Every year local cyclists shake their heads at cowardly Tour de France organizers that run the Tour right by this Jura giant, but refuse to climb it. It’s just too steep!

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 [...]