Nasjonal sykkelrute 5: which way and when to ride
The best month for Nasjonal sykkelrute 5 is June: 62% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In June the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.7 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 | 0% | 26% | 77 | -4 °C | 0% | 100% | 6.5 † |
| February | 0% | 20% | 54 | -3 °C | 0% | 100% | 9.0 † |
| March | 3% | 20% | 56 | 1 °C | 0% | 96% | 11.6 |
| April | 20% | 20% | 49 | 6 °C | 0% | 79% | 14.5 |
| May | 44% | 30% | 80 | 11 °C | 0% | 44% | 17.2 |
| June | 62% | 35% | 100 | 16 °C | 0% | 9% | 19.0 |
| July | 58% | 41% | 129 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 18.2 |
| August | 60% | 39% | 121 | 16 °C | 0% | 4% | 15.7 |
| September | 51% | 29% | 106 | 12 °C | 0% | 32% | 12.8 |
| October | 14% | 27% | 95 | 6 °C | 0% | 83% | 9.9 † |
| November | 2% | 26% | 85 | 0 °C | 0% | 98% | 7.3 † |
| December | 0% | 26% | 76 | -3 °C | 0% | 100% | 5.8 † |
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 Larvik → Vinstra, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Larvik → Vinstra | Headwind > 15 km/h, Vinstra → Larvik | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.0 | 2% | 2% | either |
| February | +0.6 | 1% | 2% | either |
| March | +0.7 | 2% | 3% | either |
| April | +0.3 | 3% | 2% | either |
| May | +0.9 | 2% | 3% | either |
| June | +1.7 | 2% | 2% | either |
| July | +2.0 | 1% | 2% | Larvik → Vinstra |
| August | +2.4 | 1% | 2% | Larvik → Vinstra |
| September | +1.8 | 2% | 3% | either |
| October | +1.1 | 1% | 2% | either |
| November | +0.2 | 2% | 2% | either |
| December | +0.2 | 1% | 2% | either |
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 Larvik → Vinstra in June, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Larvik → Kongsberg | 106 | September | +3.4 |
| 2. Kongsberg → Rødberg | 112 | June | +1.1 |
| 3. Rødberg → Gol | 112 | August | +0.9 |
| 4. Gol → near Vang | 112 | June | +0.7 |
| 5. near Vang → Vinstra | 116 | June | +2.2 |
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.