Lyon · Pilat Ridge and Rhône Balcony
A close mountain escape with ridge views and fast weather changes.
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Why this ride
A close mountain escape with ridge views and fast weather changes. 138 km round from Vienne - plan on about 2 h 39 of riding. It goes by way of Pilat forest bends and Condrieu by river. The climb of the day is Col de l’Oeillon ridge. The passes are the reason to go.
Roadbook
- Vienne fuel gate
start
Vienne has been a city for two thousand years and it still shows it. On the east bank of the Rhône, about thirty kilometres south of Lyon, the Romans built a prosperous colony here, and the temple of Augustus and Livia still stands in the centre, as complete as when it was built, with its Corinthian columns facing a small square of cafés. Nearby a Roman theatre climbs the hillside, and every July it fills with music for a jazz festival that has become one of the best known in Europe.
For a rider, Vienne is a very practical stop. With over 32,000 people, it has fuel stations on the approaches and a good range of cafés and shops, and it is on the main route between Lyon and the south, so it is a natural place to refill and eat. Be aware that the one-way system in the centre is confusing, and that traffic backs up on the bridges across the Rhône. Park near the river and walk in.
Across the water, on the right bank, the steep terraces of Côte-Rôtie climb from the village of Ampuis, and the wines made from Syrah on those slopes are among the most celebrated in France. A little further south, Condrieu produces its fragrant white Viognier. Behind them, the Pilat massif rises in a long wooded ridge, which is one of the better riding areas in the region, with roads that twist up through chestnut woods to open crests. Vienne is the gateway.
There is a modest Roman pyramid standing alone in a field near the old circus, a curious monument whose purpose is still debated, and the cathedral of Saint-Maurice, a long Gothic building at the foot of the hill, is worth a look if you have the time. Evenings are lively in the centre, with restaurants serving Lyon-style food, and the Rhône at dusk is a pleasant place to unwind.
- Col de l’Oeillon ridge
pass
On the map the Pilat looks like a small bump south of Saint-Étienne, but on the ground it is a proper mountain massif, with a high ridge, deep forests and views down into the Rhône valley. The Col de l'Oeillon sits at around thirteen hundred metres, on the road that climbs from Pélussin up toward the main crest, and it is one of the best-known climbs for riders in the Lyon region. The highest point in the range, the Crêt de la Perdrix, is a short walk away at about fourteen hundred and thirty metres.
The road up is the draw. From Pélussin, it climbs steadily in a long series of bends, with hairpins and open corners in a good rhythm, through chestnuts and then beech and fir forest, finally breaking out onto the crest with long views east over the Rhône valley and, in clear conditions, to the Alps. The tarmac is usually good, traffic is light on weekdays, and the gradient stays reasonable. On sunny weekends, expect cyclists and other motorcycles, which makes it sociable but demands attention on the tighter bends.
The Pilat is a regional nature park, and the ridge has an Alpine feel: cool air, wet grass, wildflowers in June, fog on autumn mornings. At the foot of the slopes, on the Rhône side, steep terraces grow the grapes of Condrieu and Saint-Joseph, two of the best-known wines of the northern Rhône, so there is a nice contrast between the vines below and the forest above. A pause at the top gives you time to take in how high you have climbed from the river.
Fuel is not available on the col. Pélussin has about three and a half thousand residents and basic services, but do not count on it open late or on a Sunday, and Maclas is smaller still. Saint-Chamond, about thirteen kilometres away, is the largest town nearby with full services. Bring an extra layer even in summer, because the ridge is breezy and the wind can be cold, and in winter snow can close the upper road for days at a time.
- Pilat forest bends
scenic
Down in the forest on the southern and western flanks of the Pilat, the road forgets about views and concentrates on bends. This stretch, near Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette and Bourg-Argental, runs under big stands of beech and fir, with the light falling in patches on the tarmac and the air noticeably cooler and damper than anywhere on the Rhône side. If the high ridge is the postcard, this is the quiet backstage, and some riders will tell you it is the better ride.
The corners are tight and continuous, one after another, with few places to overtake and plenty of reasons not to try. The surface is mostly good but gets slippery under shade, particularly in autumn when wet leaves and moss lie in the apexes, and after rain a patch of mud from a forestry vehicle is not unusual. Mornings are the best time, as the forest is quiet, and wild animals such as deer sometimes cross the road. In winter, ice lingers in shaded bends long after the sun has warmed the fields.
This area also has a working history. The Pilat was once a centre of silk-throwing, the process of twisting raw silk into thread, and the mills in the valleys here, driven by fast little rivers, supplied the weavers of Lyon and Saint-Étienne. Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette takes its name partly from the mills, and old buildings from this period still stand beside streams in the area. Timber, too, has long mattered, with the forest managed for wood and the roads built to haul logs.
Practical matters need care. Saint-Julien-Molin-Molette is a village of just over a thousand people, and Bourg-Argental, a few kilometres further, is a small town with shops, cafés and basic services. Fuel is limited, so top up in Saint-Chamond or at a larger station before entering the forest section. Mobile reception is patchy in the valleys, and there are long stretches with no villages at all, which is part of the charm.
- Condrieu food by river
stop
Condrieu is a small town on the right bank of the Rhône, and its fame rests on a grape. Viognier, a fragrant white variety with notes of apricot and blossom, was almost lost here in the twentieth century, when only a few hectares survived on the steep granite terraces above the town, and the wine from this tiny area has since become one of the most sought after in France. The vines cling to slopes so steep that they are held by dry-stone walls, and in autumn the terraces blaze yellow above the river.
The town also gives its name to a small goat's cheese, the Rigotte de Condrieu, which is protected by a designation of origin and is often eaten fresh with a slice of bread and a glass of the local white. The quayside has a row of restaurants and cafés with terraces facing the river, and in summer it is a lively place to sit, with river cruise boats mooring at the pier and barges passing with a slow rumble. Opposite, across the water, the hills of the Ardèche rise in blue folds. Les Roches-de-Condrieu, next door, has a small port and a modern feel, while Saint-Clair-du-Rhône is a quiet village just beyond.
The area was once the heartland of the Rhône boatmen, the mariniers, a close community that lived and worked on the river. Old houses along the quay have wide doorways where barrels and bales were hauled in and out. Behind the town, the lanes climb into the Pilat massif, a forested ridge where the roads wind through chestnut woods and offer one of the better rides in the region. Condrieu has about thirty-six hundred people, so fuel is available in town, and Le Péage-de-Roussillon, about ten kilometres south, has more stations and shops.
For a good meal, choose a table by the water, ask for something from the river or the hills, and order a glass of Condrieu, which has a scent of peaches and a surprisingly long finish. Traffic on the main road along the Rhône is heavy, so linger on the quay until the evening rush is over. The light on the water, with the Ardèche hills behind, is lovely just before sunset.
- Back to Vienne
finish
Back at Vienne. That is the ride.