Bikepacking Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is not a country, it's a dream. We spent 40 days wandering in the pearl of Central Asia.
The route was a loop tour starting and returning to the capital city of Bishkek. In the northern part we skirted Issy-Kul Lake and then set off into the endless valleys bordering Kazakhstan. From Karakol onward we followed (with a few detours and modifications) the route of the Tian-Shan Traverse (you can find it on bikepacking.com). 37 stages, 13 passes above 3.000m, 40kg of bicycles.
The bike were a Surly Ogre (with 2.35" tyres) and a Kona Unit X (with 2.6" tyres). We used a hybrid bikepacking setup (a rack with small bags in the rear and bikepacking bags on the front).
Kyrgyzstan would deserve a lifetime spent exploring it: the huge mountains, endless valleys, and low anthropization make it the perfect country to have a true 21st century adventure!
Link to the GPX File: www.komoot.com...

[@Ivan-gb3gn]

Man, the road to Enilcheck was epic! I spent the night partying with the 3 borders guards as it was their last night at the checkpoint.

[@StedoSauro]

Yes! It was for sure one of the best valley that we crossed! This country is so epic!!!

[@rebel1337]

Which tyre size would you recommend for this tour, 2.25 or 2.6?

[@StedoSauro]

I made It with a 2.35 tyre (Vittoria Mezcal) and it was perfect for every road! My friend made it with a 2.6. If you want more comfort 2.6 it's maybe better!