La Flow Vélo: which way and when to ride
The best month for La Flow Vélo is October: 75% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.5 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 | 28% | 26% | 85 | 9 °C | 0% | 56% | 9.1 † |
| February | 48% | 24% | 68 | 11 °C | 0% | 37% | 10.3 † |
| March | 63% | 28% | 75 | 14 °C | 0% | 15% | 11.8 |
| April | 72% | 26% | 70 | 17 °C | 0% | 2% | 13.5 |
| May | 70% | 29% | 82 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 14.9 |
| June | 64% | 24% | 73 | 24 °C | 12% | 0% | 15.7 |
| July | 67% | 13% | 42 | 26 °C | 22% | 0% | 15.3 |
| August | 66% | 13% | 47 | 26 °C | 22% | 0% | 14.1 |
| September | 74% | 19% | 58 | 23 °C | 8% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 75% | 24% | 85 | 19 °C | 0% | 1% | 10.8 † |
| November | 56% | 29% | 91 | 13 °C | 0% | 20% | 9.4 † |
| December | 36% | 25% | 86 | 10 °C | 0% | 46% | 8.7 † |
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 Fouras → Sarlat-la-Canéda, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Fouras → Sarlat-la-Canéda | Headwind > 15 km/h, Sarlat-la-Canéda → near Fouras | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.1 | 3% | 9% | either |
| February | +1.4 | 5% | 11% | either |
| March | +1.7 | 6% | 13% | either |
| April | +1.3 | 4% | 8% | either |
| May | +3.4 | 3% | 12% | near Fouras → Sarlat-la-Canéda |
| June | +3.2 | 1% | 7% | near Fouras → Sarlat-la-Canéda |
| July | +4.9 | 1% | 11% | near Fouras → Sarlat-la-Canéda |
| August | +4.4 | 1% | 9% | near Fouras → Sarlat-la-Canéda |
| September | +1.8 | 2% | 7% | either |
| October | −0.5 | 5% | 5% | either |
| November | +0.4 | 4% | 8% | either |
| December | +0.3 | 3% | 9% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–26 | SE | +0.5 |
| 26–52 | E | +0.7 |
| 52–77 | SE | 0.0 |
| 77–103 | SE | −0.6 |
| 103–128 | E | +0.1 |
| 128–154 | E | +0.2 |
| 154–179 | SE | −0.6 |
| 179–204 | NE | +0.7 |
| 204–229 | E | −0.4 |
| 229–254 | SE | −0.8 |
| 254–279 | SE | −1.1 |
| 279–305 | SE | −1.2 |
| 305–330 | SE | −1.4 |
| 330–355 | S | −1.9 |
| 355–380 | S | −1.7 |
| 380–389 | SW | −1.5 |
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.