We hit the trails with a group from London who are united by their love of riding and their Muslim faith
Words & pics Steve Behr
#2 The inner-city shredders
Emdad unrolls his prayer mat and places it on the gravel next to his car, having first checked the direction it should face using an app on his phone. Removing his shoes, he starts his five-times-daily ritual in the Swinley Forest car park, unnoticed by the mountain bikers coming and going as he alternately kneels and stands, deep in prayer.
We’ve just done a lap of the trails with Emdad and two of his regular riding buddies, Shahmir and Safwan. Up until now, it’s been a pretty standard day out on bikes, with some inevitable pre-ride tinkering, a chat with Swinley Bike Hub head honcho Tristan for advice on which trails are running best (seems it’s all of them today!) and some two-wheeled fun out in the woods. But the more time we spend together and the more we talk, the more it becomes clear that things are that little bit different for these guys.
Capital crew
We’re here today because Emdad responded to JCW’s call for greater inclusivity – or media representation of said inclusivity – in a sport where riders are still overwhelmingly white, male and suburban. “I’m brown (Bengali origin), 44 years old, Muslim and from London,” his email explained. “I absolutely love mountain biking and the community, but I do feel out of place at times, especially when it’s prayer time. I’ve never had an issue, but do prefer a friend to be present when doing so.”
It turns out that Emdad is part of a small group who share not only his love of riding, but also his urban and Muslim background. They meet most weekends, at riding locations within easy reach of the capital, including Chicksands, Peaslake in the Surrey Hills, and Swinley. So, we arrange to hit the trails together so we can get an insight into what it’s like being both a Muslim and a mountain biker.
It soon becomes clear that Emdad, now 45, is the elder statesman of the crew. The others refer to him as ‘Emdaddy’, due to his age and the fact that he actually is a father. “I’ll have to leave a bit earlier than the others today to pick my kids up from religious studies,” he tells me, as we head to the trails. Safwan is a 25-year-old East Londoner, while Shahmir is the baby of the group at 18, but probably the most skilful – or at least, the least inhibited by fear of crashing!
Hitting the woods
The guys make short work of the blu
