Østkystruten: which way and when to ride
The best month for Østkystruten is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Sønderborg → near Skagen meant an average tailwind of 3.3 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 | 0% | 23% | 64 | 4 °C | 0% | 99% | 7.5 † |
| February | 1% | 20% | 49 | 4 °C | 0% | 99% | 9.5 † |
| March | 10% | 19% | 44 | 6 °C | 0% | 90% | 11.6 |
| April | 43% | 20% | 41 | 10 °C | 0% | 51% | 14.1 |
| May | 71% | 24% | 57 | 15 °C | 0% | 8% | 16.3 |
| June | 76% | 24% | 66 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.6 |
| July | 71% | 29% | 81 | 20 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.1 |
| August | 71% | 29% | 82 | 20 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.1 |
| September | 77% | 23% | 62 | 17 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 63% | 26% | 77 | 12 °C | 0% | 15% | 10.3 † |
| November | 19% | 24% | 61 | 8 °C | 0% | 73% | 8.1 † |
| December | 2% | 23% | 66 | 5 °C | 0% | 96% | 7.0 † |
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 Skagen → Sønderborg, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Skagen → Sønderborg | Headwind > 15 km/h, Sønderborg → near Skagen | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4.2 | 27% | 12% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| February | −3.5 | 25% | 13% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| March | −1.9 | 21% | 14% | either |
| April | −0.5 | 15% | 14% | either |
| May | −0.8 | 15% | 13% | either |
| June | −1.7 | 16% | 11% | either |
| July | −2.6 | 17% | 10% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| August | −3.5 | 19% | 8% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| September | −3.3 | 22% | 11% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| October | −4.4 | 26% | 11% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| November | −4.3 | 26% | 11% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
| December | −4.9 | 27% | 11% | Sønderborg → near Skagen |
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 near Skagen → Sønderborg in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. near Skagen → Hals | 96 | June | −5.1 |
| 2. Hals → Grenaa | 139 | September | −0.8 |
| 3. Grenaa → Horsens | 148 | September | −5.4 |
| 4. Horsens → Fredericia | 117 | June | −2.2 |
| 5. Fredericia → Haderslev | 100 | September | −4.8 |
| 6. Haderslev → Sønderborg | 68 | September | −0.5 |
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.