RAVeL W7 Sur la route des Ardennes: which way and when to ride
The best month for RAVeL W7 Sur la route des Ardennes is September: 75% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Bouillon → Lanaye meant an average tailwind of 3.3 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 | 3% | 33% | 96 | 4 °C | 0% | 93% | 8.5 † |
| February | 11% | 31% | 77 | 6 °C | 0% | 86% | 10.0 † |
| March | 34% | 32% | 79 | 9 °C | 0% | 58% | 11.7 |
| April | 58% | 29% | 57 | 14 °C | 0% | 26% | 13.7 |
| May | 64% | 34% | 80 | 17 °C | 0% | 5% | 15.4 |
| June | 66% | 33% | 88 | 20 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.4 |
| July | 62% | 33% | 87 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 16.0 |
| August | 63% | 32% | 89 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 14.5 |
| September | 75% | 24% | 71 | 18 °C | 0% | 1% | 12.5 |
| October | 63% | 26% | 80 | 14 °C | 0% | 16% | 10.6 † |
| November | 22% | 32% | 79 | 8 °C | 0% | 67% | 8.9 † |
| December | 5% | 32% | 99 | 5 °C | 0% | 89% | 8.1 † |
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 Lanaye → Bouillon, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Lanaye → Bouillon | Headwind > 15 km/h, Bouillon → Lanaye | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −7.5 | 30% | 3% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| February | −6.3 | 28% | 6% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| March | −3.0 | 20% | 7% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| April | −0.3 | 13% | 9% | either |
| May | −0.8 | 13% | 8% | either |
| June | −1.1 | 12% | 6% | either |
| July | −3.3 | 15% | 2% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| August | −4.3 | 14% | 2% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| September | −3.3 | 15% | 4% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| October | −6.5 | 25% | 3% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| November | −8.2 | 31% | 3% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
| December | −8.8 | 33% | 3% | Bouillon → Lanaye |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SW | −4.0 |
| 25–50 | S | −3.2 |
| 50–72 | S | −3.8 |
| 72–97 | SW | −3.7 |
| 97–122 | S | −1.1 |
| 122–147 | S | −3.4 |
| 147–172 | SW | −3.9 |
| 172–198 | SW | −3.4 |
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.