Hype and What’s On have details of a new bicycle store in Dubai, The Movement. Plus info on cycle tracks, where is good for cycling in Dubai and Jumeirah Corniche.

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Just in time for the cooler weather and completion of the Jumeirah Corniche is the announcement of The Movement – a new, independent bicycle company.

A couple of years ago, if you asked a longtime Dubaian what a bicycle was, they might have described a machine in a gym with no wheels. If you had suggested that a bicycle is a mode of transport, they may have suspected you of witchcraft. But over the past few years, interest in cycling has been on rise in this car-clogged city largely due to a number of cycle-based events taking place in the country such as the annual triathlon at Yas Marina and the Spinney’s 92km Cycle Challenge.

Encouraging us to get pedaling is the RTA, which has completed over 100km of dedicated cycling tracks around the city, including Al Mankhool Street, Al Mamzar Beach Park, and Al Qudra. There was more welcome news earlier this year, too, when the RTA announced the completion of initial phase of the Jumeirah Corniche project. When complete, more than 14km of tracks will stretch the length of the shoreline from Dubai Marine Beach Resort in Jumeirah, to Burj Al Arab, a perfect track for keen cyclists.

– 14km stretch of cycle-friendly pathways set for Jumeirah Corniche project –

And right on cue comes The Movement, set up by husband and wife team Rooman Latif and Julie Audette, who decided to switch professions to their passion when they realized the growing interest in Dubai with cycling as a mode of transport. Urban enthusiasts and environmentalists at heart, the duo are now keen to encourage as many people to get on two wheels and live more sustainable lifestyles.

“Our mission is simple”, says Rooman, “ We want to create a platform for people to live healthier and greener lifestyles by making cycling easy, affordable and fun.”

While most bike companies in Dubai focus on top-of-the-range road bicycles or rough-and-ready mountain bikes, The Movement has gone the other way. They completely embrace the back to basics aesthetic, importing a range of stylish, affordable and practical urban bicycles for adults and children and are made for the simple elegance of city biking.

Right now they are importing iconic Californian-based brand Linus (linusbike.com), famous for building stylish city bicycles inspired by vintage French 1960s designs.

It’s all about the customisation at The Movement: you can choose from a range of accessories to kit out your ride including wooden handlebars, leather-bound saddles or retro front, side and rear baskets. The aesthetic seems to be more on muted colors and the emphasis is on quality parts than shouty colours. The frames they have on show are mostly cream, black, a nice burnished deep blue.

While the official opening isn’t scheduled until early October, you can have a sneak peek at the bikes on offer by visiting Toil and Tinker at the Dubai Garden Centre. Wander up there to say ‘hello’ to the team or set yourself up with some new wheels now it’s just about cool enough to cycle in the city again.

For more information about the brand and bikes, check out facebook.com/themovement.ae.