Vltava Cycle Route: which way and when to ride
The best month for Vltava Cycle Route is September: 74% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September 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 | 2% | 22% | 52 | 1 °C | 0% | 98% | 8.6 † |
| February | 7% | 18% | 38 | 3 °C | 0% | 92% | 10.1 † |
| March | 31% | 22% | 47 | 8 °C | 0% | 65% | 11.7 |
| April | 59% | 26% | 51 | 13 °C | 0% | 28% | 13.7 |
| May | 61% | 37% | 96 | 17 °C | 0% | 8% | 15.3 |
| June | 63% | 34% | 104 | 22 °C | 3% | 1% | 16.2 |
| July | 59% | 35% | 100 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 15.8 |
| August | 62% | 31% | 97 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 14.4 |
| September | 74% | 25% | 72 | 18 °C | 0% | 4% | 12.5 |
| October | 60% | 20% | 50 | 13 °C | 0% | 28% | 10.7 † |
| November | 19% | 17% | 47 | 6 °C | 0% | 79% | 9.0 † |
| December | 2% | 19% | 47 | 3 °C | 0% | 97% | 8.2 † |
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 Mauth → Vrané nad Vltavou, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Mauth → Vrané nad Vltavou | Headwind > 15 km/h, Vrané nad Vltavou → near Mauth | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.4 | 2% | 6% | near Mauth → Vrané nad Vltavou |
| February | +1.3 | 3% | 5% | either |
| March | +0.5 | 4% | 6% | either |
| April | −0.9 | 5% | 4% | either |
| May | −0.7 | 4% | 3% | either |
| June | −0.7 | 3% | 2% | either |
| July | +0.2 | 1% | 2% | either |
| August | +0.6 | 1% | 1% | either |
| September | +0.2 | 2% | 3% | either |
| October | +1.5 | 2% | 3% | either |
| November | +2.4 | 1% | 4% | near Mauth → Vrané nad Vltavou |
| December | +2.9 | 1% | 5% | near Mauth → Vrané nad Vltavou |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SE | +1.6 |
| 25–50 | SE | +1.7 |
| 50–75 | SE | +0.7 |
| 75–101 | E | +1.5 |
| 101–126 | N | 0.0 |
| 126–152 | NE | +0.4 |
| 152–177 | N | −0.7 |
| 177–202 | N | −0.8 |
| 202–227 | NW | −1.5 |
| 227–252 | N | −0.6 |
| 252–277 | N | +0.3 |
| 277–302 | NE | +1.1 |
| 302–328 | N | −0.6 |
| 328–347 | N | −0.2 |
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.