Albertville to Chambery

Fortunately the rain passed overnight and the forecast was for a sunny day. Whilst getting our cycles out of the shed we got talking to a group of cycle tourists who were preparing their bikes for the day. As they had a pump with a gauge we asked if they would check our tyre pressures. Before setting out on our trip we had purchased new Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres which are highly puncture proof. We bought them online and had them fitted at Halfords in Boston, Lincolnshire. Our tyres we around 50psi too low and should have been inflated to 150psi min! Whilst happy to get them up to the correct pressure they did cause a slight problem for Julie as they rubbed slightly on the underside of her pannier rack and we had to lift it.

We followed the route of the Isere river down the valley where the cycle path went through farmers fields and apple orchards and then cycled up to the mountainside on the West Bank to get better views.

 These roads also follow a wine route through lots of Savoie vineyards and small villages.

The road was undulating and harder than the low route but it was very scenic and worth the effort. 

Some of the vines looked quite old and most only had a few bunches of grapes on each branch.

As we neared Chambery the roads became very busy so we diverted again along the mountainside. Some of the minor roads in the vineyards were very steep and we had to get off our bikes and push them for a while.

The countryside in these parts is very beautiful and there are lots of old buildings and chateau.