Another beautiful day. The Fall colors are out in full force. Barry and I rode from Switzerland into France to the Juras near Thoiry up a quiet road to Le Tiocan - a scenic lookout point overlooking Geneva and the Lake.

Today’s 60 kilometre loop was one of those beautiful “road to nowhere” rides in the Jura mountains - I didn’t see a car until 90 minutes into the ride.
                   

Starting in Nantua, the route started […]

The plan was to climb Col de la Givrine with my road bike, descend to the car then climb a tiny steep road nearby with my mountain bike - but my legs protested the second climb.
Col de la Givrine is a scenic not very steep climb in the Jura mountains finishing above St Cergue with […]

Fantastic loop around the Mont du Chat near Lake Bourget with Martin.
We packed the car to capacity as Doreen came along and - still recovering from a cold - did three 17 km loops around Lake Aiguebelette - while Martin and I climbed a little.
This loop is incredibly scenic and […]

The Col du Grand Colombier is easily the most epic climb in the Jura Mountains - but the Col de la Biche right beside, is known as its crazy cousin. And just a little bit further along, the Col de Richemond might be the nice little brother.
Starting in […]

The French Department of Ain (north-west of Haute Savoie) has about thirty cycling routes well sign-posted at all degrees of difficulty. Today I tried a tough route through the Jura mountains that passed 4 mountain Cols (and a 10 km detour made it 5 Cols). Net, 91 kms and 1,500 metres ascent along […]

Col de la Biche (Biche = Doe, a deer, a female deer) is in the Jura mountains on the same stretch as the Grand Colombier. My cycling bible: “With more than 1,000 metres of climb and its slopes averaging more than 10% for some kilometres, The Col de la Biche is the crazy […]

The Cret d’Eau is one of the highest peaks in the Jura Mountains, about 50 metres lower than the highest - the neighbouring Cret de Neige, and we can see it from our driveway. It’s about 20 kms away as the crow flies. From Bellegarde there is a super route on mainly wide, […]

Probably the most famous climb in the Juras.  There are four very steep ways up this monster.  To become a Confrérie des Fêlés du Grand Colombier (translated:  Brotherhood of Loons (freaks, crackpots) of Grand Colombier) one needs to climb all four in one day.   YIKES …. I am a decade past being able to do that […]

3d Satellite View of Today’s Ride - click to Enlarge.
MOM: We stayed in Aix-Les-Bains when you visited. The nice hotel with flowers etc. Where you had that huge fish stew with the crazy waiter.