conditions that may or may not hamper their quest. During the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020, Captain Ali Al Amoodi and his group faced heavy fog which slowed down their pace. Some of the group riders couldn’t continue the challenge. Since Amoodi had previous experience in endurance riding, he knew the adrenaline and ecstatic feeling that fills up your body after the ride is completed.
“It was really a joyful moment as we stopped on our finish line and started hugging each other congratulating ourselves for our joint achievement and shared success. We stayed standing next to our motorbikes, talking and celebrating the moment, remembering incidents during our ride. Truly a brotherhood spirit was felt by all of us. After my experience with two endurance rides, if I am asked to do it again I will go for it with no hesitation. The feeling of intense bonding with fellow bikers and the sense of accomplishment at the end of the ride are very precious feelings that I want many times in my life,” said Amoodi.
Captain Shuja H Jashanmal
Captain Shuja H Jashanmal is a member of HOG Dubai. He speaks about the importance of being hydrated on endurance rides like the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020. He also advises taking a pain killer after 6-8 hours irrespective of how healthy or fit you are because body ache from hours of riding will eventually take a toll.
“Hydration is of the utmost of importance in both cases as is gentle pain killer tablets that I recommend you take every 6-8 hours. Regardless of how young, fit, or agile you are, riding hour after hour will take its toll on the bones and muscles. Before you know it, your butt will ache as much as your back, legs, arms, and neck,” said Jashanmal.
Captain Oluyemi Oshunkoya
During the Biker Buddies 2500km Endurance Series 2020, Captain Oluyemi Oshunkoya found many roads of the designated route familiar. He had traversed on them in his last saddle sore 1600km/24hours attempt. Sharing his riding experience, Oshunkoya said, “In our first attempt for the ride, we got stuck for 4 hours riding through the dense fog on the way back from the Saudi border. Eventually, we had to abort the ride. However, we learnt from this experience and in our new attempt we ensured we passed the Saudi border much earlier.”
He also added, “I would do such endurance rides as many times as possible because they are therapeutic for me, help to clear my head and organise my thoughts.”
