PirineXus: clockwise or anticlockwise, and when to ride
The best month for PirineXus is October: 80% of days were dry in riding hours with highs of 10–30 °C. In October the wind barely favours either way round — under 2 km/h on average (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
This route is a loop: the two directions are clockwise and anticlockwise.
Also passes through France
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60% | 13% | 54 | 11 °C | 0% | 34% | 9.4 † |
| February | 66% | 17% | 48 | 12 °C | 0% | 24% | 10.5 † |
| March | 69% | 25% | 87 | 14 °C | 0% | 13% | 11.8 |
| April | 71% | 28% | 87 | 17 °C | 0% | 4% | 13.3 |
| May | 69% | 30% | 96 | 20 °C | 0% | 0% | 14.6 |
| June | 67% | 26% | 69 | 25 °C | 7% | 0% | 15.2 |
| July | 58% | 22% | 66 | 27 °C | 22% | 0% | 15.0 |
| August | 58% | 22% | 71 | 27 °C | 21% | 0% | 13.9 |
| September | 74% | 23% | 87 | 24 °C | 2% | 0% | 12.4 |
| October | 80% | 19% | 93 | 20 °C | 0% | 1% | 11.0 † |
| November | 74% | 18% | 77 | 15 °C | 0% | 11% | 9.7 † |
| December | 68% | 12% | 46 | 12 °C | 0% | 25% | 9.1 † |
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, clockwise, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, clockwise | Headwind > 15 km/h, anticlockwise | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | +1.1 | 3% | 6% | either |
| February | +1.2 | 4% | 7% | either |
| March | +1.3 | 5% | 8% | either |
| April | +0.9 | 6% | 7% | either |
| May | +1.3 | 5% | 7% | either |
| June | +0.9 | 4% | 4% | either |
| July | +1.3 | 4% | 5% | either |
| August | +1.3 | 4% | 5% | either |
| September | +1.2 | 3% | 4% | either |
| October | +0.7 | 5% | 5% | either |
| November | +1.1 | 4% | 7% | either |
| December | +0.9 | 3% | 5% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in October, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | W | +1.3 |
| 25–50 | NW | +1.6 |
| 50–76 | NW | +2.1 |
| 76–101 | NE | +3.6 |
| 101–126 | NE | +1.6 |
| 126–151 | NE | −0.4 |
| 151–176 | E | −1.0 |
| 176–202 | SE | +0.8 |
| 202–227 | SE | −1.4 |
| 227–252 | S | −1.2 |
| 252–278 | S | −1.1 |
| 278–303 | W | +2.0 |
| 303–329 | NW | +1.9 |
| 329–332 | 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.