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The ground
around Baku is clay so is great for riding most of the year
but quickly turns to thick mud after rain, making cycling
impossible. It can take 3 to 5 days to dry out after heavy
rain. There are also lots of thorny plants so punctures
are a problem, especially in summer. Spare inner tubes are
a must and many riders use additional puncture protection;
Slime and Kevlar tape both work well.
Dogs can be a problem on
any ride, although the problem shouldn’t be overstated
– nobody has been bitten yet but it pays to be wary.
Shepherds have aggressive dogs to protect their flocks and
feral dogs wander the hills. Some riders carry deterrents,
such as clubs and pepper spray. Others rely on shouting
aggressively at the dogs or throwing rocks – both
very effective.
We have two main riding areas
– Stonepay and Gobustan. We probably do 75% of our
riding in the valley next to Stonepay due to convenience.
There is a range of trails that offer 2 to 4 hours of good
cycling. It is mainly non-technical, although the climbs
and descents are steep, with walking always an option.
Gobustan is great fun and
also non-technical with the option to make sections of it
technical by riding over some challenging rocks.
In addition to these two
areas, we have also ridden north of Baku at Five Fingers,
Candy Cane Mountains, around Long Forest and through Cloud
Catcher Canyon. These rides take a minimum of 1 hour to
get to and Cloud Catcher Canyon is a fast 3 hours. There
is also an urban circuit around Bay Holdings which is great
for an evening criterium.
All these rides have been
‘discovered’ in the last 18 months and we are
always on the look-out for new trails.
When do we
Ride ?
There will almost always be a group riding Stonepay at least
once at the weekend, normally starting around 8:30 AM in
the winter but earlier in the summer to avoid the worst
of the heat. Last summer there was also a mid-week evening
ride and this may re-establish itself when the evenings
are long enough.
Where is it
?
Stonepay (also called Royal Park) is a 10 minute drive outside
Baku and is where TISA (The International School of Azerbaijan)
is located. In the Baku Street Directory (2nd Edition),
it is on Map 51 ref D6. We congregate in road C1 a few minutes
before the allotted start time or, if you have cycled up,
you can wait at the security gates at the entrance.
Gobustan is about 1 hour
south of Baku. Drive through the town of Gobustan and take
a right turn just before a road bridge over the highway,
driving up the slope. Turn right again so you are driving
back towards Baku, parallel to the highway. Drive past the
buildings and over a railway line, staying on the main dirt
road and generally bearing left. Once into open country,
turn right at a stone sign, towards a flat-topped hill surrounded
by a boulder field. We either park at the base of the road
just before it climbs the hill or we climb the hill to the
museum and park there. The cave markings and Roman markings
are also here so you can get more detailed directions from
guide books.
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