Drei Buchen

Overview

Drei Buchen is a Category 4 climb in Germany, running 7.8 km from a start elevation of 165 m to a summit at 438 m. The net elevation gain is 273 m. On paper it reads as a modest ascent, and the numbers back that up: a short, low-category effort that most riders can clear inside half an hour.

But the climb does more work than the net gain suggests. Total ascent over the 7.8 km is 534 m, against a net gain of only 273 m. That 261 m difference means the road repeatedly kicks up and falls back rather than climbing in one clean line. You pay for elevation you then give away, so the effort is choppier and harder to settle into than a single 273 m grind would be.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.51% average is misleading. With a maximum gradient of 14.81%, the climb clearly holds pitches far steeper than the mean, and the extra 261 m of ascent hidden in the total tells you those pitches come and go across the whole profile rather than stacking into one wall.

• Flatter and false-flat sections that let the average sit low and offer brief recovery
• Repeated short climbs where the road gives back elevation, then reclaims it
• A steepest ramp touching 14.81% — expect it to arrive abruptly rather than build

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like Drei Buchen, even-effort beats even-speed. Chasing a constant speed means over-spending on every 14.81% ramp and coasting the descents, which spikes fatigue for no gain. Instead, hold a steady sustainable power output through the whole climb: let your speed fall on the ramps and rise on the flatter stretches while your effort stays flat.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the FTP estimator first, then pick a target that leaves headroom for the repeated pitches — the total ascent of 534 m matters more here than the gentle average.

Gearing

The 14.81% maximum is what governs your setup, not the 3.51% average. On short, sharp ramps that steep, you want a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — something like 34×32 or 34×34 — so you can keep your cadence up instead of grinding a big gear at low revs. Check your chainset and cassette before you ride: confirming your smallest gear ahead of time is far better than discovering it mid-ramp.

Summary

• Length: 7.8 km
• Average gradient: 3.51%
• Maximum gradient: 14.81%
• Net elevation gain: 273 m
• Total ascent: 534 m
• Category: 4

Drei Buchen is a short climb that rewards riders who read past the average. Pace to power, gear for the steepest ramp, and treat the 534 m of total ascent — not the 273 m net gain — as the real measure of the day.