Mountain Bike Legends of Oman: Mr. Mansoor Al Mahroqi

Mansoor Al-Mahrooqi—The Voice That Launched a Thousand Rides

The Friday Dawn Riders

The streets of Barka slept under a peach-colored dawn as three figures detached through the morning mist on clattering bicycles. Mansoor Al-Mahrooqi gripped his handlebars, legs burning as he pedaled harder to keep up with Hamad Al-Wadhahi and Hamad Al-Sinawi.

"We called them 'bicycles' back then, not 'mountain bikes,'" Mansoor recalls with a chuckle. "Heavy steel frames, squeaky chains—we didn’t know about suspension or gear ratios. We just knew the thrill of speed and the sting of scraped knees."

What began as weekly escapes from routine soon became a ritual. The trio’s Facebook posts—grainy photos of sunrise rides through Khoudh’s palm groves—drew curious onlookers. By 2016, their band of riders grew to ten. They named themselves Team Al-Wa’al after the ibex—Oman’s nimble mountain climber.

"We were engineers, government employees, students… united by two wheels," Mansoor reflects. "Those ten founders? We’re still the bones of this team. Every trail we blaze today carries their fingerprints."

"Expats Rode Carbon Fiber. We Rode Determination."

The early years tasted of dust and defiance. While expatriates zipped through wadis on imported carbon-fiber bikes, Team Al-Wa’al patched tires with duct tape and swapped YouTube tutorials like sacred texts.

Mansoor remembers the turning point: a disastrous group ride where three bikes broke down mid-trail. "We pushed them home under the noon sun, swearing we’d never be unprepared again." The next week, they converted a Barka garage into a makeshift workshop, dismantling and reassembling drivetrains late into the night.

Then came the mentors—legends like Captain Saeed Al-Mahrooqi and Captain Labib Al-Lawati, who saw potential in the scrappy team. "Said taught us trail etiquette. Labib showed us how to read terrain. Joe Bunn? He made us believe we could compete internationally," Mansoor says, scrolling through the photos of their first organized race.

The Brotherhood of Broken Chains

Rain lashed the Hajar Mountains as Mansoor crouched over a snapped chain during Team Al-Wa’al’s first cross-country expedition. Around him, riders debated abandoning the mission.

"That’s when Hamad said, ‘We either fix this together or walk back together.’" Seven pairs of grease-blackened hands worked in unison, fashioning a repair from spare links and sheer will. They finished the trail by moonlight.

This became their creed: "No rider left behind." When a teammate couldn’t afford proper gear, the pool bought it collectively. When trails needed marking, they spent weekends piling stones into cairns. Mansoor’s voice thickens recalling their first junior member, a 14-year-old who now coaches Oman’s national team.

"We weren’t building cyclists—we were building guardians of the sport."

A Message printed in Tire Tracks

At Team Al-Wa’al’s 10th anniversary ride, Mansoor watched a new generation tackle trails that once seemed impossible. Carbon bikes now gleamed where steel frames once rusted, but the mountains hadn’t softened.

He stopped the peloton at a lookout point. "See that ridge? In the beginning days of Al-Waal team, it took us four attempts to conquer and ride over it. Next month, Omani riders will race there in the National Championships." The wind carried his words to the riders below. "Remember—every pedal stroke writes history."

Why Mansoor Al-Mahrooqi is a Legend?

- The First Stone: Turned casual rides into Oman’s longest-running cycling institution

- The Unseen Architect: His garage workshops birthed champions

- The Keeper of Roots: Ensures no pioneer’s contribution is forgotten

"Legends aren’t made by the bikes they ride—but by the trails they leave for others."