Villefranche-sur-Saône to Chanas Down the Rhône
A flat 106 km mixed-surface cycling route from Villefranche-sur-Saône, Rhone-Alpes to Chanas Down the Rhône through La Gravière, Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d'Or and Cuire-le-Bas, with 39 m of climbing. Mixed surface: 86% is mapped as paved and 12% as gravel or unpaved and 2% has no surface data.
At a glance
- Best for
- Flat, steady riding
- Distance
- 106 km
- Elevation gain
- 39 m
- Riding time
- 5–7 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Bike
- Road bike with sturdy tyres, or gravel bike
- Surface
- Mixed surface
- Traffic
- Mostly minor roads
- Food & water
- Regular
- Best months
- Apr to Oct
- Navigation
- GPX download
- Start → finish
- Villefranche-sur-Saône → Chanas Down the Rhône
Map and elevation profile
Elevation profile
- 39 m
- 106 km
Route description
- Villefranche-sur-Saône
- La Gravière
- Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d'Or
- Cuire-le-Bas
- Ainay
- Le Bouchage
- Vienne
- Maisons Blanches
- Mève
- Chanas Down the Rhône
This route starts at Villefranche-sur-Saône and follows a mainly flat profile of 62 m elevation gain over 106 km. The highest point at 187 m occurs around 49 km, with the lowest at 136 m near the end at 99 km. The surface is mostly paved (86%), with 12% gravel or unpaved sections, including some track and path. The route includes 24.5 km of cycle path and 23.8 km of road with cycle lanes, but also 6.3 km on main roads and 7 km on main roads without a cycle lane. There is a 2.1 km stretch of faster roads with speeds above 80 km/h.
Cyclists pass through numerous towns and districts, including Anse, Neuville-sur-Saône, Lyon and Vienne, among many others. Important named roads include D 51 for 15.4 km and the ViaRhôna for 13.9 km. There are frequent opportunities to refuel with cafés and bakeries at Villefranche-sur-Saône, Anse, Lyon, and Sainte-Colombe. There are shops, bike shops, petrol stations, toilets and water sources distributed along the way, with the longest stretch without a café, shop or water being 11.8 km from 90.6 to 102.4 km. Bailout points with stations are available at several locations such as Anse Pont (7.4 km), Lyon-Saint-Paul (35 km), and Vienne (68.2 km).
The ride finishes at Chanas where there are restaurants and a pharmacy. Overall the terrain is consistently flat with occasional slight gradients and mostly reliable infrastructure for cyclists, combining paths, lanes, quiet streets, and some short stretches of main roads.
Highlights
- Villefranche-sur-Saône start
- Lyon city at 35-38 km
- Vienne town at 67.6 km
- Château d'Ampuis near 74.4 km
Along the route
Places passed
Traffic, surface and gradient
Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 7 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.
- Roads
- 24% cycle path · 23% road with cycle lane · 16% quiet street · 16% path · 21% other roads and tracks
- Main roads
- 7 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
- Fast roads
- 2.1 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
- Cycle paths
- 48.4 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
- Main roads used
- D 51 (15 km), ViaRhôna (14 km), D 315 (8 km)
- Surface
- Mixed surface: 86% is mapped as paved and 12% as gravel or unpaved and 2% has no surface data.
- Gradient
- 0% climbing · 0% descending · 100% flat
Food, water and services
No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 1030 cafés and restaurants, 127 shops, 90 water points, 16 petrol stations, 90 public toilets and 150 bike shops.
Food, water and shops in ride order
- 0 kmMarie Blachère · bakery · 90 m off route
- 7.7 kmLa boulangerie · bakery · 80 m off route
- 12.6 kmBoulangerie Gastaldi · bakery · 170 m off route
- 22.6 kmFarine & Chocolat · bakery · 70 m off route
- 22.7 kmCyclomontdor · bike shop · 60 m off route
- 29.6 kmJocteur · bakery · 100 m off route
- 30.7 kmDrinking water · 50 m off route
- 34.9 kmBiocoop · supermarket · 120 m off route
- 35.7 kmCafé de la Bibliothèque · café · on the route
- 38.4 kmLe Comptoir du Cycle · bike shop · 60 m off route
- 43.8 kmMarie Blachère · bakery · 50 m off route
- 49.8 kmPharmacie de la Mairie · pharmacy · 60 m off route
- 50 kmDrinking water · 70 m off route
- 60.9 kmTotal · petrol station · 140 m off route
- 65.6 kmToilets · on the route
- 69.7 kmDrinking water · 40 m off route
- 80 kmAu Plaisir des Saveurs · bakery · 70 m off route
- 81.1 kmCarrefour · petrol station · 90 m off route
Need to bail out?
- 7.4 km — Anse Pont (station), 50 m off route
- 16.4 km — Saint-Germain-au-Mont-d'Or (station), 140 m off route
- 22.4 km — Couzon-au-Mont-d'Or (station), 210 m off route
- 35 km — Lyon-Saint-Paul (station), 170 m off route
- 41.2 km — Oullins (station), 420 m off route
- 50.1 km — Vernaison (station), 70 m off route
- 68.2 km — Vienne (station), 620 m off route
- 80 km — Saint-Clair - Les Roches (station), 850 m off route
Worth a stop
- 29.9 km — Le Belvédère et les lanternes de l'île Barbe (viewpoint)
- 35.7 km — Palais archiépiscopal (castle)
- 46.4 km — Château de la Damette (castle)
- 54.9 km — Château (ancien) (castle)
- 67.3 km — Pressoirs (ruins)
- 74.4 km — Château d'Ampuis (castle)
Stay after this ride
- Initial by Balladins · hotel · 40 m from the finish
- Campanile · hotel · 90 m from the finish
- Mercure · hotel · 140 m from the finish
- Camping Beausejour · campsite · 1.1 km from the finish
- Camping Bois & Toilés · campsite · 1.8 km from the finish
Start and access
At the start
- Bikes and repair
- La Sauvagère (480 m)
- Food and coffee
- Marie Blachère (90 m), Mékong Saveurs (closed) (230 m), Courtepaille (420 m)
- Shops
- Lidl (260 m)
At the finish
- Food and coffee
- Campanile (60 m), Courtepaille (160 m)
- Pharmacy and medical
- Pharmacie de Chanas (710 m)
Know before you go
- Longest stretch without café, shop or water 11.8 km from 90.6 to 102.4 km
- 7 km on main roads without cycle lane
- 2.1 km of roads with speed limits over 80 km/h
- 12% gravel or unpaved surface