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I use cruise control pretty much all the time, it's less stressful for following speed limits and error free to not to get speeding ticket.

Hope you heard from Rahimdad or Sri, if not still make it to the meeting point and jump in with anyone, you will enjoy.

Just like I can't remember half the phone numbers of my family and friends since mobile phone has all of them stored. Similarly with adaptive cruise control we would loose our sense of braking. Let the kids learn it the hard way.

I have always wondered why Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is not a compulsory requirement in all cars. None of my cars ( Pardo 2014 and Camry 2006) has it, although I am aware the more expensive cars do have them ( Mercs.) Most people will state that it is the cost that prevents it but I would like to know if it is more expensive than the air-bags installed in most cars ? I can only assume that the front sensing system may be expensive . While sitting next to new drivers ( like my son and daughter) the first thing that I have to watch out for is the judgement of the braking distance. A large percentage of accidents on our roads are due to this misjudgment . With high speed urban driving even an experienced driver may have faced emergency braking scenarios ( I have). I believe that electronic sensors like most electronic components are getting cheaper so why the delay in this option. Even if it may have some negatives consequences , it should be available in all cars even if it is has optional activation switch. Perhaps those who have ACC or know the cost can comment about the hurdle that stops the manufacturers from installing this life saving device.

Maliha is the perfect area for starting of your offroad adventure. It offers small to medium size dunes that offer plenty of opportunity to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. If no absolute newbies sign up, the level will be raised depending on the convoy that has signed up. Looking for an easy relaxing drive for everyone with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow, hill climb, and ridge riding. When: 18 October 2019 Meeting time: 5:30 AM Sharp Where: Adnoc Petrol Station Maleha Road GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/ye28yTnTSYr Level: Absolute Newbie / Newbie / Fewbie / Intermediate Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Plan: Drive, train and enjoy till about 10:30 AM What to bring along: Snacks - whatever you like with little extra to share, water, liquids, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:30 AM Please RSVP the below calendar event

I am a regular user of cruise control while driving, both for ease and felt it seemed more fuel efficient.I engage it at any opportunity where the speed is over 60 KM/HR and traffic is flowing. I do however keep coming across failed cruise control instances on the roads. In fact, I came across the following advice in Gulf News after the last incident locally: https://gulfnews.com/uae/what-to-do-if-your-cars-cruise-control-fails-1.2275388 I wonder what is your view about this. Do many people use cruise control?

Not sure my Range had anti collision with DCC but one feature I use to love was shouting a loud beep if I drive too close to anyone or have distracted attention for a split second and front car brakes. That's an awesome feature.

Fog or such natural causes are only exception for delayed drive start, otherwise we should always start and finish on time. Waiting for one or few is disrespectful to all others time who were punctual.

Cruise control is meant only highway driving hence the name cruise control i.e cruising down the highway.

No worries, see you next time.

I tried this system a few days back on the autobahn in Germany with an Audi A40 rental and it worked great. Here in the UAE with stupid lane swerving knobheads i can imagine it’s almost impossible to use.

There are 9 people coming I am pretty sure they all have place for at least 1 person and some are driving alone so they have place for 6 more person's in their cars . Anyone will be more than happy to accommodate 1 person so they can help to navigate...

It already has arrived back when first ls 430 hit the roads...but usually the front collision cars don't have them fixed so a running one is pretty rare... but I have used that function in a 2000 s500 was pretty scary I had set the distance very near and was playing with the stick to increase the speed had almost hit it to 140 and as the car in front of me moved in the roundabout the merc tried to gain that high speed and in the right moment and someone's kind blessings made me hit the breaks or else might have crossed through the roundabout straight... This could be very comfortable option for open roads but shouldn't be used in city driving...

That should be fine. See you tomorrow morning at 5:30 am. We shall advise on the gear over there.

Newbie might be better, although I was excited to go to anew place. But it’s preferable to redo the newbie one

Hi @bony raphi, Welcome to Carnity Off-road Club. Pleasr mention which 4x4 you are driving. Also ensure that you have tow hooks both at the front as well as the back. See you at the meeting point.

Absolutely! And it would be nice to explore that new area. Where should I meet you? Rahim has my whatsapp number, in case you need to contact me faster. Thank you!!! I’m so excited

You can always join as a passenger and post request here, Im sure someone will be happy to have you onboard and you can learn a lot as a passenger in early days. Im going for Sweihan with Emmanuel, if you like to join that let me know.

A good point...and one I think will also apply in autonomous driving.

I’d have loved to join (despite the early start 😁) but as you all know I’m still on the hunt for a car. Hopefully it’ll be resolved within the next 2 weeks, inshala! Meanwhile, have lots of fun tomorrow!

Lekker.

There are instance like that but I am sure that can be totally avoided if the person is calm and aware of his surroundings

You will get a fine of 100 might change now...and if in accident then insurance will not cover the other party claims...get a manual license you can drive any transmission paddle automatic steptronic teptronic even mind control shifters like Rav...

Yep I sure did...I thought it was for expert level 😉😂. No worry..now left..

Hello, guys! Recently we did two trips on a car: to Salalah in August and to Jordan in October. I'm thinking of writing a review which could be useful for some people. Are you interested? Should I proceed? If yes, what would you like to see in a review, anything specific? If you are not interested, it's totally fine, no worries 😃

Go for it! I would love to hear what it's like driving all the way to Jordan.

All the best with your flight schedule @Xaf. Looking forward to catch up with you.

Hi everybody, 50% chance I can make it. I will know for sure on the 17th after 18:00. Hope to see you again on the 18th!

@derik I can write up all I want, but you will only realize the difference if you join us once. We too will get a chance to know you better and discuss this further. From my personnel opinion having driven off-road for over 10 years and been on both sides, when I have done a few drive with friends and done it as a club. When you are driving in private you might take things seriously and have all the equipment, but those around you would always keep depending on you, where as in a club as you grow you realize that you need to carry some equipment as an individual and along with your driving capability your safety tools also increase. Within 10 friends you are limited to certain areas and would not venture out much, plus if friends are busy or have other engagement you will be left with no drive at all. Whereas in a club there is a drive posted very week, sometimes multiple drives and you can join one which suits your level, having a 100+ members helps, because atleast 10 - 15 cars would want to attend every week. The first year we had no official structure in Carnity due to which we faced several problems, after introducing structure last year, more people enjoy their level of drive, learn with enthusiasm as they want to grow and help others and we make new friends every week. in a friendly drive you will not be able to discover so many places as the comfort level is not so much, you might always sacrifice your drive style to suit the lowest level member in your friends, whereas in a structured club you can join the drives you like or lower level drives knowing that it is going to be slower than your style of drive. As a club you will get to taste several flavours as everybody as individuals has their own preferred terrain and drive style. plus with so many minds at work we are always trying to discover and try out new areas with intermediate drivers and above. I like the way @Frederic has tried to give you an example of a gym, or the way @Emmanuel has expressed his concern as we do not know your drive level or drive style along with your friends or the equipment available to you or the areas you visit or if you have tried to explore new terrains. We are always open to questions and appreciate your question. I have been off-roading for over 10 years, but I still learn from people who ask questions and the many challenges we face during each drive. We are blessed at Carnity to have a very strongly knitted team and all those who join have a like minded approach. Once again I would like to welcome you and your friends to join us and we can chat further on this subject. I am sure after driving with us a couple of times most of your questions will be answered without a word being said.

Well i'd like to compare it with going to the gym because you want to get in a better shape: Option 1: You go alone to the nearest gym, mess around a bit with the equipment, get sprains and injuries, and maybe you will become a bit more fit once you get to know how the equipment works, but you are left to your own devices and not always sure about if you are doing the right thing OR if it is even safe to do with the health or equipment you have. Option 2: You join a gym and go for 10-15 lessons. Your personal teacher will assess your current condition and will guide you safely to minimize injuries or accidents. Thanks to his experience and knowledge you will progress much faster than others and will be grateful for having somebody to learn something from. Joining an Offroad club like Carnity is free, and you get professional advice from people who can safely guide you through and avoid mistakes which in the desert can end up being costly or even fatal. But don't take it from me, take it from the dozens of people that joined Offroad clubs and learned essential stuff like how to deflate properly, recover yourself, and what you and your car can do. If you or your friends get stuck, do you know what to do or which equipment to use to safely recover yourself ? I go for regular camping trips myself with a group of friends, but we don't venture deep and definitely don't do the stuff we are doing in an Offroad club. We drive around a bit, set up camp, and have some drinks. We avoid the real dunes and difficult tracks because most of my friends have very little Offroad experience and we don't want to get in trouble having our car full with kids, dogs, etc... Joining Carnity Offroad and doing the Newbie drives gave me more confidence and far less stress when going camping with my friends, as i know that my car is always equipped with recovery gear and i know how to use it. And most of all i can help my friends by sharing that information. PS replace "teacher" by our Offroad Specialists like @Gaurav, @Srikumar @Asif Hussain, @Emmanuel, @Rahimdad and more team members who will take your under their wings and teach you all the skills and fun our UAE deserts have to offer....

Very good question @derik, actually difficult to answer since we don’t know your friends... In a good off-road club, you increase your chances to learn things your friends may not be able to teach you.

Why is that riding a bike in the direction opposite to traffic is against the law. In India with cars driving so close I would not want to put my life in the hands of the car driver who has to judge the distance so that he can miss me. Same would apply here as well due to the high speeds even on internal roads. Unless there are dedicated cycle tracks I personally think it's safe for the cyclist to drive against traffic. What say? @Gaurav if you are driving in a low light area, it's better you get one of those reflector jackets and wear light colored clothing

The problem with riding in the rough patch is that's where you pick up punctures. Rough stones, thorns etc. Google Slime Tubes. I used them for years at home. When you get a puncture, the slime comes out through the hole and lets you ride home. They're maybe 20-30 grams heavier than a normal tube because of the stuff inside but it saves you from having to carry a toolkit and pump/co2 canisters on a ride. Have you got any lights on your bike? I've noticed that the flashing ones seem to make drivers notice more than the solid ones.

The gear helps but sometimes things still go wrong. My cousin back home hit a tree on a MTB a few months ago. Wearing a helmet, pads, the full works. Still ended up with a face full of metal plates and pins. Can't recommend a good pair of sturdy gloves enough. When you go down, the first thing you generally do is put out your hands to try to save yourself and scabby hands make everything difficult, from driving to cooking to washing your bum. Every so often I'll see a municipality truck with the back filled with bikes outside grand city mall. That's the ones where the owners got nabbed for not wearing a lid or yellow vest. Went for a ride across al Quoz earlier to pick up some refreshments. My nerves still aren't right. Too many drivers have no respect for cyclists. They'll either pass you as close as possible nearly hitting their mirrors or blow the horn at you and scare the crap out of you for no reason.

get the helmet and all protective gear too, as breaking bones and scratches are no fun. I had a minor fall that fracture my elbow in cemeted flooring

Yes, barry you are right, I got this front sus MTB as first 1 km shortest distance to cycling strip is a bit of offroad, sand cross tracks and loose gravel path. Good to know that you are a bike encyclopedia, I keep pinging you then. Thanks.

Gaurav bhai just wait. There is a bug following you and he will bite you soon. It won't be long before you're buying a carbon frame and adding drop bars and skinny tyres and building it to your own spec. It's an addictive hobby. I started out on a bmx then moved to MTB. It wasn't long before I got into hybrids then racer spec tarmac bikes. Always kept a nice mtb for off road forest trails too. Not a massive fan of full sus bikes, they sap up all your pedaling power but front sus is a godsend off road. I used to work in a bike shop so if you ever need help setting your bike up, straightening bent wheels, lining up gear mechanisms, balancing brakes etc I'm your man.

It's an Upten River MTB with front shocks and 7 gear rear + 3 gear fwd for steep climbs. To be honest I haven't gone in too much detail as it was an impulsive buy (very rare) than a planned one. I tried a few bikes and just bought this based on comfort and looks. Feel free to advise how is it for beginners usage. I totally agree this place is not quite safe for the cyclist unless you hook a hitch and carry bike to cycle strip. My house is very close to cycling strip and yesterday for the first time riding a bike on the roadside, I got the creeps. This bike has a removable wheel so after removing the front wheel, it can fit in Range boot with the second row folded. Good point for Isotonic drink, and will see how far I take this new hobby as yesterday I did 3 km in 13 mins at a leisure pace.

What bike did you buy and what specs? I used to do a lot of cycling at home but the roads here scare me and it’s a pain having to travel somewhere to ride. It will surprise you how quickly you can build up from 6-7k runs to 60-70k runs. I imagine dehydration will be a big issue here. Isotonic drinks. Water alone isn’t enough to replace the electrolytes lost through sweating.

If you want to go to Al Qudra area i can rent one and join you. I love cycling but it has been a long time i didint ride.

Hi Gaurav, Good to hear that you're getting back on the bike, it is definitely relaxing. I am not an avid biker, more like a recreational one. I live next to the Al Qudra Cycling track so that helps too. In general i have to say that the infrastructure in Dubai is still quite weak when it comes to cyclists, but there is slight improvement. If you want you can also rent a bike near to the Al Qudra lakes (Giant store). My best advice would be to start slowly and enjoy every ride. Your stamina will quickly improve but it is important to not overdo it and to keep an eye on your heart rates. If you monitor those properly your physical strength and stamina will improve without pain or injuries. Good luck !