EuroVelo 12 - North Sea Cycle Route - part Germany: which way and when to ride
The best month for EuroVelo 12 - North Sea Cycle Route - part Germany is September: 75% 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 | 3% | 28% | 72 | 4 °C | 0% | 93% | 8.0 † |
| February | 7% | 24% | 56 | 5 °C | 0% | 91% | 9.7 † |
| March | 25% | 24% | 51 | 8 °C | 0% | 69% | 11.7 |
| April | 56% | 24% | 47 | 13 °C | 0% | 31% | 13.9 |
| May | 71% | 26% | 66 | 16 °C | 0% | 5% | 15.9 |
| June | 72% | 28% | 77 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 17.1 |
| July | 63% | 34% | 93 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 16.6 |
| August | 64% | 33% | 90 | 21 °C | 3% | 0% | 14.8 |
| September | 75% | 25% | 66 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 66% | 27% | 78 | 14 °C | 0% | 10% | 10.4 † |
| November | 26% | 25% | 66 | 9 °C | 0% | 62% | 8.4 † |
| December | 6% | 26% | 70 | 6 °C | 0% | 89% | 7.4 † |
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 Tønder → Bunde, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Tønder → Bunde | Headwind > 15 km/h, Bunde → near Tønder | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.9 | 21% | 11% | Bunde → near Tønder |
| February | −2.3 | 19% | 12% | Bunde → near Tønder |
| March | −1.0 | 17% | 13% | either |
| April | +0.2 | 13% | 13% | either |
| May | +0.3 | 13% | 14% | either |
| June | −0.2 | 13% | 11% | either |
| July | −1.1 | 14% | 10% | either |
| August | −1.7 | 13% | 8% | either |
| September | −1.7 | 15% | 9% | either |
| October | −2.6 | 18% | 10% | Bunde → near Tønder |
| November | −2.9 | 18% | 9% | Bunde → near Tønder |
| December | −3.5 | 20% | 9% | Bunde → near Tønder |
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 near Tønder → Bunde in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. near Tønder → Husum | 105 | June | −0.4 |
| 2. Husum → Meldorf | 110 | June | −1.9 |
| 3. Meldorf → Hamburg | 150 | September | +1.2 |
| 4. Hamburg → Cuxhaven | 125 | September | −3.0 |
| 5. Cuxhaven → Varel | 132 | September | −4.4 |
| 6. Varel → Esens | 119 | September | −0.8 |
| 7. Esens → Bunde | 182 | September | −2.7 |
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.