I offer three versions of the route:
Exploring Silk Road Ancient Ruins 1
Exploring Silk Road Ancient Ruins 2
Exploring Silk Road Ancient Ruins 3
Some stats, locations and coordinates for each are listed below:
Exploring Silk Road Ancient Ruins 1
Distance: 157 km
Days: 1-2
Unpaved: 90.5 km
Singletrack: 0 km
Rideable time: 100%
Total Ascent: 410 m
Highest Point: 990
Difficulty: (1-10) 2
Resupply: villages of Dөn-Aryk, Ak-Beshim, Krasnaya Rechka,
Bishkek Petroleum Gas Station N 42.97426° E 74.87337°
Camping spot: Wall remains N 42.80380° E 75.19689°
Archaeological sites: Burana N 42.74638° E 75.25021°; Suyab N 42.80452° E 75.19521°;
Nevaket N 42.91239° E 75.01523°
Exploring Silk Road Ancient Ruins 2 excludes a visit to the Krasnorechensky settlement "Nevaket". Return way follows a dirt road along the Southern and Eastern Chui Canals.
Distance: 131 km
Days: 1-2
Unpaved: 107.6 km
Singletrack: 0 km
Rideable time: 100%
Total Ascent: 340 m
Highest Point: 990
Difficulty: 2 (1-10)
Camping spot: Wall remains N 42.80380° E 75.19689°
Resupply: villages of Dөn-Aryk, Ak-Beshim, Nurmambet , Internatsionalnoe, Tuz, Kara-Dzigach
Cool places: Zherdev Sad N 42.75564° E 75.00311°; Poplar trees garden N 42.75525° E 75.01709°
Archeological sites: Burana N 42.74638° E 75.25021°; Suyab N 42.80452° E 75.19521°
Exploring Silk Road Ancient Ruins 3route is longer, higher, a little more difficult, with more segments.
Distance: 187 km
Days: 1-2
Unpaved: 61.9 km
Singletrack: 0 km
Rideable time: 100%
Total Ascent: 1550 m
Highest Point: 1770
Difficulty: (1-10) 4
Resupply: villages of Arashan, Koi-Tash, Kyzyl-Birdik, Rot-Front, Dөn-Aryk, Ak-Beshim, Krasnaya Rechka, Bishkek Petroleum Gas Station N 42.97426° E 74.87337°
Camping spots: The Farm Yurt Camp N 42.69201° E 75.09761°; Wall remains N 42.80380° E 75.19689°
Cool places: cafe fried trout N 42.64530° E 74.93966°
Archeological sites: Burana N 42.74638° E 75.25021°; Suyb N 42.80452° E 75.19521°; Nevaket N 42.91239° E 75.01523°
Scythian burial mounds: N 42.68209° E 75.06455°; N 42.69375° E 75.09815°
Highlights: I hope you will like the rocky double-track along the canal as much as I do. See the countryside outside of Bishkek. You may get some impressions about people's life here. I myself find it very interesting to visit medieval ruins and learn what life was like here more than 1000 years ago.
Must Know: Best time for this route is from March to October. It might be hot in Summer but cool breeze from mountains and out of the irrigation canal will make your ride perfect.
Bring cash in local currency with you for shopping in villages.
This route can be considered as a shakedown or acclimatization ride before your odessyes in the Kyrgyz Mountains, with some learning aspects of local history.
If you decide to get back to Bishkek by car, ride to Tokmok and arrange your transfer at the local bus station Avtovokzal
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XJdK89QZnhhBWrV28
Camping: Camping locations can be found almost everywhere at the foothills in nearby mountains.
Food/H2O: Bottled drinking water available in every village along the route. No need to worry about having your own filter for this ride. Make sure to have at least 1 liter for the stretch between Bishkek and Don-Aryk village. Then have enough water in Ak-Beshim Village for dinner, breakfast and the long stretch from Suyb ruins to Krasnaya Rechka Village.
Rig: Gravel
Resources: https://visitworldheritage.com/en/silk-road/kyrgyzstan-settlements-silk-roads-the-routes-network-of-chang https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists https://central-asia.guide/kyrgyzstan/destinations-kg/ancient-settlements-chui-valley-kyrgyzstan/