Drava route: which way and when to ride
The best month for Drava route is October: 81% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.2 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 | 17% | 15% | 51 | 5 °C | 0% | 81% | 9.0 † |
| February | 32% | 19% | 53 | 8 °C | 0% | 63% | 10.3 † |
| March | 58% | 19% | 55 | 13 °C | 0% | 30% | 11.8 |
| April | 77% | 19% | 49 | 18 °C | 0% | 7% | 13.5 |
| May | 70% | 28% | 87 | 22 °C | 3% | 1% | 14.9 |
| June | 54% | 24% | 72 | 27 °C | 24% | 0% | 15.7 |
| July | 42% | 18% | 60 | 29 °C | 43% | 0% | 15.4 |
| August | 47% | 15% | 60 | 29 °C | 41% | 0% | 14.1 |
| September | 74% | 18% | 77 | 23 °C | 8% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 81% | 15% | 62 | 18 °C | 0% | 6% | 10.8 † |
| November | 48% | 17% | 61 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 9.4 † |
| December | 15% | 16% | 58 | 6 °C | 0% | 81% | 8.7 † |
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 Mali Bukovec → Dalj, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Mali Bukovec → Dalj | Headwind > 15 km/h, Dalj → Mali Bukovec | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +0.9 | 1% | 2% | either |
| February | +1.0 | 1% | 4% | either |
| March | +1.3 | 2% | 4% | either |
| April | +1.4 | 2% | 4% | either |
| May | +1.5 | 1% | 3% | either |
| June | +1.6 | 0% | 2% | either |
| July | +1.4 | 0% | 2% | either |
| August | −0.1 | 0% | 1% | either |
| September | +0.3 | 1% | 2% | either |
| October | −0.2 | 1% | 2% | either |
| November | −0.7 | 1% | 2% | either |
| December | +0.4 | 1% | 2% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SE | −0.2 |
| 25–51 | SE | 0.0 |
| 51–76 | SE | +0.1 |
| 76–103 | SE | +0.1 |
| 103–128 | E | −0.2 |
| 128–154 | E | −0.3 |
| 154–181 | E | −0.5 |
| 181–208 | SE | −0.1 |
| 208–233 | SE | −0.4 |
| 233–254 | E | −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.