Eurovelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route - part English Channel: which way and when to ride
The best month for Eurovelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route - part English Channel is August: 85% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In August, riding Plymouth → Roscoff meant an average tailwind of 3.4 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 | 27% | 34% | 111 | 9 °C | 0% | 53% | 8.6 † |
| February | 31% | 30% | 90 | 9 °C | 0% | 54% | 10.1 † |
| March | 40% | 28% | 73 | 10 °C | 0% | 44% | 11.7 |
| April | 65% | 20% | 57 | 12 °C | 0% | 20% | 13.7 |
| May | 79% | 20% | 55 | 14 °C | 0% | 1% | 15.3 |
| June | 80% | 20% | 56 | 16 °C | 0% | 0% | 16.2 |
| July | 83% | 17% | 41 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.8 |
| August | 85% | 15% | 52 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 14.4 |
| September | 81% | 19% | 55 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 74% | 26% | 94 | 16 °C | 0% | 1% | 10.7 † |
| November | 54% | 38% | 128 | 12 °C | 0% | 13% | 9.0 † |
| December | 35% | 36% | 127 | 10 °C | 0% | 38% | 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 Plymouth → Roscoff, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Plymouth → Roscoff | Headwind > 15 km/h, Roscoff → Plymouth | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.7 | 26% | 16% | Roscoff → Plymouth |
| February | −1.7 | 23% | 18% | either |
| March | +1.0 | 18% | 17% | either |
| April | +4.0 | 11% | 16% | Plymouth → Roscoff |
| May | +4.9 | 9% | 17% | Plymouth → Roscoff |
| June | +5.4 | 6% | 15% | Plymouth → Roscoff |
| July | +3.7 | 9% | 11% | Plymouth → Roscoff |
| August | +3.4 | 10% | 14% | Plymouth → Roscoff |
| September | +2.5 | 12% | 15% | Plymouth → Roscoff |
| October | −3.3 | 25% | 11% | Roscoff → Plymouth |
| November | −2.0 | 26% | 19% | either |
| December | −4.8 | 30% | 15% | Roscoff → Plymouth |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in August, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–94 | S | +3.5 |
| 94–183 | S | +3.7 |
| 183–187 | SW | −5.5 |
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.