Podtatranská cyklomagistrála: which way and when to ride
The best month for Podtatranská cyklomagistrála is September: 66% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.6 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% | 23% | 52 | -1 °C | 0% | 100% | 8.6 † |
| February | 2% | 23% | 52 | 1 °C | 0% | 98% | 10.1 † |
| March | 19% | 25% | 57 | 5 °C | 0% | 79% | 11.7 |
| April | 45% | 35% | 66 | 11 °C | 0% | 39% | 13.7 |
| May | 47% | 48% | 113 | 15 °C | 0% | 14% | 15.3 |
| June | 53% | 46% | 109 | 20 °C | 0% | 1% | 16.2 |
| July | 54% | 45% | 123 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.8 |
| August | 60% | 40% | 106 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 14.4 |
| September | 66% | 31% | 89 | 17 °C | 0% | 9% | 12.5 |
| October | 52% | 21% | 67 | 11 °C | 0% | 41% | 10.7 † |
| November | 17% | 20% | 55 | 5 °C | 0% | 82% | 9.0 † |
| December | 0% | 19% | 47 | 0 °C | 0% | 100% | 8.2 † |
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 Bukowina Tatrzańska → near Liptovský Mikuláš, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Bukowina Tatrzańska → near Liptovský Mikuláš | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Liptovský Mikuláš → near Bukowina Tatrzańska | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1.7 | 2% | 1% | either |
| February | −1.3 | 2% | 1% | either |
| March | −1.1 | 3% | 1% | either |
| April | −0.6 | 2% | 1% | either |
| May | −0.2 | 2% | 1% | either |
| June | −0.5 | 1% | 1% | either |
| July | −1.3 | 1% | 1% | either |
| August | −0.9 | 1% | 0% | either |
| September | −0.6 | 1% | 1% | either |
| October | −1.4 | 1% | 1% | either |
| November | −1.5 | 1% | 0% | either |
| December | −1.7 | 1% | 1% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | E | +1.2 |
| 25–51 | SW | −0.7 |
| 51–76 | W | −1.1 |
| 76–102 | W | −1.7 |
| 102–110 | W | −1.8 |
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.