Saksenroute: which way and when to ride
The best month for Saksenroute is September: 76% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.8 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 | 6% | 27% | 70 | 5 °C | 0% | 89% | 8.1 † |
| February | 12% | 25% | 59 | 6 °C | 0% | 82% | 9.8 † |
| March | 37% | 25% | 53 | 10 °C | 0% | 55% | 11.7 |
| April | 62% | 24% | 47 | 14 °C | 0% | 21% | 13.9 |
| May | 70% | 28% | 65 | 18 °C | 0% | 3% | 15.8 |
| June | 70% | 28% | 71 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.9 |
| July | 62% | 33% | 88 | 22 °C | 7% | 0% | 16.4 |
| August | 64% | 32% | 82 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 14.7 |
| September | 76% | 23% | 62 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 70% | 25% | 71 | 14 °C | 0% | 7% | 10.5 † |
| November | 31% | 25% | 61 | 9 °C | 0% | 56% | 8.6 † |
| December | 9% | 24% | 69 | 6 °C | 0% | 83% | 7.6 † |
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 Eanjum → Enschede, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Eanjum → Enschede | Headwind > 15 km/h, Enschede → near Eanjum | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.4 | 17% | 10% | Enschede → near Eanjum |
| February | −2.5 | 16% | 9% | Enschede → near Eanjum |
| March | +0.1 | 12% | 12% | either |
| April | +1.5 | 8% | 12% | either |
| May | +2.0 | 8% | 13% | either |
| June | +2.3 | 6% | 11% | near Eanjum → Enschede |
| July | +1.5 | 7% | 10% | either |
| August | +0.1 | 8% | 7% | either |
| September | −0.8 | 10% | 7% | either |
| October | −3.1 | 15% | 7% | Enschede → near Eanjum |
| November | −3.9 | 17% | 6% | Enschede → near Eanjum |
| December | −3.8 | 18% | 7% | Enschede → near Eanjum |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SE | +2.5 |
| 25–51 | SE | +1.2 |
| 51–76 | S | −1.0 |
| 76–101 | SE | +0.9 |
| 101–126 | S | −1.1 |
| 126–151 | SW | −4.8 |
| 151–176 | SW | −4.8 |
| 176–202 | SW | −5.0 |
| 202–229 | SE | +2.1 |
| 229–254 | E | +3.1 |
| 254–280 | SE | +1.1 |
| 280–303 | SW | −4.6 |
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.