South of Lyon, the Rhône broadens into a powerful, heavily engineered river, lined with locks, power stations and chemical plants on the east bank. The west bank, where around Irigny, Charly and Vernaison, is softer: a strip of villages, orchards and market gardens rising gently towards the Monts du Lyonnais. Rides begin and end here for a simple reason: it sits outside the congested core of the city but within easy reach of it.
The area was once famous for its fruit, particularly cherries and peaches, and in early summer you will still see roadside stalls selling local produce. The villages have a mixture of old stone farmhouses, nineteenth-century country houses built by wealthy Lyon families, and modern suburbs. Across the river, the industrial corridor known as the Vallée de la Chimie is one of the largest concentrations of chemical industry in France, a reminder that Lyon's prosperity was built on silk, chemicals and engineering.
Lyon itself is famous for its food, and if you are finishing a ride here, it is worth heading into the city for dinner. The traditional restaurants known as bouchons serve hearty dishes like quenelles, andouillette and salade lyonnaise, washed down with Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône. The old town, with its Renaissance houses and hidden passageways, and the hill of Fourvière, with its basilica and Roman theatres, are worth a visit too.
The Beaujolais rides head north from here, either through the city or around it, to the vineyards and hills north-west of Lyon. Getting through or around Lyon can be slow, especially at peak times, and the motorway around the city is notoriously congested, so leave early. The local roads on the west bank are pleasant, winding through villages and orchards. The surrounding towns cover fuel and shopping. Summers in the Rhône valley are hot, and the mistral wind can blow strongly down the valley, especially in winter and spring, so be prepared for gusts.