Vélobuissonnière: which way and when to ride
The best month for Vélobuissonnière is September: 80% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.0 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% | 22% | 66 | 8 °C | 0% | 68% | 8.8 † |
| February | 36% | 22% | 55 | 9 °C | 0% | 52% | 10.2 † |
| March | 55% | 27% | 59 | 12 °C | 0% | 26% | 11.8 |
| April | 74% | 23% | 49 | 16 °C | 0% | 4% | 13.6 |
| May | 72% | 27% | 65 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.1 |
| June | 72% | 22% | 58 | 23 °C | 6% | 0% | 16.0 |
| July | 73% | 17% | 43 | 25 °C | 11% | 0% | 15.7 |
| August | 73% | 17% | 43 | 24 °C | 11% | 0% | 14.3 |
| September | 80% | 17% | 49 | 22 °C | 3% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 76% | 22% | 76 | 17 °C | 0% | 2% | 10.7 † |
| November | 54% | 23% | 67 | 12 °C | 0% | 27% | 9.2 † |
| December | 26% | 22% | 69 | 9 °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 Alençon → Saumur, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Alençon → Saumur | Headwind > 15 km/h, Saumur → Alençon | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.9 | 15% | 4% | Saumur → Alençon |
| February | −2.0 | 15% | 8% | either |
| March | −0.6 | 12% | 8% | either |
| April | +0.6 | 7% | 7% | either |
| May | +0.5 | 8% | 7% | either |
| June | 0.0 | 6% | 4% | either |
| July | −1.0 | 8% | 3% | either |
| August | −0.9 | 7% | 3% | either |
| September | 0.0 | 7% | 5% | either |
| October | −2.3 | 11% | 4% | Saumur → Alençon |
| November | −3.2 | 15% | 5% | Saumur → Alençon |
| December | −3.7 | 16% | 5% | Saumur → Alençon |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SW | −1.9 |
| 25–50 | S | +0.5 |
| 50–75 | SE | +1.4 |
| 75–101 | S | +0.3 |
| 101–126 | SW | −0.9 |
| 126–151 | SW | −1.8 |
| 151–177 | S | +0.5 |
| 177–204 | S | +0.1 |
| 204–229 | S | +1.3 |
| 229–232 | S | +1.2 |
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.