September 10, 2024
Thonon Les Bains to Annecy
Two Bumps Over to Annecy
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Today’s weather couldn’t have been more different from yesterday. We woke up to blue skies and a perfect temperature for bike touring. After our usual lingering breakfast we pointed the bikes down the hill and we were on our way. As always, a little later than we might have liked.
The ride was tremendous right from the start. We followed the lakefront path for as long as it was headed in our direction, and then the CN routed us towards Annecy on a series of quiet D Roads. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was grand.
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We stopped in Annemasse for our picnic lunch in a small park with a bench. Annemasse was much bigger than we were expecting and riding through the city wasn’t exactly scenic. Then suddenly we were in hairy eyeball traffic. It really was nuts. I have no idea how Keith navigates when things are that wild but I managed to stay on his back wheel and when we were finally back on our quiet D Road he stopped and we both started to laugh. We high fived and congratulated ourselves on being alive.
The first shorter climb began after Annemasse. It was a marked route to a Col, but after a few km we swung off although we continued to climb. I missed the French col signs after that. I love how they state the average grade each km and they help you mark your progress. The scenery was absolutely beautiful.
The second climb was the more significant one as it was longer, however both climbs were moderate grades. I am guessing a bit but I would say five to six percent with a few pitches more than that. At the end of the day we had done 1128 meters.
We were finally headed down and I was loving the big swoop on the quiet D Road but Komoot wanted us to try gravel riding. It’s trendy. I wasn’t terribly enthusiastic. It sure wasn’t intended for fully loaded touring bikes. It would have been fine for mountain bikes.
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We have been to Annecy before but this route was new to us and we were really happy with it. Approaching Annecy itself was fine, bike lanes almost all the way, however there was a lot of car traffic as it was rush hour and the number of bikes was amazing. At one point we went whipping around a roundabout and realized we were headed straight for a significant tunnel. We can’t be the first to make that mistake as there was a bail out, and the cars behind us seemed sympathetic to our plight.
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Our only disappointment with the day is that we decided we would like to stay for two nights and the hotel is fully booked tomorrow. We can always change properties, or we may keep heading south. We have been out for a delicious dinner and are ready for some sleep.
Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles)
Total: 302 km (188 miles)
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