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Cycletrippin Day 5: Chalon-sur-Saône to Vienne

by bernt & torsten

Cycletrippin Day 5 started this morning from Michel’s house in Châtenoy-le-Royal, France. Michel has a home business of building sailboats and has 3 sons in their early twenties who all live at home. Currently, they’re studying but have a hard time finding a job. Michel mentioned that the boys are thinking of going to Canada.

The ride consisted of mostly flat hills until I reached the outskirts of Lyon. I stopped in Macon to fix my shoes since my biking clips had worn out.

After Macon, I decided to take the bike path that Google Maps recommended. It was a path that went along the river Saône. In the beginning, the surface was nice but it quickly turned into a nightmare as the surface became full of pebbles, which caused me to slide around. I did not see a single person or house while on this path. What if I had fallen down and hurt myself? I exited on to a small rural road and continued from thereon. There was light traffic and the drivers took bikers’ safety into consideration on the road. As a biker, you need to be attentive. For example, when I hear a bus or truck coming up behind me, I pull over and let them pass me.

Lyon was a very beautiful city and very biker friendly. In Lyon, I found dedicated bike lanes and even separate tunnels for bikers. I cycled on some nice bike paths along the river bank too. It seems that Lyon has enough redeeming qualities to warrant another visit. I’ll be staying the night in Vienne, a South-Eastern city in France that is 20km south of Lyon

Today’s dedication goes to The Bees in Decline

Song of the day Esperanza – Dick Dale