Tarare is a textile town that grew rich on muslin, and its big, grey nineteenth-century factories still stand along the river Turdine.
This is not an Annecy or a Bauges, as the ride name suggests, but it has its own appeal. The roads climb out of the town in long, steady bends through pine woods and rough pasture, reaching ridges that give broad views to the east over the Beaujolais and sometimes to the Alps. The surface is generally good, though patchy near the top, and the weather can turn quickly: mist and strong wind are common, and in winter snow can close the higher roads. The A89 motorway tunnels under the main ridge, so the old road over the Col des Sauvages is quiet, which makes it a good ride.
Tarare's history is all about cloth. In the nineteenth century, thousands of people worked in its mills, making fine muslin, velvet and embroidered cloth that was sold across Europe. The town is also known for its brioche, which locals bake with pink pralines, a sweet tradition shared with Lyon. Violay and the villages around it are quieter, with farms, old churches and a handful of wayside crosses.
For fuel, Tarare, with over ten thousand people, has stations, supermarkets and restaurants, and is the sensible place to fill up before the hills. A pastry shop in the centre sells the local brioche, and cafes along the main street are cheap and friendly. If you want to rest, the valley by the river has a few benches, though the hills are better.
As a final point on a long loop, it is a good place to be high and quiet before the descent to Lyon, and to look back at the hills you have crossed.