Whether you are sportsmen, beginners, cyclists, mountain bikers, there are a thousand and one ways to discover Ain by bike. Browse the gentle profiles of Bresse and Dombes or the more mountainous profiles of Bugey and Pays de Gex, for a getaway of a few hours or a few days, surpass yourself on a mythical pass or stroll on a small road in the countryside or on a green lane, try out roaming… so many experiences to live in the Ain. The Ain by bike offers a variety of routes, a qualified welcome, tailored services ... everything to build an unforgettable cycling holiday !
OUR SELECTION
Along the gorges of the Ain, in the valley of the Oignin and through the reculée de Cerdon, the water road takes you through its water stories ... A ride against the current that will require some effort in the coast of Sonthonnax ... Rafts were used from prehistoric times on the Ain river to transport stone, wine from the hillsides and especially wood from the Jura. With the rise of the city of Lyon, traffic intensified and trade prospered from the 14th to the 18th century. Today, the river is used for the production of electrical energy as evidenced by the Cize-Bolozon and Allement dams. It is this same hydraulic power that was used in Cerdon, where, in 1854, the Goy family installed a copper factory. Currently under renovation at the initiative of the Department of Ain, it will open its doors to the public in 2022.
NOT TO BE MISSED ON THE COURSE
the village of Cerdon and its vineyard, Ile Chambod-Merpuis, the Caves of Cerdon
Ride along the water, in the Gorges de l'Ain, in an environment full of greenery where only mallard ducks and a few swans do their utmost to disturb the surrounding calm ... The department of Ain owes its name to this river which clears, from North to South, a chaotic path through gorges, faults or picturesque locks… thus dividing the territory into two roughly equal halves. The river of Ain takes its source near Nozeroy (39) and forms a kind of link between the plains of Bresse or Dombes and the mountains of Bugey ... The story goes that the name of the river was far from uniting when it was necessary to give a name to the department! Some would have preferred that of "Bresse" or "Bresse and Bugey". In the end, it was the Constituent Assembly which arbitrated the debates, opting for the name of "Ain" in January 1790. A route that follows the river and passes through the gorges of the Ain, in a green and calm environment.
NOT TO BE MISSED ON THE COURSE
Take advantage of this route to discover the Cize-Bolozon viaduct, a road and rail bridge overlooking the river but also Ile Chambod-Merpuis, right bank between Hautecourt and Poncin.