Appennino Bike Tour: which way and when to ride

The best month for Appennino Bike Tour is October: 73% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.1 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).

ERA5 2006–2025 · OpenStreetMap · Methodology and sources

3,004 kmLength

September–October (peak October)Best months

eitherBetter direction in the best month

0.1 km/hAverage tailwind in the best month

73%Dry days with 10–30 °C

June · 67%Best summer month

Start: Bocchetta di Altare · Finish: Alia · Route geometry: OpenStreetMap / Waymarked Trails

Weather by month

Good days

Month	Good days	Rain days ≥ 1 mm	Rain, mm	Avg high	Days ≥ 30 °C	Days < 10 °C	Daylight, h
January	31%	26%	90	8 °C	0%	62%	9.5 †
February	41%	29%	92	9 °C	0%	49%	10.6 †
March	55%	33%	104	12 °C	0%	28%	11.8
April	65%	33%	83	16 °C	0%	7%	13.3
May	67%	33%	87	19 °C	0%	1%	14.5
June	67%	25%	58	24 °C	9%	0%	15.1
July	62%	18%	38	27 °C	21%	0%	14.9
August	60%	22%	46	27 °C	20%	0%	13.8
September	70%	28%	83	23 °C	2%	0%	12.4
October	73%	26%	101	19 °C	0%	2%	11.0
November	60%	30%	117	14 °C	0%	18%	9.8 †
December	40%	24%	89	10 °C	0%	49%	9.2 †

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

Wind Bocchetta di Altare → Alia, km/h

Month	Wind Bocchetta di Altare → Alia, km/h	Headwind > 15 km/h, Bocchetta di Altare → Alia	Headwind > 15 km/h, Alia → Bocchetta di Altare	Better way
January	+0.3	1%	2%	either
February	+0.3	2%	2%	either
March	+0.2	2%	2%	either
April	+0.1	1%	1%	either
May	+0.3	1%	1%	either
June	+0.7	0%	1%	either
July	+0.9	1%	1%	either
August	+0.6	0%	1%	either
September	+0.3	1%	1%	either
October	−0.1	1%	1%	either
November	−0.2	1%	1%	either
December	+0.3	1%	1%	either

Stages

The route is split into 26 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.

Stage	km	Best month	Tailwind Bocchetta di Altare → Alia in October, km/h
1. Bocchetta di Altare → Ronco Scrivia	118	September	−1.4
2. Ronco Scrivia → Farini	118	October	−1.5
3. Farini → Monchio delle Corti	118	September	−0.9
4. Monchio delle Corti → Pievepelago	118	October	−0.7
5. Pievepelago → Castiglione dei Pepoli	124	October	−0.5
6. Castiglione dei Pepoli → Bibbiena	114	October	−0.3
7. Bibbiena → Gubbio	120	October	−0.9
8. Gubbio → Spoleto	100	October	−0.4
9. Spoleto → Arquata del Tronto	118	October	+0.4
10. Arquata del Tronto → Paganica-Tempera	144	October	−0.3
11. Paganica-Tempera → Castel di Sangro	152	October	+0.4
12. Castel di Sangro → Guardiaregia	118	October	−0.5
13. Guardiaregia → Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi	116	October	+1.2
14. Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi → Pignola	112	October	+1.7
15. Pignola → San Brancato	136	October	+1.0
16. San Brancato → Mormanno	110	October	−0.3
17. Mormanno → San Marco Argentano	118	October	−0.1
18. San Marco Argentano → Spezzano della Sila	114	October	+0.4
19. Spezzano della Sila → Borgia	118	October	+0.2
20. Borgia → Fabrizia	110	June	−0.8
21. Fabrizia → Villa San Giovanni	121	May	−1.7
22. Villa San Giovanni → Alia	2	July	−3.8
23. Alia → Gangi	99	May	+1.1
24. Gangi → Bronte	108	May	+1.7
25. Bronte → Gaggi	110	July	+0.7
26. Gaggi → Alia	164	May	+0.3

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