Russia

• Miles cycled: 583
• Feet climbed: 8,987
• Cycling days: 12
• Non-cycling days: 5

Rating (1-10) and comments:

• Road – condition: 9
  (We stuck to the main roads and these were, on the whole, very good. Even roads in towns and villages were in good condition.)
• Road – shoulders and cycle lanes: 8
  (We had a decent shoulder on most of the main roads)
• Road signage: 7
• Drivers: 8
• Campsites – Availability: 0
• Campsites – Facilities/Value: n/a
  (Didn’t find any campsites)
• Hotels: 7.5
  (Not as good value for money as Ukraine, but rooms are generally clean and well-equipped)
• Shops: 8
  (Always little mini markets found in even the smallest towns)
• Food: 9
  (Lots of great soups and stews. Good value.)
• People: 9
  (Like Ukraine, folk everywhere were super friendly and helpful despite the language barrier)
• Cost: 7
• Scenery: 4
  (Bugger all to see in the section we went through)
• Cultural interest: 5
  (Due to us being in the arse-end of nowhere in Russia rather than more interesting parts)

Overall: 7.4

General tips:

• Pick up a copy of the Auto-Tourist Guide (available from service stations and guesthouses) – although not a map, it shows accurately where there are hotels, shops and cafes along the major highways of Russia. We found this extremely useful.
• Look out for signs of “Dom Otdikhas” – these are guesthouses/lodges.
• Some of the Baza Otdikhas/Baza Ribalnayas are hunting/fishing bases with accommodation. Some are reluctant to take foreigners but a little patience/persistance can produce results.