Muscat and its surrounding areas have some great mountain biking routes – due to its location amid the rocky mountains along the coast, the city offers rides virtually from your door. There are many off-road tracks that wind their way through the quieter neighbourhoods, wadis and along the coast. The Bawshar dunes are close to the city and also offer some great rides, as do Sayh Ad Dhabi or the route from the InterContinental to the desalination plant. 

Riding in the mountains is adventurous and generally rocky, technical and challenging. There are many tracks to follow and the terrain is on a par with the classic trail areas of Utah and Arizona in the USA. Those who are just getting into mountain biking should start on the tracks in the gentler hilly areas. For hardcore mountain bikers there is a good range of topography, from highly technical rocky trails to mountain routes that can take hours to climb and minutes to descend! Be prepared and sensible – the sun is strong, you’ll need far more water than you think and it’s very easy to get lost or to have an accident. 

Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre (holiday-in-oman.com) now offers mountain biking trips. For more information on biking in Oman, or to get together with other mountain bikers contact Muscat Cycling Club.