Why this ride
154 km one way from Montluel - plan on about 2 h 40 of riding. Long stretches are under trees.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Beaujolais Dawn Sweep · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 154 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 40
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Montluel
Montluel is the kind of small French town that most people only see as a sign on the A42, which is a shame. It climbs a slope above the little River Sereine, on the escarpment that the locals call the Côtière, the step where the Rhône plain to the south rises up onto the plateau of the Dombes. For centuries this was border country: Montluel belonged to the House of Savoy and only became French with the Treaty of Lyon in 1601, and the old centre still has the narrow, defensive feel of a frontier town.
Read the complete Fuel stop near Montluel write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Beaujolais Dawn Sweep is where the day begins. Next is Lyon / Rhône-Alpes rides return.
2. Near Beaujeu, on the way back
The Haut Beaujolais is not the Beaujolais most people imagine. North-west of Beaujeu the vineyards run out and the hills rise into forest, dark Douglas fir plantations, beech woods, steep pastures with Charolais cattle grazing on them. This stop sits in that upland country between Beaujeu and Matour, where the roads loop over ridges and down into narrow valleys with small farming villages.
Read the complete Near Beaujeu, on the way back write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Lyon / Rhône-Alpes rides return comes up about 67 km into the recorded legs. Next is Food stop in Balbigny.
3. Food stop in Balbigny
Balbigny is a small town on the Loire, at the northern end of the Forez plain, where the river leaves the open basin and enters the hills towards Roanne. It is a crossroads: the A89 and A72 motorways meet nearby, and old roads from Lyon to Clermont-Ferrand and from Saint-Étienne to Roanne pass through. For riders, it is a practical stop for fuel and food on the way across the region.
Read the complete Food stop in Balbigny write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 154 km.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Montluel to Near Beaujeu, on the way back
Fuel stop near Montluel → Near Beaujeu, on the way back is 67 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.