NCN National Route 76: which way and when to ride
The best month for NCN National Route 76 is September: 75% 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 | 8% | 27% | 82 | 6 °C | 0% | 87% | 7.6 † |
| February | 12% | 28% | 71 | 7 °C | 0% | 84% | 9.5 † |
| March | 27% | 28% | 70 | 9 °C | 0% | 66% | 11.6 |
| April | 53% | 26% | 49 | 11 °C | 0% | 33% | 14.1 |
| May | 66% | 30% | 63 | 14 °C | 0% | 8% | 16.3 |
| June | 70% | 30% | 67 | 17 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.6 |
| July | 65% | 35% | 83 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.0 |
| August | 67% | 33% | 87 | 18 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.1 |
| September | 75% | 25% | 65 | 16 °C | 0% | 0% | 12.6 |
| October | 62% | 29% | 90 | 13 °C | 0% | 11% | 10.3 † |
| November | 27% | 27% | 83 | 9 °C | 0% | 59% | 8.1 † |
| December | 12% | 29% | 96 | 7 °C | 0% | 78% | 7.0 † |
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 near Dunbar → Kirkcaldy, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Dunbar → Kirkcaldy | Headwind > 15 km/h, Kirkcaldy → near Dunbar | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −1.0 | 17% | 13% | either |
| February | −0.7 | 17% | 15% | either |
| March | −0.7 | 18% | 16% | either |
| April | −0.2 | 16% | 15% | either |
| May | 0.0 | 15% | 13% | either |
| June | −0.2 | 13% | 11% | either |
| July | −0.6 | 14% | 11% | either |
| August | −0.7 | 15% | 12% | either |
| September | −0.8 | 16% | 12% | either |
| October | −0.4 | 15% | 14% | either |
| November | −0.7 | 13% | 11% | either |
| December | −0.8 | 15% | 12% | either |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | W | −6.9 |
| 25–35 | W | −5.7 |
| 35–60 | W | −6.7 |
| 60–86 | W | −5.4 |
| 86–111 | W | −5.4 |
| 111–136 | N | +4.0 |
| 136–161 | SE | +4.2 |
| 161–186 | E | +7.3 |
| 186–201 | NE | +8.3 |
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.