The land here belongs to the Monts du Lyonnais, a range of rounded hills south-west of Lyon that rise to about nine hundred metres at their highest and are made of old crystalline rock. Mornant, Chassagny and Taluyers sit on the eastern flank, where the slope falls toward the Rhône and the soil supports orchards, pasture and, in places, vineyards. The wines of the Coteaux du Lyonnais, mostly light, fruity Gamay reds, come from these hills, and there are small producers who will sell you a bottle in a cellar with a hand-painted sign.
Mornant is a lively little market town of about five thousand people, with a church, a main street of bakeries and a Saturday morning crowd, and it is known as the centre of its own small region. Villages like Chassagny and Taluyers are quieter, with stone houses, a church and a bar. It is a landscape that does not demand attention, which is part of its charm: tiny roads between fields of maize and fruit trees, a view of far-off ridges, the sound of cowbells and tractors.
As an end point for a ride called Romans and Royans, it is a long way from the dramatic limestone cliffs of the Vercors, but a good place to finish. The roads here are narrow and bendy, rising and falling over small hills, and traffic is light except around Mornant itself. Surfaces are generally good, but cyclists are out in force, especially at weekends, and manure and gravel can lie on the bends. A little care pays off. There is fuel in Mornant, as well as bakeries and a small supermarket, and Givors, a larger town, is a short run to the east.
In the evening, the light turns the hills a soft blue and the first mist settles in the hollows. After a day on the cliffs, the gentle lanes are a welcome change. Stop for a coffee at a village bar, and chat to the regulars about the harvest. They will have an opinion, and they will be delighted to share it.