RAVeL W2 La Véloroute de la Bière: which way and when to ride
The best month for RAVeL W2 La Véloroute de la Bière is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle meant an average tailwind of 3.9 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 | 6% | 29% | 76 | 5 °C | 0% | 87% | 8.4 † |
| February | 16% | 29% | 64 | 7 °C | 0% | 76% | 9.9 † |
| March | 43% | 27% | 63 | 10 °C | 0% | 48% | 11.7 |
| April | 66% | 24% | 46 | 15 °C | 0% | 19% | 13.7 |
| May | 70% | 29% | 70 | 18 °C | 0% | 3% | 15.5 |
| June | 70% | 28% | 79 | 21 °C | 3% | 0% | 16.5 |
| July | 64% | 30% | 81 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 16.1 |
| August | 64% | 30% | 84 | 22 °C | 7% | 0% | 14.5 |
| September | 77% | 22% | 61 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 70% | 24% | 71 | 15 °C | 0% | 9% | 10.6 † |
| November | 33% | 28% | 68 | 10 °C | 0% | 53% | 8.9 † |
| December | 11% | 27% | 80 | 7 °C | 0% | 80% | 8.0 † |
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 Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle | Headwind > 15 km/h, Aix-la-Chapelle → Braine l'Alleud | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +6.7 | 2% | 25% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| February | +4.9 | 6% | 23% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| March | +3.6 | 7% | 19% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| April | +1.6 | 6% | 12% | either |
| May | +3.2 | 4% | 15% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| June | +4.1 | 2% | 14% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| July | +6.6 | 1% | 19% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| August | +6.1 | 0% | 16% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| September | +3.9 | 3% | 14% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| October | +4.3 | 2% | 17% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| November | +5.5 | 1% | 19% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
| December | +6.8 | 2% | 24% | Braine l'Alleud → Aix-la-Chapelle |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | E | +4.1 |
| 25–51 | E | +4.3 |
| 51–76 | SE | +2.3 |
| 76–102 | E | +3.8 |
| 102–127 | E | +2.9 |
| 127–152 | E | +5.0 |
| 152–174 | NE | +4.9 |
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.