Kazakhstan’s roads are among the best kept in the region.

Some, such as the road from Bishkek to Almaty, are in excellent shape: smooth asphalt with a wide shoulder. Others have a few cracks or bumps but are still generally okay with a dirt shoulder that’s surprisingly rideable. Main roads are frequently divided highways, giving vehicles plenty of room to go around you.

There are smaller routes and tracks up into the mountains but you’ll need a better map than the standard to find them. We used the Gizi Map of Central Asia that depicts south Kazakhstan at a scale of 1:1 750 000 but it only shows the main roads and a few side ones.

You can find stores in Almaty selling more detailed maps of the area. The best one is Firma Geo.

Keep a close eye on the drivers while cycling. Most Kazakhs haven’t been driving for very long but more than a few of them can afford fast cars and that inevitably leads to some wild driving. We witnessed plenty of overtaking on the inside and people who would step on the gas only to slam on the brakes inches from the bumper of the next car.

Kazakhs are not noted for their patience on the road. If you see a crazy driver coming towards you it’s best just to get out of the way. Even just crossing a driveway when a Kazakh wants to come through can elicit some annoyed gestures if you delay the driver for even a few seconds.

We concluded that the Kazakhs are about as bad at driving as the Iranians but they have better cars and the roads are far less crowded so they can get away with their foolish manoeuvres more easily.