Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne sits just above the Saône, where the little Chalaronne river ends its slow journey across the Dombes and slips into the bigger river near Thoissey. From the edge of the village the land drops to the Val de Saône, a broad floodplain of meadows and poplar rows, and across the water the slopes of the Beaujolais rise in neat green ranks of vines.
This is a good place for a long lunch. The Saône valley has a tradition of riverside cooking, and friture, small fried fish from the river eaten with your fingers and a glass of white wine, is a classic summer dish here, alongside the frogs' legs and poultry of the Dombes and the Bresse. Thoissey, a few minutes away, is a small, old town with a few places to eat, and the Beaujolais wine villages across the river are full of cellars where you can taste, though the rider will want to keep that to a sip.
The river is the dominant presence. It floods regularly in winter and spring, spreading across the meadows and turning the valley into a shallow lake, and the villages are built on higher ground for that reason. In summer, the riverbanks are green and shady, and the old towpaths are good for a walk after lunch.
The riding is easy. Flat roads follow the valley, with good surfaces and little traffic, and the bridges at Thoissey, Montmerle and Belleville lead across into the Beaujolais, where the roads climb sharply into the vineyards and the fun begins. Fuel is available in the nearby towns. Start here with a full stomach and the hills of the Beaujolais in view.