Forsthof

Overview

Forsthof is a category 4 climb in Austria that runs for 9.4 km. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 298 m, rising from a start elevation of 266 m to a summit at 564 m. The average gradient sits at 3.19%, which places it firmly in the long-and-steady bracket rather than the wall-and-suffer one. On paper it reads as an approachable, sustained ascent that most riders can hold a rhythm on.

The paper number is not the whole story. The total ascent over the climb is 357 m, while the net gain is only 298 m — a 59 m gap. That means roughly 59 m of the climbing is given back and re-taken across dips and rollers before you reach the top. Undulation like this raises the real cost of the effort: you pay for elevation you do not keep, and every recovered metre has to be earned twice.

How the Gradient Unfolds

A 3.19% average is a blend, not a constant. On Forsthof it masks a maximum pitch of 14.62%, so the effort is far from uniform. Expect stretches where the road barely tilts, then abrupt ramps that spike your power and heart rate before easing off again.

• Flatter and false-flat sections where you can spin and recover between the harder pitches
• Repeated short climbs created by the undulation — the reason total ascent exceeds net gain
• A steepest ramp reaching 14.62%, several times the average, where you will be out of the saddle or grinding a low gear

Pacing Notes

Because of the undulation, even-speed pacing is a trap here. Chasing a constant km/h forces you to hammer the 14.62% ramps and coast the flats, spiking your effort and burning matches you cannot get back. Ride to even effort instead: hold a steady output through the rollers and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain.

Anchor that effort to your sustainable power output and keep the ramps just above threshold rather than deep into the red. If you do not know your number yet, run the FTP estimator before you go, then set a ceiling you can defend all 9.4 km — including the pitches that briefly hit 14.62%.

Gearing

Gearing is governed by the steepest gradient, not the average. At 14.62% you want low-end range in reserve so those ramps do not blow your cadence apart. A compact 50/34 chainset — or a sub-compact if you have one — paired with a wide-range cassette such as 34×32 or 34×34 gives you a bailout gear for the steepest sections while keeping usable ratios for the false flats.

Check your setup before the ride. Confirm your cassette range and that the rear derailleur handles the largest sprocket cleanly, so you are not caught over-geared when the road kicks up.

Summary

• Length: 9.4 km
• Average gradient: 3.19%
• Maximum gradient: 14.62%
• Net elevation gain: 298 m
• Total ascent: 357 m
• Category: 4

Forsthof rewards riders who read the profile rather than the average. Pace to even effort, gear for the 14.62% ramps, and treat the 59 m of undulation as the real challenge behind a gentle-looking 3.19%.