Europejski Szlak Cysterski: which way and when to ride
The best month for Europejski Szlak Cysterski is September: 75% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.3 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 | 1% | 22% | 50 | 1 °C | 0% | 98% | 8.5 † |
| February | 5% | 18% | 40 | 3 °C | 0% | 94% | 10.0 † |
| March | 30% | 23% | 47 | 7 °C | 0% | 67% | 11.7 |
| April | 60% | 24% | 49 | 13 °C | 0% | 30% | 13.7 |
| May | 66% | 31% | 80 | 17 °C | 0% | 7% | 15.4 |
| June | 69% | 29% | 84 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.4 |
| July | 64% | 32% | 92 | 23 °C | 4% | 0% | 16.0 |
| August | 69% | 27% | 94 | 23 °C | 3% | 0% | 14.5 |
| September | 75% | 23% | 84 | 18 °C | 0% | 3% | 12.5 |
| October | 59% | 20% | 54 | 12 °C | 0% | 31% | 10.6 † |
| November | 20% | 17% | 46 | 7 °C | 0% | 77% | 8.9 † |
| December | 2% | 17% | 41 | 3 °C | 0% | 98% | 8.0 † |
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 Henryków → near Nowa Ruda, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Henryków → near Nowa Ruda | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Nowa Ruda → Henryków | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4.1 | 17% | 3% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
| February | −3.2 | 14% | 3% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
| March | −2.5 | 12% | 4% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
| April | −1.0 | 8% | 5% | either |
| May | −0.4 | 6% | 4% | either |
| June | −1.0 | 6% | 2% | either |
| July | −2.2 | 6% | 1% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
| August | −1.4 | 5% | 1% | either |
| September | −1.3 | 7% | 3% | either |
| October | −2.8 | 12% | 4% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
| November | −3.4 | 14% | 3% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
| December | −4.2 | 16% | 3% | near Nowa Ruda → Henryków |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SW | −1.2 |
| 25–50 | W | −2.4 |
| 50–75 | SW | −2.2 |
| 75–100 | N | +0.4 |
| 100–124 | NW | −1.1 |
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.