Coeur de France à vélo: which way and when to ride
The best month for Coeur de France à vélo is October: 76% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.1 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 | 21% | 23% | 65 | 7 °C | 0% | 69% | 8.9 † |
| February | 37% | 24% | 52 | 9 °C | 0% | 50% | 10.2 † |
| March | 57% | 27% | 65 | 13 °C | 0% | 23% | 11.8 |
| April | 75% | 23% | 54 | 17 °C | 0% | 4% | 13.5 |
| May | 71% | 28% | 76 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.0 |
| June | 66% | 22% | 64 | 24 °C | 13% | 0% | 15.9 |
| July | 64% | 17% | 48 | 26 °C | 21% | 0% | 15.5 |
| August | 66% | 15% | 44 | 26 °C | 21% | 0% | 14.2 |
| September | 76% | 17% | 54 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 76% | 22% | 78 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 10.8 † |
| November | 49% | 26% | 67 | 12 °C | 0% | 31% | 9.3 † |
| December | 25% | 24% | 72 | 8 °C | 0% | 61% | 8.5 † |
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 Tours → Montluçon, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Tours → Montluçon | Headwind > 15 km/h, Montluçon → Tours | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.7 | 3% | 9% | either |
| February | +1.8 | 3% | 10% | either |
| March | +1.9 | 3% | 11% | either |
| April | +1.2 | 4% | 6% | either |
| May | +2.8 | 2% | 9% | Tours → Montluçon |
| June | +2.6 | 1% | 6% | Tours → Montluçon |
| July | +4.2 | 1% | 9% | Tours → Montluçon |
| August | +3.8 | 1% | 7% | Tours → Montluçon |
| September | +1.6 | 2% | 6% | either |
| October | +0.1 | 3% | 5% | either |
| November | +0.9 | 3% | 8% | either |
| December | +1.2 | 3% | 9% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | E | +0.9 |
| 25–50 | E | +1.5 |
| 50–75 | E | +0.8 |
| 75–101 | E | +1.6 |
| 101–128 | E | +0.4 |
| 128–154 | SE | 0.0 |
| 154–179 | SE | −1.0 |
| 179–186 | S | −1.6 |
| 186–211 | S | −1.4 |
| 211–237 | S | −1.8 |
| 237–241 | S | −1.4 |
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.