Nasjonal sykkelrute 7 (Oslo-Lillehammer): which way and when to ride
The best month for Nasjonal sykkelrute 7 (Oslo-Lillehammer) is September: 70% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Ensjø → Lillehammer meant an average tailwind of 2.5 km/h (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% | 23% | 66 | -3 °C | 0% | 100% | 6.5 † |
| February | 0% | 18% | 51 | -1 °C | 0% | 100% | 9.0 † |
| March | 9% | 16% | 46 | 4 °C | 0% | 91% | 11.6 |
| April | 39% | 17% | 47 | 9 °C | 0% | 60% | 14.5 |
| May | 64% | 28% | 77 | 15 °C | 0% | 18% | 17.2 |
| June | 69% | 30% | 88 | 19 °C | 0% | 1% | 19.0 |
| July | 63% | 36% | 115 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 18.2 |
| August | 64% | 36% | 117 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.7 |
| September | 70% | 26% | 89 | 15 °C | 0% | 7% | 12.8 |
| October | 26% | 24% | 85 | 8 °C | 0% | 67% | 9.9 † |
| November | 3% | 25% | 77 | 3 °C | 0% | 96% | 7.2 † |
| December | 0% | 23% | 65 | -1 °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 Ensjø → Lillehammer, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Ensjø → Lillehammer | Headwind > 15 km/h, Lillehammer → Ensjø | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −0.2 | 2% | 4% | either |
| February | +0.9 | 1% | 5% | either |
| March | +1.0 | 3% | 5% | either |
| April | −0.1 | 5% | 3% | either |
| May | +1.0 | 3% | 4% | either |
| June | +1.8 | 2% | 4% | either |
| July | +2.5 | 1% | 3% | Ensjø → Lillehammer |
| August | +2.9 | 1% | 5% | Ensjø → Lillehammer |
| September | +2.5 | 2% | 5% | Ensjø → Lillehammer |
| October | +1.8 | 2% | 6% | either |
| November | +0.6 | 2% | 5% | either |
| December | +0.3 | 1% | 6% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | NE | +2.5 |
| 25–51 | N | +3.5 |
| 51–76 | N | +3.2 |
| 76–101 | N | +2.9 |
| 101–126 | N | +2.3 |
| 126–151 | NW | +1.9 |
| 151–177 | NW | +1.0 |
| 177–200 | NW | +2.3 |
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.