Vestkystruten: which way and when to ride
The best month for Vestkystruten is June: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In June, riding near Tønder → Skagen meant an average tailwind of 2.4 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% | 26% | 75 | 4 °C | 0% | 99% | 7.5 † |
| February | 0% | 23% | 57 | 4 °C | 0% | 100% | 9.4 † |
| March | 6% | 19% | 48 | 6 °C | 0% | 93% | 11.6 |
| April | 37% | 19% | 43 | 10 °C | 0% | 58% | 14.1 |
| May | 70% | 21% | 57 | 14 °C | 0% | 12% | 16.4 |
| June | 78% | 22% | 66 | 17 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.7 |
| July | 71% | 29% | 87 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.1 |
| August | 69% | 31% | 96 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.1 |
| September | 73% | 27% | 87 | 17 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.7 |
| October | 60% | 31% | 99 | 12 °C | 0% | 12% | 10.2 † |
| November | 20% | 29% | 78 | 8 °C | 0% | 68% | 8.0 † |
| December | 2% | 27% | 79 | 6 °C | 0% | 95% | 6.9 † |
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 near Tønder → Skagen, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Tønder → Skagen | Headwind > 15 km/h, Skagen → near Tønder | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +4.7 | 14% | 30% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| February | +4.5 | 13% | 28% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| March | +2.6 | 15% | 24% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| April | +0.6 | 15% | 18% | either |
| May | +0.7 | 15% | 19% | either |
| June | +2.4 | 11% | 21% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| July | +3.3 | 11% | 22% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| August | +4.4 | 10% | 24% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| September | +3.8 | 12% | 25% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| October | +4.7 | 13% | 29% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| November | +4.3 | 14% | 29% | near Tønder → Skagen |
| December | +6.0 | 11% | 32% | near Tønder → Skagen |
Stages
The route is split into 5 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind near Tønder → Skagen in June, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. near Tønder → Esbjerg | 103 | June | −2.5 |
| 2. Esbjerg → near Ringkøbing | 113 | June | −3.0 |
| 3. near Ringkøbing → Hanstholm | 138 | June | +2.4 |
| 4. Hanstholm → Løkken | 113 | June | +8.2 |
| 5. Løkken → Skagen | 96 | June | +7.2 |
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.