Comments on: Cycling from Osh to Bishkek – A Practical Guide

By: Rolling East

Rolling East — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 01:31:07 +0000

In reply to Martijn. Hello Martjin, it took us roughly 10 days (excluding days off the bikes). That obviously may vary according to weather conditions and your level of fitness going uphill. We generally take it very leisurly ;)

By: Martijn

Martijn — Sun, 15 Jul 2018 14:30:08 +0000

Thanks a lot for the useful information! I have just one simple question: how long did it take you to complete the ride from Osh to Bishkek? Thanks, Martijn and Mariëlle.

By: Rolling East

Rolling East — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 07:26:58 +0000

In reply to Silk Goats. Hi Benjamin! The road has overall a minimal amount of traffic. The only very busy part is between Jalal-Abad and Osh (105km on single lane and lorries), which seems to be unavoidable even if you decide to go through Kochkor. With the Uzbek border and visa procedures being extremely lenghty, going West of Osh seems to be non feasable, leaving the Uzgen-Jalal-Abad road as the only option. I hope this helps! Safe rolling!

By: Silk Goats

Silk Goats — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 11:03:04 +0000

Hi there. Thanks already for the very usefull info. We will cycle from Bisjkek to Osh in a few days, but are wondering if this main road has a lot of traffic on it. Can you share your thoughs about this?
If too much traffic, we might make a large detour along Kochkor and Kazarman…
Kind regards!

By: Rolling East

Rolling East — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 01:32:52 +0000

In reply to jay austin. Hello there! Thanks for sharing your experience, I am sure a lot of people will find these info useful! We know of some cyclists who did ride through the tunnel for some lack of surveillance but regretted doing so as they found it really dangerous. We are not the kind of purist cyclists either and easily found a hitch through :D

By: jay austin

jay austin — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 10:56:59 +0000

Thanks for this information, guys! It’s been helpful as we cycle the other way, from Bishkek to Osh. Two quick notes for anyone else who may be reading:

(1) We were able to cycle through the tunnel at Too Ashuu. It was really unpleasant, dark and potholed and really bad air for 2.6 kilometers, but no one said anything to us about not being allowed in. Later, though, people seemed surprised we were let through. So maybe no one is checking from the north-to-south side. In any event, hitching a ride is probably the better bet, but for the purists out there (we are definitely not purists), cycling MAY be an option.

(2) We actually ended up at Suuslodge after finding it (and your review) on Google Maps. Lodging was something like 1,500 som per person for an economy room, which was out of our budget, but we asked if we could camp in the field for 250 per person (500 som for the two of us) and use the amenities. The folks were really friendly and we spent a few days relaxing inside, drinking tea, showering, charging things, etc. A nice stop for anyone looking for a rest after (or before) tackling Too Ashuu.

Hope that’s useful to anyone. Happy trails!