National Cycle Network Route 5 (Reading – Birmingham): which way and when to ride
The best month for National Cycle Network Route 5 (Reading – Birmingham) is September: 80% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 0.8 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 | 16% | 19% | 58 | 7 °C | 0% | 77% | 8.2 † |
| February | 23% | 21% | 51 | 8 °C | 0% | 70% | 9.8 † |
| March | 45% | 23% | 52 | 10 °C | 0% | 45% | 11.7 |
| April | 68% | 23% | 44 | 14 °C | 0% | 16% | 13.8 |
| May | 72% | 27% | 66 | 16 °C | 0% | 2% | 15.7 |
| June | 76% | 23% | 60 | 20 °C | 1% | 0% | 16.7 |
| July | 72% | 26% | 67 | 22 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.3 |
| August | 75% | 24% | 62 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 14.6 |
| September | 80% | 20% | 55 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 76% | 21% | 69 | 15 °C | 0% | 3% | 10.5 † |
| November | 43% | 22% | 70 | 10 °C | 0% | 44% | 8.7 † |
| December | 23% | 21% | 65 | 8 °C | 0% | 66% | 7.8 † |
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 Reading → near Birmingham, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Reading → near Birmingham | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Birmingham → Reading | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −0.6 | 11% | 11% | either |
| February | −0.1 | 12% | 12% | either |
| March | −0.7 | 12% | 10% | either |
| April | −0.3 | 9% | 8% | either |
| May | −1.1 | 10% | 8% | either |
| June | −0.8 | 7% | 6% | either |
| July | −1.6 | 8% | 7% | either |
| August | −1.5 | 10% | 7% | either |
| September | −0.8 | 9% | 8% | either |
| October | +0.9 | 9% | 12% | either |
| November | −0.1 | 11% | 12% | either |
| December | +0.5 | 10% | 12% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–26 | NW | −1.0 |
| 26–51 | NW | −2.5 |
| 51–76 | N | +1.3 |
| 76–101 | N | +2.2 |
| 101–126 | W | −4.4 |
| 126–152 | NW | −2.9 |
| 152–177 | NW | −0.4 |
| 177–202 | NW | −2.3 |
| 202–218 | NE | +4.7 |
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.