As thousands of UAE residents turned the busy Sheikh Zayed Road into a cycle track for the day, several of them dressed up for the occasion. This year, for the first time, prizes of up to Dh10,000 were offered to riders in four categories: best overall bike, most creative theme, best family costume and best group costume.
For Filipina expat Shiela Labilles, dressing her bike up for the Dubai Ride was a way of paying homage to her adopted home country. Employed in the UAE as a domestic worker, Shiela spent her only day off during the week participating in the fun event.
“I finished work late last evening and then spent the whole night decorating my bike,” she told Khaleej Times. “In the morning, I carefully took apart the pieces of decoration and loaded up the cycle in a taxi. Once I got here, I put the decorations back together and completed the ride.”
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At the back of her cycle was a stack of books, each labelled with something the UAE helped her do — dream, study and achieve success. It was topped with a graduation hat and degree and there was a house beside it. There was a banner with the photo of her children on it, and it read: Dubai is my road, UAE is my wings.
Having worked in the UAE for more than 12 years, she said that the country had helped her care for her three children. “I am a single mother, and it was a hard decision to leave my children behind,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. “But it was one that helped me provide for them. Now all of them are teenagers and one of them has graduated from school. I am very proud of them.”
Costume fun
For Al Ain residents Rina and Camille, the ride was an extension of Halloween. While Rina decorated her cycle with a giant spider and wore a hat with a skeleton on it, Camille dressed up as a bumble bee.
“It is our first time participating in the Dubai Ride and we loved it,” said Rina. “The vibe is amazing and we really loved being among so many awesome riders. It made our drive from Al Ain worthwhile. We will definitely come back next year.”
One group of riders dressed up as happy sea urchins.
Superheroes were a common sight on the track. From Iron Man to Superman, there were many riders who showed off their superhero prowess.
Another group of riders paid tribute to the Ati Atihan festival in the Philippines with a vibrant décor
One rider came dressed up as a sunflower
Whatever costume they chose, it was clear that the cyclists of Dubai Ride were on the tracks to enjoy themselves and bask in the vibe of the fun activity.
Source: Khaleej Times