Dagneux and Béligneux are villages on the plateau north-east of Lyon, called the Côtière, a long terrace above the Rhône valley where the land breaks away in a steep slope toward the river. From the edge of the escarpment, the view stretches over the plain and, on a clear day, to the Alps on the horizon. The dot sits above the Rhône, at the edge of the Dombes, a country of ponds and woods that begins just to the north.
The ride is called Beaujolais Dawn, and the name tells you what it is about. The Beaujolais is the wine region north-west of Lyon, on the other side of the Saône, where granite hills are carpeted with Gamay vines, and the villages are built from a soft, golden limestone that gives them a warm glow. The Pierres Dorées, as the area of golden-stone villages is called, are among the prettiest in France, and the wine, made from Gamay, is light, fruity and meant to be drunk young. Beaujolais Nouveau, released on the third Thursday of November, is a national ritual.
Starting before sunrise has rewards. The mist lies in the valleys, the vineyards are silver with dew, and the first light turns the stone of the villages to honey. The roads in the Beaujolais are narrow and winding, with tight bends, short climbs and views of the vines, and there is almost no traffic early in the morning. In harvest time, from late August to September, tractors and trailers laden with grapes fill the roads, and the smell of fermenting must hangs in the air.
Coming back toward Lyon, the way crosses the plateau of the Côtière, with straight roads through fields of maize and wheat. Traffic builds up near Lyon, and the roads around Montluel and Miribel can be heavy at commuter hours. Cameras are common.
Fuel is easy here, with stations at the large supermarkets and in the nearby towns, and bakeries open early. A Lyonnais breakfast, with a coffee and a croissant, or a more substantial bouchon lunch with sausage and a glass of local wine, is a good reward after a morning ride.