Elberadweg (linkselbisch): which way and when to ride
The best month for Elberadweg (linkselbisch) is September: 79% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.7 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 | 5% | 25% | 62 | 4 °C | 0% | 92% | 8.2 † |
| February | 11% | 21% | 47 | 5 °C | 0% | 86% | 9.8 † |
| March | 34% | 23% | 47 | 9 °C | 0% | 60% | 11.7 |
| April | 65% | 21% | 39 | 14 °C | 0% | 23% | 13.8 |
| May | 75% | 24% | 61 | 18 °C | 1% | 3% | 15.7 |
| June | 72% | 24% | 65 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 16.8 |
| July | 63% | 27% | 80 | 24 °C | 11% | 0% | 16.4 |
| August | 67% | 26% | 73 | 23 °C | 8% | 0% | 14.7 |
| September | 79% | 19% | 56 | 20 °C | 2% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 68% | 22% | 60 | 14 °C | 0% | 14% | 10.5 † |
| November | 28% | 20% | 54 | 8 °C | 0% | 65% | 8.6 † |
| December | 8% | 24% | 59 | 5 °C | 0% | 89% | 7.7 † |
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 Cuxhaven → near Děčín, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Cuxhaven → near Děčín | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Děčín → Cuxhaven | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.7 | 5% | 12% | either |
| February | +1.1 | 6% | 11% | either |
| March | +2.2 | 6% | 12% | Cuxhaven → near Děčín |
| April | +2.4 | 4% | 12% | Cuxhaven → near Děčín |
| May | +2.3 | 5% | 11% | Cuxhaven → near Děčín |
| June | +3.7 | 2% | 12% | Cuxhaven → near Děčín |
| July | +4.2 | 1% | 12% | Cuxhaven → near Děčín |
| August | +2.5 | 2% | 8% | Cuxhaven → near Děčín |
| September | +1.7 | 3% | 9% | either |
| October | +0.3 | 5% | 9% | either |
| November | −0.1 | 5% | 8% | either |
| December | +1.0 | 5% | 10% | either |
Stages
The route is split into 7 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Cuxhaven → near Děčín in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Cuxhaven → Hamburg | 148 | September | +2.7 |
| 2. Hamburg → Hitzacker | 114 | September | +2.4 |
| 3. Hitzacker → Tangermünde | 147 | September | +1.4 |
| 4. Tangermünde → Schönebeck | 103 | September | −1.7 |
| 5. Schönebeck → Wittenberg | 100 | September | +3.2 |
| 6. Wittenberg → Riesa | 117 | September | +1.4 |
| 7. Riesa → near Děčín | 105 | September | +2.2 |
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.