Bourg-en-Bresse lies just east of here, and this stop sits on its western edge, between Péronnas, Buellas and Saint-Denis-lès-Bourg. The country is gentle, with fields, hedges, farm buildings and the outskirts of a mid-sized town. To the south the Dombes plateau begins, a region of hundreds of shallow ponds created by monks and lords in the Middle Ages for fish farming.
Bourg's great treasure is the Royal Monastery of Brou, built in the early sixteenth century by Margaret of Austria in memory of her husband, Philibert the Handsome of Savoy. Its church is a riot of late Gothic stone carving, with three magnificent tombs and a colourful glazed tile roof. It is one of the finest buildings of its period in France, and it is worth an hour even if you are in a hurry.
The Dombes ponds are drained and refilled in cycles, alternating between fish and crops. They are rich in birdlife, with herons, egrets and ducks in large numbers, and the bird park at Villars-les-Dombes is one of the largest in Europe. The ponds themselves are private and not for swimming.
For a swim, look to Bourg itself. The leisure area at Bouvent, on the northern side of town, has a lake with a bathing area in summer. Check the season and supervision before you go. Otherwise, the town pools offer a reliable alternative.
The riding is easy and open, with straight roads, roundabouts and some traffic around Bourg. The Revermont hills to the east offer more interesting roads, climbing into the Jura foothills with tight bends and views back over the Bresse.
Péronnas has fuel and a supermarket on the way in, and Bourg has the rest, from bakeries to proper brasseries. If you skipped the chicken in the north of the Bresse, here is your second chance.