Since XDS-Astana (Pro Team Astana) became a fixture of one of the most-watched sports on the planet, the culture of cycling has taken root in the land of Alexander Vinokourov, the 2012 Olympic Road Race champion.
That’s not to say that nobody rode before, but going for a drive on any sunny day into the hills south of Almaty these days is likely to take you past dozens of cyclists, most of them heading up to Medeu. Or back down again.
Overwhelmingly on road bikes, these riders are often very serious about the 10-kilometre route from a bridge next to a hotel called Royal Tulip to the famous mountain ice skating rink and winter sports complex.
The equipment on show can be very impressive, too, some enthusiasts splashing out on three or four grand bikes as part of their commitment to conquering this iconic ride. Lycra gear, Garmin Varia radar warning system, MIPS helmets with built-in cameras, clipless pedals…
As they’d say in England, everything but the kitchen sink.
Nestled aside the main roads, however, are hundreds of miles of tracks, trails, and country lanes, which, for those who prioritise elevation gain over cadence, are enough to keep them happy for decades.
According to the International Mountain Bicycling Association:
“Riders seek the thrill of navigating technical terrain, the mental break from daily life, and the physical challenge, often using riding as a way to connect with the outdoors and manage stress.”
There are cyclists in the local area who’ve pedalled these trails for 20 years or more, who claim not to have run out of new routes. Riding to Medeu is a ton of fun, which is why even serious trail-riders get up that road many times a year themselves, but the variety that the thicker wheels tend to offer makes all the difference for a few hundred of us.
The typical go-to options for MTB enthusiasts everywhere include cross-country, trail riding, technical climbing, stiff climbs, steep climbs, long climbs, winding-binding country lanes, enduro for racing timed downhill stages, and just plain downhill – with quirky-kinda-stunty stuff appealing to the even more energetic; freeride, slopestyle, and dirt jumping (but forgive me if I pass over the last few, as I am arguably far too dyed-in-the-wool to know what they even are).
Mid-March to late-October, however, and try to get us off our bikes, because we have the whole lot here; everything but that same kitchen sink.
Roads that you can barely even push your bike up, terrifying descents that won’t forgive even the slightest lapse in concentration, long undulating trails with no cars in sight, mile-long technical climbs of up to 60% slope. Forest trails, country lanes, mountain roads, riverside routes, or any combination thereof.
Almaty is just as I put it, a mountain biker’s paradise.
saqtimes.kz met up with Artyom Trofimov, a keen mountain (and road) rider, who even does the Medeu climb from time to time. He acknowledges that this is the most popular route in Kazakhstan, and a great test of fitness, while also wary of the number of cars passing by at speed. Many people say that riding just to Medeu and back gets a touch boring after a while, something Artyom understands himself. He can see the appeal of Bridge – Medeu, but mostly yearns to get off the beaten track.
As a result, he has made it his business to explore the many other places to ride, and his encyclopaedic knowledge of the hidden nooks and crannies, and under-explored gems of Almaty riding is what interests us more, which is exactly why we sought him out to put us in the picture.
Artyom is a dentist by trade and recently turned 40. Although he rode a lot as a child, his cycling career didn’t resume from then until he was in his late-20s.
His commitment isn’t in any doubt when you learn that he owns several bikes.
“I currently own four bikes, depending on my preferences. I have a 2019 Scott Spark full-suspension bike, a 2025 Scott Scale hardtail, a Bottcher touring bike for long rides, and my regular bike. I also have a Shulz-based off-road bike, which is my mum’s favourite. I can’t say which one is better; each is good for its own purpose.”
The tranquillity and fresh air of many of his favourite routes mean just as much to him as breaking records, and he gets more of a thrill from the views in the foothills and mountains than he does from becoming a local legend on Strava.
“I also love long-distance rides and bikepacking. My friends and I regularly take 150-km trips out of town, sometimes driving to the trails we are going to ride. These could be the Red Mountains of Boguty, the Bartogay Reservoir area, and the Assy Plateau. These are my favourite trips.”
Busy much of the week, yet a rider who, in his own words, is ‘struggling to break the habit’, Artyom has also become an authority on some routes in the vicinity of Almaty city itself. Safe to say that there are trails 20-30 km outside the city limits that he knows better than almost any other rider.
He is also one of the few to make it to the top of Kok Zhailau the hard way, even though many mountain bikers consider this a must-ride, only not on the steep path up from Gornaya Street. Most, even elite riders, tackle Kok Zhailau from the Leshoz Road, a stiff enough challenge in itself.
He didn’t mention Big Almaty Lake, featured in the headline video above, but has doubtless completed the route faster than I managed to. It wasn’t given among his favourites, probably because there wouldn’t be time to list everything. Anybody heading over to Almaty who likes to ride may wish to check out Big Almaty Lake – tough to get up, amazing to coast back down again – one of so many places to head to on two wheels.
On any such list, we have to include the famous Climb to the Four Tanks, an ultimate short-burst strength and fitness test for any cyclist. Artyom says it took him years to finally crack it, at least, without stopping, but once he had, he realised that he had what it took to handle many other challenging rides in the area.
Once up to the tanks, there are still hundreds of metres to climb, starting with Mother Hill, which takes you to a spot with some of the best views of the city. Other incredibly difficult climbs take the rider up the same hill but from different sides, and only a handful of the very best can get up the slope Angry as a Dog without sliding back down again.
“I am also really keen on riding to the former ski station, Shybynsai, as it means you can get a great ride done in two hours. Not only mountains, but wildlife await you there; deer, wild boar, even badgers.”
Along with his friends, or perhaps even alone, Artyom Trofimov finds time to cycle in neighbouring countries and has done hundreds of miles in Kyrgyzstan, where he says the scenery and local people are amazing.
“I am planning to do the Pamirs next year, as well as the iconic Paris-Brest-Paris.”
Admirable plans, for a guy who has covered hundreds of miles of roads, trails, and paths near his home town, and still has many left to discover.