Kempenroute: which way and when to ride
The best month for Kempenroute is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Antwerpen → Maasmechelen meant an average tailwind of 2.1 km/h (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8% | 27% | 72 | 6 °C | 0% | 85% | 8.4 † |
| February | 19% | 28% | 62 | 7 °C | 0% | 71% | 9.9 † |
| March | 45% | 26% | 59 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 11.7 |
| April | 69% | 22% | 43 | 15 °C | 0% | 14% | 13.8 |
| May | 71% | 28% | 69 | 19 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.5 |
| June | 70% | 25% | 73 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 16.5 |
| July | 63% | 30% | 78 | 24 °C | 9% | 0% | 16.1 |
| August | 64% | 29% | 79 | 23 °C | 8% | 0% | 14.6 |
| September | 77% | 22% | 58 | 20 °C | 2% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 72% | 24% | 72 | 15 °C | 0% | 6% | 10.6 † |
| November | 36% | 29% | 68 | 10 °C | 0% | 48% | 8.8 † |
| December | 14% | 25% | 75 | 7 °C | 0% | 75% | 7.9 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Maasmechelen → Antwerpen, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Maasmechelen → Antwerpen | Headwind > 15 km/h, Antwerpen → Maasmechelen | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.8 | 14% | 5% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
| February | −1.8 | 13% | 7% | either |
| March | −2.0 | 12% | 6% | either |
| April | −1.4 | 9% | 5% | either |
| May | −2.6 | 11% | 3% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
| June | −3.4 | 9% | 2% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
| July | −4.8 | 12% | 1% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
| August | −3.9 | 9% | 1% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
| September | −2.1 | 8% | 3% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
| October | −1.2 | 9% | 5% | either |
| November | −1.4 | 9% | 5% | either |
| December | −2.3 | 12% | 5% | Antwerpen → Maasmechelen |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | W | −3.2 |
| 25–50 | NW | −2.6 |
| 50–75 | NW | −0.2 |
| 75–101 | N | +2.3 |
| 101–126 | W | −3.1 |
| 126–152 | W | −2.9 |
| 152–177 | W | −4.1 |
| 177–200 | W | −3.8 |
| 200–202 | E | +3.6 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.