MTB Egypt featured rider of the month: December 2014

Name: Ismail Hamdy

Age:3 7

Where are you from?: Cairo

What do you do for a living? I am a communication specialist.

When and why did you start cycling? When I was a child I had a racing bike which I used as a daily means of transportation to the club, until I had a horrible accident that left my bike destroyed. In 2010 I was back to my old means of transportation, biking to work with an intention to be more environment friendly. Then I joined MTB Egypt group for mountain biking.

Road, off-road, or both? Mainly off-road

Tell us about your bike(s)!: I started with a cheap Chinese-made bike, then I bought a Bianchi AFX 9500 and right now I am riding a Bianchi JAB 7300.

Favorite ride(s) (road or off-road): Definitely off-road. I love downhill and always seeking for adrenaline rush

Do you practice other sports?: I sometimes play Squash.

Tell us about your cycling-related injuries/accidents: When I was a kid I had  lots of accidents but the one that destroyed my bike was collision with a car. My biggest injuries mountain biking was on the North Ridge of the Wadi, it was my second or third time mountain biking and I was scared from ridges especially when my bike fell down from a hill. I got lots of scratches but in the end I survived

Anything else you want to tell us about yourself? Whenever I am stressed, my only relief is mountain biking. I have never loved any sports as I love mountain biking.

I really hope that one day I can see Cairo like Port Said in the past where everybody is riding bikes