Ablis lies right where the forest of Rambouillet gives way to the Beauce, and the change is almost theatrical. Ride south out of the trees and the land flattens into an immense, open plain of wheat, barley and rapeseed that runs to the horizon in every direction, the granary of France. On a clear day you can sometimes make out the spires of Chartres Cathedral far to the south-west, rising out of the fields like a ship on the sea, the way pilgrims saw them for centuries.
The village itself is small and practical, close to the junction of the A10 and A11 motorways. There is a church, a few shops and services, and a sense of being on the edge of two very different landscapes. The writer Charles Péguy made the pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres across the Beauce in the early twentieth century, and his poems about the walk across the endless plain are still read by the many pilgrims who follow the route today.
The riding here is about wide horizons. South of Ablis, the roads run straight across the plain, with gentle curves and long sightlines. Surfaces are generally good, and traffic is light on the minor roads. Wind can be a factor on the open plain. To the north, the roads through the forest of Rambouillet are shady and winding, with oak and beech woods and the chance of meeting deer.
As a photo stop, the view across the Beauce is the highlight, especially in early summer, when the fields are green or golden. Fuel and food are available in Ablis and nearby towns.