Nacionalna ruta N1: which way and when to ride
The best month for Nacionalna ruta N1 is October: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.1 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 | 25% | 26% | 123 | 8 °C | 0% | 65% | 9.2 † |
| February | 39% | 28% | 121 | 9 °C | 0% | 46% | 10.4 † |
| March | 58% | 28% | 122 | 13 °C | 0% | 24% | 11.8 |
| April | 68% | 29% | 93 | 17 °C | 0% | 5% | 13.4 |
| May | 67% | 32% | 110 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 14.7 |
| June | 61% | 24% | 68 | 26 °C | 16% | 0% | 15.5 |
| July | 49% | 17% | 53 | 29 °C | 37% | 0% | 15.2 |
| August | 50% | 17% | 63 | 28 °C | 35% | 0% | 14.0 |
| September | 73% | 23% | 119 | 23 °C | 5% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 77% | 21% | 128 | 18 °C | 0% | 3% | 10.9 † |
| November | 55% | 31% | 182 | 13 °C | 0% | 22% | 9.6 † |
| December | 33% | 26% | 137 | 9 °C | 0% | 53% | 8.9 † |
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 Novi Zagreb → Herceg Novi, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Novi Zagreb → Herceg Novi | Headwind > 15 km/h, Herceg Novi → Novi Zagreb | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1.4 | 7% | 2% | either |
| February | −1.4 | 9% | 3% | either |
| March | −1.6 | 10% | 4% | either |
| April | −0.9 | 8% | 3% | either |
| May | −0.3 | 6% | 2% | either |
| June | +1.3 | 2% | 2% | either |
| July | +2.4 | 1% | 3% | Novi Zagreb → Herceg Novi |
| August | +1.7 | 2% | 2% | either |
| September | +0.2 | 4% | 2% | either |
| October | −1.1 | 6% | 2% | either |
| November | −2.4 | 9% | 1% | Herceg Novi → Novi Zagreb |
| December | −1.4 | 7% | 2% | either |
Stages
The route is split into 6 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Novi Zagreb → Herceg Novi in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Novi Zagreb → Ogulin | 113 | October | +0.5 |
| 2. Ogulin → Gospić | 117 | October | +0.2 |
| 3. Gospić → Šibenik | 153 | October | −0.1 |
| 4. Šibenik → near Makarska | 122 | September | −3.5 |
| 5. near Makarska → Ston | 114 | October | −1.5 |
| 6. Ston → Herceg Novi | 103 | October | −2.4 |
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.