Novohradská cyklomagistrála: which way and when to ride
The best month for Novohradská cyklomagistrála is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.1 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 | 1% | 18% | 50 | 1 °C | 0% | 99% | 8.7 † |
| February | 6% | 20% | 51 | 4 °C | 0% | 94% | 10.1 † |
| March | 36% | 19% | 53 | 9 °C | 0% | 60% | 11.7 |
| April | 65% | 25% | 52 | 15 °C | 0% | 18% | 13.6 |
| May | 62% | 38% | 102 | 18 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.2 |
| June | 62% | 35% | 93 | 23 °C | 4% | 0% | 16.1 |
| July | 59% | 31% | 95 | 25 °C | 11% | 0% | 15.7 |
| August | 63% | 27% | 82 | 25 °C | 11% | 0% | 14.3 |
| September | 77% | 22% | 76 | 20 °C | 1% | 1% | 12.5 |
| October | 67% | 19% | 64 | 13 °C | 0% | 22% | 10.7 † |
| November | 22% | 20% | 63 | 7 °C | 0% | 74% | 9.1 † |
| December | 0% | 17% | 50 | 2 °C | 0% | 100% | 8.3 † |
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 Čierny Balog → Lučenec, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Čierny Balog → Lučenec | Headwind > 15 km/h, Lučenec → Čierny Balog | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +0.6 | 0% | 2% | either |
| February | +0.5 | 0% | 2% | either |
| March | +0.2 | 1% | 3% | either |
| April | −0.2 | 2% | 3% | either |
| May | 0.0 | 1% | 2% | either |
| June | +0.1 | 1% | 2% | either |
| July | +0.5 | 0% | 2% | either |
| August | −0.6 | 0% | 1% | either |
| September | −0.1 | 1% | 1% | either |
| October | −0.4 | 0% | 1% | either |
| November | −0.2 | 0% | 1% | either |
| December | +0.6 | 0% | 1% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | S | −0.1 |
| 25–50 | SW | −0.6 |
| 50–76 | SW | −0.5 |
| 76–101 | SE | +0.2 |
| 101–115 | SE | +0.5 |
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.