Schelderoute: which way and when to ride
The best month for Schelderoute is September: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Spiere → near Stabroek meant an average tailwind of 3.2 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 | 19% | 27% | 57 | 7 °C | 0% | 71% | 9.9 † |
| March | 46% | 24% | 57 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 11.7 |
| April | 69% | 22% | 41 | 15 °C | 0% | 14% | 13.8 |
| May | 72% | 27% | 65 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.5 |
| June | 75% | 23% | 67 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.5 |
| July | 68% | 27% | 72 | 23 °C | 5% | 0% | 16.1 |
| August | 67% | 28% | 75 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 14.5 |
| September | 78% | 21% | 53 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 74% | 23% | 70 | 15 °C | 0% | 5% | 10.6 † |
| November | 41% | 26% | 65 | 10 °C | 0% | 44% | 8.8 † |
| December | 16% | 23% | 71 | 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 Spiere → near Stabroek, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Spiere → near Stabroek | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Stabroek → Spiere | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +7.0 | 4% | 27% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| February | +5.3 | 8% | 25% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| March | +2.4 | 9% | 18% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| April | +0.1 | 9% | 12% | either |
| May | +1.1 | 7% | 14% | either |
| June | +1.8 | 5% | 13% | either |
| July | +4.3 | 3% | 18% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| August | +4.6 | 3% | 16% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| September | +3.2 | 5% | 15% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| October | +5.5 | 4% | 21% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| November | +6.9 | 3% | 25% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
| December | +8.0 | 4% | 29% | Spiere → near Stabroek |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–26 | NE | +3.8 |
| 26–51 | NE | +3.2 |
| 51–76 | E | +3.8 |
| 76–102 | E | +3.9 |
| 102–127 | NE | +4.1 |
| 127–152 | NE | +4.2 |
| 152–178 | NW | 0.0 |
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.