La Vallée du Loir à vélo: which way and when to ride
The best month for La Vallée du Loir à vélo is September: 80% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.2 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 | 20% | 21% | 62 | 8 °C | 0% | 69% | 8.8 † |
| February | 36% | 21% | 54 | 9 °C | 0% | 52% | 10.2 † |
| March | 55% | 27% | 60 | 12 °C | 0% | 26% | 11.8 |
| April | 75% | 23% | 48 | 16 °C | 0% | 4% | 13.6 |
| May | 71% | 28% | 68 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.1 |
| June | 72% | 21% | 56 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 16.0 |
| July | 71% | 17% | 43 | 25 °C | 13% | 0% | 15.6 |
| August | 72% | 15% | 43 | 25 °C | 13% | 0% | 14.3 |
| September | 80% | 16% | 49 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 76% | 22% | 78 | 17 °C | 0% | 2% | 10.7 † |
| November | 53% | 24% | 66 | 12 °C | 0% | 29% | 9.2 † |
| December | 26% | 22% | 68 | 8 °C | 0% | 60% | 8.4 † |
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 Bailleau-le-Pin → Angers, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Bailleau-le-Pin → Angers | Headwind > 15 km/h, Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3.9 | 20% | 5% | Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin |
| February | −3.2 | 19% | 8% | Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin |
| March | −1.7 | 18% | 9% | either |
| April | +0.2 | 11% | 10% | either |
| May | −1.2 | 14% | 8% | either |
| June | −1.5 | 12% | 6% | either |
| July | −4.0 | 17% | 4% | Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin |
| August | −3.8 | 13% | 3% | Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin |
| September | −1.2 | 11% | 7% | either |
| October | −2.0 | 13% | 6% | either |
| November | −3.8 | 18% | 4% | Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin |
| December | −4.4 | 20% | 6% | Angers → near Bailleau-le-Pin |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SE | +1.6 |
| 25–51 | SW | −0.9 |
| 51–76 | S | −0.2 |
| 76–102 | SW | −1.4 |
| 102–127 | W | −1.9 |
| 127–152 | W | −1.8 |
| 152–177 | SW | −1.6 |
| 177–204 | W | −1.8 |
| 204–229 | W | −1.7 |
| 229–254 | W | −1.7 |
| 254–275 | NW | −1.9 |
| 275–300 | SW | −1.4 |
| 300–305 | S | +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.