Kunststedenroute: which way and when to ride
The best month for Kunststedenroute is September: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Oostende → Berchem meant an average tailwind of 2.2 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 | 9% | 25% | 68 | 6 °C | 0% | 82% | 8.4 † |
| February | 18% | 27% | 58 | 7 °C | 0% | 73% | 9.9 † |
| March | 44% | 24% | 57 | 10 °C | 0% | 46% | 11.7 |
| April | 68% | 20% | 41 | 14 °C | 0% | 16% | 13.8 |
| May | 73% | 26% | 64 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.5 |
| June | 75% | 23% | 65 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.5 |
| July | 70% | 25% | 72 | 23 °C | 5% | 0% | 16.1 |
| August | 68% | 27% | 75 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 14.6 |
| September | 78% | 21% | 56 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 74% | 23% | 73 | 15 °C | 0% | 5% | 10.6 † |
| November | 41% | 27% | 68 | 10 °C | 0% | 43% | 8.8 † |
| December | 17% | 24% | 73 | 7 °C | 0% | 73% | 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 Oostende → Berchem, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Oostende → Berchem | Headwind > 15 km/h, Berchem → Oostende | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.9 | 9% | 19% | Oostende → Berchem |
| February | +2.0 | 11% | 18% | either |
| March | +1.9 | 10% | 16% | either |
| April | +1.3 | 8% | 12% | either |
| May | +2.7 | 6% | 15% | Oostende → Berchem |
| June | +3.3 | 4% | 13% | Oostende → Berchem |
| July | +4.5 | 4% | 16% | Oostende → Berchem |
| August | +4.0 | 4% | 15% | Oostende → Berchem |
| September | +2.2 | 6% | 13% | Oostende → Berchem |
| October | +1.5 | 9% | 14% | either |
| November | +1.8 | 9% | 15% | either |
| December | +2.6 | 10% | 18% | Oostende → Berchem |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | E | +4.5 |
| 25–51 | E | +4.7 |
| 51–76 | S | −1.2 |
| 76–102 | E | +3.3 |
| 102–128 | SE | +2.1 |
| 128–153 | E | +3.7 |
| 153–178 | NE | +4.1 |
| 178–203 | NE | +4.1 |
| 203–229 | SE | +2.6 |
| 229–254 | SW | −4.0 |
| 254–279 | SE | +1.9 |
| 279–293 | S | −1.2 |
| 293–300 | N | +2.2 |
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.