Velomarshrut - Podbalkanskiyat pat: which way and when to ride
The best month for Velomarshrut - Podbalkanskiyat pat is September: 79% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.7 km/h along the route (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 | 14% | 18% | 59 | 4 °C | 0% | 85% | 9.4 † |
| February | 27% | 17% | 49 | 7 °C | 0% | 70% | 10.5 † |
| March | 47% | 24% | 64 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 11.8 |
| April | 64% | 32% | 71 | 16 °C | 0% | 10% | 13.3 |
| May | 59% | 41% | 98 | 20 °C | 0% | 1% | 14.6 |
| June | 52% | 42% | 98 | 25 °C | 7% | 0% | 15.3 |
| July | 52% | 26% | 64 | 28 °C | 25% | 0% | 15.0 |
| August | 58% | 17% | 43 | 28 °C | 27% | 0% | 13.9 |
| September | 79% | 17% | 48 | 23 °C | 4% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 79% | 16% | 66 | 17 °C | 0% | 9% | 11.0 † |
| November | 53% | 15% | 51 | 11 °C | 0% | 40% | 9.7 † |
| December | 17% | 17% | 61 | 6 °C | 0% | 81% | 9.1 † |
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 near Sofia → Burgas, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Sofia → Burgas | Headwind > 15 km/h, Burgas → near Sofia | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.1 | 1% | 3% | near Sofia → Burgas |
| February | +1.2 | 1% | 3% | either |
| March | +1.2 | 1% | 4% | either |
| April | +0.2 | 2% | 3% | either |
| May | −0.3 | 1% | 1% | either |
| June | −0.4 | 1% | 1% | either |
| July | −0.7 | 1% | 1% | either |
| August | −2.3 | 2% | 1% | Burgas → near Sofia |
| September | −0.7 | 2% | 2% | either |
| October | +0.2 | 1% | 2% | either |
| November | +0.5 | 1% | 2% | either |
| December | +1.7 | 1% | 2% | either |
Stages
The route is split into 4 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind near Sofia → Burgas in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. near Sofia → Karlovo | 140 | October | −0.2 |
| 2. Karlovo → Nikolaevo | 110 | October | −0.4 |
| 3. Nikolaevo → Karnobat | 111 | September | −1.6 |
| 4. Karnobat → Burgas | 70 | September | −0.7 |
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.