Colle di Cadibona

Overview

Colle di Cadibona is a Category 2 climb in Italy, running 9.6 km from near sea level to a modest col. It starts at 20 m and tops out at 470 m, for a net elevation gain of 450 m. On paper it reads as a steady mid-length effort, and the 4.69% average gradient supports that first impression.

The number that reshapes the story is total ascent: 837 m against just 450 m of net gain. That 387 m gap means the road gives back nearly as much as it takes on the way up — you are descending or dropping through recovery sections and re-climbing them. The effort is not one clean drag but a series of gains stacked on top of lost ground, so the climb costs more energy than its net profile suggests.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 4.69% average across 9.6 km hides the shape entirely. With a maximum gradient of 16.76%, the steep pitches are far harsher than the mean, and the flatter and downhill stretches are what drag the average down. Expect a jagged profile rather than a consistent wall.

• Flatter and recovery sections, some tipping downhill, that reset your legs mid-climb
• Repeated short climbs that force you to re-accelerate and re-load the same effort
• A steepest ramp near 16.76% that demands you be in the right gear before it arrives

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chasing even speed is a trap — you overspend on every rise and coast the descents. Aim instead for even effort: hold a steady sustainable power output through the ramps and let your speed rise on the flatter and downhill sections rather than forcing the pace there.

The gap between net gain and total ascent means those recovery sections are real, so use them. Soft-pedal the descents, recover, then meter the steep pitches without spiking. If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first and pace to a percentage of that number.

Gearing

The 16.76% maximum is what governs your setup, not the 4.69% average. On the steepest ramp, an under-geared bike forces you to grind at low cadence and burn matches you will want later. Run a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a spinnable gear when the road kicks up. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; the top of that ramp is the wrong place to discover you have run out of gears.

Summary

• Length: 9.6 km
• Average gradient: 4.69%
• Maximum gradient: 16.76%
• Net elevation gain: 450 m
• Total ascent: 837 m
• Category: 2

Colle di Cadibona rewards riders who respect the profile over the average. Pace to effort, use the recovery sections, and carry gearing built for the 16.76% ramp — do that and the 387 m of extra ascent stops being a surprise.