Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto Pugliese: which way and when to ride
The best month for Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto Pugliese is May: 80% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In May the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.1 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 | 65% | 18% | 55 | 12 °C | 0% | 22% | 9.6 † |
| February | 66% | 24% | 61 | 13 °C | 0% | 16% | 10.6 † |
| March | 75% | 22% | 70 | 15 °C | 0% | 6% | 11.8 |
| April | 77% | 23% | 56 | 18 °C | 0% | 1% | 13.2 |
| May | 80% | 19% | 44 | 23 °C | 2% | 0% | 14.4 |
| June | 52% | 17% | 31 | 28 °C | 32% | 0% | 15.1 |
| July | 29% | 9% | 15 | 31 °C | 64% | 0% | 14.8 |
| August | 27% | 13% | 20 | 31 °C | 65% | 0% | 13.8 |
| September | 66% | 20% | 55 | 27 °C | 15% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 79% | 21% | 69 | 22 °C | 0% | 0% | 11.0 |
| November | 77% | 22% | 86 | 17 °C | 0% | 2% | 9.8 † |
| December | 76% | 17% | 53 | 13 °C | 0% | 10% | 9.3 † |
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 Gioia del Colle → Manduria, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Gioia del Colle → Manduria | Headwind > 15 km/h, Manduria → near Gioia del Colle | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.9 | 7% | 12% | either |
| February | +1.3 | 9% | 12% | either |
| March | +0.4 | 10% | 12% | either |
| April | +0.6 | 7% | 10% | either |
| May | +1.1 | 6% | 9% | either |
| June | +3.1 | 2% | 11% | near Gioia del Colle → Manduria |
| July | +4.6 | 1% | 14% | near Gioia del Colle → Manduria |
| August | +3.7 | 1% | 11% | near Gioia del Colle → Manduria |
| September | +2.0 | 4% | 9% | near Gioia del Colle → Manduria |
| October | +0.6 | 5% | 8% | either |
| November | −0.8 | 9% | 6% | either |
| December | +2.5 | 6% | 12% | near Gioia del Colle → Manduria |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in May, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | E | +1.2 |
| 25–50 | E | +0.7 |
| 50–76 | SE | +2.4 |
| 76–101 | S | −0.4 |
| 101–126 | SE | +1.6 |
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.