Baghdati Cycle Fest 2023, Georgia
A stunt organised by Tbilisi City Hall brought Santas on bikes to the short new cycle track on Pekini Avenue.
Georgian drivers are utter rubbish at reverse parking, they don't even make a serious effort. And the police don't care.
It might look like a pedestrian space to you, but to Georgians, until it's blocked off, it's car-parking space.
Road closures in Georgia are simply seen as creating space for double- and triple-parking. No thought of allowing access for cycling.
Minimal warning of roadworks in Kutaisi, Georgia (traffic can pass to the left).
Minimal warning of road closure, Kutaisi, Georgia
Fairly pointless 'footbridge' in Mestia, Svaneti (close to a quiet road bridge).
This is how Georgia modernises... ok, the rubbish is finally getting collected now, but wheelchair and buggy users can forget about using this footway - it's not even much use to pedestrians.
There is a bit of local cycling in Mestia - and a few touring cyclists make it up to Svaneti.
Footbridge towards the Dadiani Palace park in Zugdidi - improvement needed!
People do cycle in Zugdidi, but there's virtually no cycle parking here.
Ramped access needed to link the Dadiani Palace park and the footbridge across the Chkhoushi river.
Ramped access needed to link the Dadiani Palace park and the footbridge across the Chkhoushi river.
This chap riding through the portico of the Dadiani Palace Museum in Zugdidi seems to be riding around the park for exercise - an unusual sight in Georgia!
Busy enough route through the Zugdidi Botanic Gardens.
Cyclist on the footway heading for the gate into the Zugdidi Botanic Gardens (looking autumnal!).
Amazing! One tiny section of these roadworks have a sign and barriers in place. In Georgian and in English!
Yet more seemingly abandoned Georgian roadworks without any barriers or warnings.
This could all be connected up as a cycleway in some distant imaginary future.
This could all be connected up as a cycleway in some distant imaginary future.
Cyclist waiting to cross the tracks as the daily train from Tbilisi arrives at Poti.
Quite a busy crossing at Poti station, with cyclists wheeling their bikes across - needs improvement.
Roadworks are a mess in Georgia, and they're not good at making good afterwards either.
All Batumi's bike shops seem to be on this one block.
Bike shop and rental, Batumi
All Batumi's bike shops seem to be on this one block.
Very poor access to the new Batumi Central station (actually 2km north of the centre) - underpass or ramped bridge required. There's no footway at all on the inland side of the road.
Cyclists on Batumi's waterfront cycleway
A rare cyclist on the cycleway past the port of Batumi
Missing section of cycleway, often encroached on by motor vehicles
Cycleway past the port of Batumi
Cycleway past the port of Batumi
Continuation (after a fairly lengthy gap) of Batumi's waterfront cycleway
It must be Block the Cycleways Day today.
Map of cycle routes south and east from Batumi, Georgia
Cycle route around a lay-by
Junction of routes around Batumi's Miracle Park
Reasonable access for cycles, except for the chain lying on the ground.
Road closure leading to the Batumi Boulevard
Waterfront cycleway and rental bikes
Absurdly narrow lanes, but at least there's one on either side of the road.
Cycle route towards the Alphabetic Tower, Batumi
Map of Batumi Velo bike-sharing stations.
Bike parked in the bike-sharing station - that's not how it's supposed to work. And a statue of a bike with a wheel which turns when the water flows.
Very narrow, but at least there's one on either side of the road.
Step-free access to the traffic-free theatre plaza in Akhalkalaki, Georgia
Step-free access to the traffic-free theatre plaza in Akhalkalaki, Georgia
A road closure in Georgia just creates more space for car storage.
Bike shop (of sorts) in Akhalkalaki, Georgia
Cycling allowed from 6am to 9am only!
Unsurprisingly, a taxi driver taking advantage of the dropped kerb to block the cycleway.
Most of the streets in this area have been made one-way with the carriageway narrowed and the space used for cycleways.
How to cause collisions on the cycleway.
Most of the streets in this area have been made one-way with the carriageway narrowed and the space used for cycleways. Fine apart from the café seating on the cycleway.
Rat-runs closed off with surprisingly good permeability.
Rat-runs closed off with surprisingly good permeability.
As in Tbilisi, these automated gates are replacing chains with padlocks that tended to be left open. There could be a bit more room for cycles, though..
Cycle parking at a new mega-apartment block in Batumi - a welcome surprise!
Rat-runs closed off with surprisingly good permeability.
Rat-runs closed off with surprisingly good permeability.
Rat-runs closed off with surprisingly good permeability.
Rental bikes on the Batumi promenade (simpler than the Batumi Velo bike-sharing system).
New building intruding into the cycleway
These electric trikes only seem to use the cycleway.
Batumi Velo bike-sharing station at the Tower Restaurant
Rental bikes at Batumi's beach volleyball courts
It's all wrong - electric trikes for tourists on the cycleway, bikes (and scooters) on the pedestrian promenade.
Gimmicky tourist bike (not part of the wedding plans, I believe) on the Batumi promenade.
Not just the obvious obstacle, but also the woman who deliberately moved to walk on the cycleway, then crossed the road and did the same on the other side.
I don't know what this sign means - I'm pretty sure cycling is only allowed from 6am to 9am but with or without a permit?
Entrance to Nurigeli Park, Batumi (with a cycle lesson in the car park)
Despite the new cycleways, there's still almost no cycle parking in Batumi.
New cycleways, cyclist on the road.
Most of the streets in this area have been made one-way with the carriageway narrowed and the space used for cycleways.
Most of the streets in this area have been made one-way with the carriageway narrowed and the space used for cycleways.
Start of cycleway with no dropped kerb...
Batumi Velo bike-sharing station
Georgian roadworks no. 10,004....
Georgian roadworks no. 10,003....
I dream of a cycle route the length of Georgia's Black Sea coast, but the existing bits will need some improvement first.
No wonder people don't use the crossings!
There's more cycling on the Kobuleti promenade than on the cycle track alongside the main road just to the right.
There's more cycling on the Kobuleti promenade than on the cycle track alongside the main road just to the right.
Cyclist and marshrutka bus - not unusual in Western Georgia, almost unknown in Eastern Georgia
Shop full of bike wheels and other parts
A useful cut-through towards the station in Lanchkhuti, if it weren't for the totally predictable step.
There's more cycling in the west of Georgia - including one in the distance cutting through this park.
No cycle ramps, but there's no other convenient way across the railway in Samtredia
Not a great bridge, but there's no other convenient way across the railway in Samtredia.
As soon as you get into Western Georgia you see a bit more cycling - a couple on this track for instance.
The main road from Kutaisi to Khashuri goes to the left, but cyclists can take a quieter road to the right through Surami for about 4km.
A long footbridge that I didn't know about in Akhalkalaki, Georgia
Sign for hiking, cycling and trailbike routes from Vardzia (ie all on dirt roads, I think)
This is marked as a road on my GPS and the online mapping.
This is marked as a road on my GPS and the online mapping.
Short link: https://cycle.st/photomap/tags/georgia/