Fietsen naar Praag: which way and when to ride
The best month for Fietsen naar Praag is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Spijk → Philippsthal meant an average tailwind of 2.2 km/h (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% | 28% | 72 | 4 °C | 0% | 91% | 8.3 † |
| February | 12% | 26% | 60 | 6 °C | 0% | 84% | 9.9 † |
| March | 35% | 27% | 57 | 9 °C | 0% | 57% | 11.7 |
| April | 62% | 24% | 47 | 14 °C | 0% | 23% | 13.8 |
| May | 69% | 29% | 68 | 18 °C | 0% | 4% | 15.6 |
| June | 71% | 26% | 67 | 21 °C | 3% | 0% | 16.6 |
| July | 62% | 30% | 81 | 23 °C | 10% | 0% | 16.2 |
| August | 66% | 28% | 79 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 14.6 |
| September | 77% | 22% | 59 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 65% | 24% | 66 | 14 °C | 0% | 16% | 10.6 † |
| November | 27% | 25% | 63 | 8 °C | 0% | 64% | 8.8 † |
| December | 7% | 27% | 70 | 5 °C | 0% | 88% | 7.8 † |
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 Spijk → Philippsthal, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Spijk → Philippsthal | Headwind > 15 km/h, Philippsthal → Spijk | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +2.9 | 5% | 16% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
| February | +1.6 | 7% | 13% | either |
| March | +2.0 | 7% | 13% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
| April | +1.6 | 6% | 10% | either |
| May | +2.0 | 4% | 11% | either |
| June | +3.2 | 2% | 10% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
| July | +4.4 | 2% | 12% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
| August | +3.3 | 2% | 9% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
| September | +2.2 | 3% | 9% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
| October | +1.4 | 5% | 10% | either |
| November | +1.3 | 4% | 10% | either |
| December | +2.2 | 5% | 13% | Spijk → Philippsthal |
Stages
The route is split into 5 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Spijk → Philippsthal in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Spijk → Haltern am See | 116 | September | +3.0 |
| 2. Haltern am See → Lippstadt | 109 | September | +4.2 |
| 3. Lippstadt → Warburg | 107 | September | +3.1 |
| 4. Warburg → Witzenhausen | 106 | September | +2.4 |
| 5. Witzenhausen → Philippsthal | 130 | September | −0.9 |
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.