Feuerbacher Höhe

Feuerbacher Höhe cycling climb profile

Feuerbacher Höhe is a short, contained effort: 2.2 km at an average gradient of 6.46%, starting at 314 m and topping out at 455 m. On paper, that makes it a category 4 climb, but the key detail is not the category. It is the relationship between the modest length and the 8.37% maximum gradient.

That combination changes how the climb rides. A 2.2 km ascent is short enough to tempt a rider into attacking it like a hard interval from the bottom. But with an average already above 6% and a maximum gradient in the high single digits, the climb has enough resistance to make that early enthusiasm expensive. If you arrive at the steepest section already above your sustainable effort, there is not much distance available to recover before the summit.

Gradient and effort

The total shape is simple: Feuerbacher Höhe gains 141 m from bottom to top, with total ascent listed at 129 m. That tells you the climb is not a long, rolling ascent where momentum repeatedly resets the effort. It is better treated as one continuous uphill pressure, where pacing discipline matters more than responding to every change in pitch.

The average gradient of 6.46% is the baseline sensation. You should expect steady climbing torque from the start, not a gentle lead-in. The max gradient of 8.37% is not extreme, but it is steep enough to force a gear change if you have started too hard or are trying to muscle the climb at low cadence.

Pacing strategy

The smartest ride is controlled aggression. Start just below the effort you think you can hold to the top, then build once the climb has settled. On a climb this short, the penalty for under-pacing the first moments is small. The penalty for over-pacing them is larger, because the steeper pitches will expose it quickly.

Use /glossary/ftp as the anchor if you are riding with power. This is the type of climb where going slightly over threshold can make sense, but only if it is intentional and you have the gearing to keep the pedals turning when the road reaches its maximum gradient.

Gearing notes

Do not overthink the setup, but do not arrive overgeared. The climb is short, yet the 8.37% maximum means a comfortable climbing gear is useful, especially if you want to stay seated and keep the effort aerobic rather than turning it into a low-cadence strength grind.

For training, Feuerbacher Höhe works well as a repeatable climbing effort: long enough to demand pacing, short enough that small changes in effort are obvious. Ride the first half with restraint, shift before the steepest pressure bites, and save the hardest acceleration for the final approach to 455 m.