Teacher’s bicycle journeys trace a path of family, nature, and health

ERBIL – Govar Miqdad, a 28-year-old teacher from Harir in Erbil governorate, says his bicycle has become more than transportation, turning into a routine that connects family visits with long-distance rides across the Kurdistan Region.

Miqdad began cycling in 2020 after he got married and settled in Harir. To visit his grandmother in the village of Mirawa, about 18 kilometers away, he bought a bicycle and began making regular trips.

“Originally, I am a resident of Harir, though we are from the village of Zet. I am married and have two children. My profession is teaching; I am a contract teacher at Badirkhan High School for Boys, and I am a graduate of the Biology Department,” he told 964media.

What started as trips between Harir and Mirawa expanded into longer journeys across the region. Miqdad said he began focusing on long rides in 2023 and has tracked his distances year by year.

“Since 2020, we have been riding continuously, but we started doing long trips and such from 2023. In 2023, we rode approximately 6,000 kilometers in total. In 2024, about 4,500 km. Now, in 2025, we have ridden about 2,500 km so far,” he said.

He said cycling offers a closer view of the landscape than traveling by car. “On a bicycle, I see the details of nature that you never feel in a car,” he said.

Miqdad has ridden through mountain areas including Akre, Barzan, Soran and Haji Omaran. He said locals often assume he is a foreign visitor.

“Well, mostly people think we are foreigners. Everyone says, ‘Hello, how are you? Where are you from?’ They use those phrases. I stop and say Salam Alaykum.’” he said.

He added that people frequently stop to offer help or hospitality as he rides. “Sometimes, we see people stop their cars to take pictures, asking ‘What is this like?’ Or, for example, when we are on the road, even when people come out of Friday prayers, they say, ‘Come to our house, be our guest.’ They insist a lot on these things. Or in the evenings, if we are on the road, people stop and insist [we stay with them]. Or if we are going uphill, they stop and say, ‘Put the bike on the car.’ But we tell them, ’No, we prefer this [riding].’” he said.

Miqdad described one of his longest single-day rides, saying it began before dawn and ended late at night.

“Well, the longest trip I’ve done in a single day… for example, we left around 5:00 or 4:00 in the morning and went to Akre. We came back via Rovia, passing Bastora and Erbil, and returned to Harir. We arrived back in Harir around 10:00 PM.”

The distance was 190 kilometers.

He said fatigue depends on the route. “Well, fatigue depends on the location. If the route is very mountainous, yes, we get more tired,” he said.

The slower pace is part of what makes cycling appealing. “Honestly, the feeling is very, very different. For example, when you go through places, you go slowly, not speeding like a car. You see the places very clearly and well. It has its own pleasure. For example, you see yourself climbing a height, then going downhill… the pleasure is very, very nice,” he said.

Miqdad also said cycling has become part of how he maintains his health and energy.

“And mostly, we love cycling because… it keeps you healthy. For instance, if I don’t ride for a while, my knees hurt, or I feel… low energy, my body feels heavy. But if I ride the bike, my body feels light and healthy all the time. Like my knees and my weight… it makes you more active for work,” he said.

He said he continues to ride nearly every week, especially on Fridays, with trips ranging from a single day to longer rides with overnight stops.

“These days, I go out almost every week. Every Friday I go out. Sometimes the trip is one day long, sometimes two days. But currently, during this period, I mostly go one day and return the next.”