Forcella Rimbianco

Overview

Forcella Rimbianco is a long, patient climb — the kind that rewards rhythm over aggression. At 23.7 km, it is one of the more sustained ascents you can point a road bike at, and its category 1 rating reflects the toll of that distance rather than relentless steepness. From a valley floor at 887 m, the road works its way to a 1920 m summit, a net gain of 1033 m spread across nearly a full 24 km. The average gradient sits at a manageable-looking 4.36%, but that figure hides the real story: long stretches of gentle drag punctuated by ramps that bite up to 12.63%. This is a climb of accumulation, where the summit is earned meter by meter over the better part of an hour.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The math tells you what to expect. A 4.36% average across 23.7 km means the climb never settles into a single sustained wall — instead it undulates, stacking shallow gradients that occasionally kick sharply upward. With a maximum pitch of 12.63%, roughly three times the average, the hardest ramps are nearly triple the effort of the easy sections. The gap between the net elevation gain of 1033 m and the total ascent of 1006 m is small, telling you the road climbs almost continuously with little in the way of false descents or recovery dips. Expect to spend most of the ascent in a moderate zone, saving mental energy for the punchy sections that punctuate the middle and upper slopes.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this long, the single biggest mistake is starting too hard. Anchor your effort to your FTP and resist the urge to chase the early shallow gradients — those 4-ish percent stretches feel deceptively easy and will happily lure you into a pace you cannot hold across 23.7 km. Aim to ride the sustained sections just below threshold, leaving a reserve for the 12.63% ramps where you will need to surge briefly out of the saddle. If you are not sure where your threshold sits, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. Treat the summit at 1920 m as the finish line, not the false crests along the way.

Gearing

With 1033 m of climbing and ramps hitting 12.63%, gearing generosity pays off. A compact 34-tooth chainring paired with a 34×32 low gear is the sensible baseline for most riders tackling this climb. If you carry any fatigue into the steeper pitches, or simply want to keep your cadence high across such a long effort, step up to a 34×34 — that extra sprocket makes the 12.63% ramps far more spinnable and keeps your legs from bogging down late on the climb. Better to have the gear and not need it than to grind over-geared at 1920 m.

Summary

Forcella Rimbianco is a distance climb first and a steepness climb second — a long, mostly steady haul with just enough sting in its ramps to command respect. Pace it patiently, gear it generously, and let the summit come to you.

Length: 23.7 km
Average gradient: 4.36%
Max gradient: 12.63%
Start: 887 m
Summit: 1920 m
Net gain: 1033 m
Total ascent: 1006 m
Category: 1