Lake Constance Cycle Path: clockwise or anticlockwise, and when to ride
The best month for Lake Constance Cycle Path is September: 75% of days were dry in riding hours with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either way round — under 2 km/h on average (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
This route is a loop: the two directions are clockwise and anticlockwise.
Also passes through Switzerland
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4% | 25% | 88 | 3 °C | 0% | 95% | 8.8 † |
| February | 14% | 23% | 65 | 5 °C | 0% | 83% | 10.2 † |
| March | 38% | 28% | 79 | 9 °C | 0% | 55% | 11.8 |
| April | 61% | 27% | 83 | 14 °C | 0% | 23% | 13.6 |
| May | 60% | 39% | 137 | 18 °C | 0% | 4% | 15.1 |
| June | 61% | 35% | 132 | 22 °C | 4% | 0% | 16.0 |
| July | 59% | 33% | 137 | 24 °C | 8% | 0% | 15.6 |
| August | 63% | 31% | 145 | 23 °C | 7% | 0% | 14.3 |
| September | 75% | 24% | 100 | 19 °C | 0% | 1% | 12.5 |
| October | 66% | 24% | 87 | 14 °C | 0% | 17% | 10.7 † |
| November | 25% | 24% | 85 | 8 °C | 0% | 69% | 9.2 † |
| December | 5% | 30% | 96 | 4 °C | 0% | 93% | 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, clockwise, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, clockwise | Headwind > 15 km/h, anticlockwise | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.0 | 2% | 3% | either |
| February | 0.0 | 2% | 3% | either |
| March | +0.2 | 3% | 4% | either |
| April | +0.2 | 2% | 3% | either |
| May | +0.2 | 2% | 3% | either |
| June | +0.3 | 1% | 2% | either |
| July | +0.3 | 1% | 2% | either |
| August | +0.3 | 1% | 1% | either |
| September | +0.2 | 1% | 2% | either |
| October | +0.1 | 1% | 2% | either |
| November | 0.0 | 1% | 2% | either |
| December | 0.0 | 2% | 2% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | NW | −0.6 |
| 25–51 | E | +0.7 |
| 51–76 | SE | +0.7 |
| 76–101 | SE | +1.8 |
| 101–126 | S | +2.3 |
| 126–151 | W | −0.9 |
| 151–177 | NW | −1.9 |
| 177–202 | NW | −0.6 |
| 202–227 | SW | −0.4 |
| 227–252 | E | +0.6 |
| 252–261 | E | +0.6 |
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.
OpenStreetMap · Waymarked Trails · Start and finish / Finish: www.bodensee-radweg.com