Kinome Pass

Overview

Kinome Pass is a Category 1 climb in Japan, ascending 7.6 km from a sea-level start at 0 m to a summit at 628 m. On paper that is a net elevation gain of 628 m over the length of the road, and an average gradient of 8.28% places it firmly among the sustained, serious climbs rather than the merely long ones. Starting from 0 m means every metre of altitude here is earned in a single push.

The number that reshapes the effort is total ascent: 790 m, against a net gain of 628 m. That 162 m gap is climbing you do twice — flat sections and descents that force you to re-take ground you already had. The road undulates rather than rising cleanly, so the physical work exceeds what the net figure suggests. Plan for the 790, not the 628.

How the Gradient Unfolds

An 8.28% average is a blend, not a constant. With 162 m of hidden re-ascent baked in, the profile hides both easier ground and pitches far steeper than the mean. The maximum touches 24.02% — more than double the average — so the hardest ramp will spike your power well beyond your climbing baseline.

• Flatter or descending sections that briefly drop the gradient and account for the extra ascent
• Repeated short climbs that punch back up after each dip, breaking any steady rhythm
• A steepest ramp at 24.02% that demands your lowest gear and a deliberate surge

Pacing Notes

On a clean climb you can pace to even effort. Here, the undulation makes even speed a trap — chasing a constant pace over the 24% ramp will blow you up. Pace to even effort instead, holding your sustainable power output through the steep pitches and letting speed fall where the road tilts up. On the flatter and descending sections, resist the urge to hammer; use them to recover so you arrive at the next ramp with something left. Know your ceiling before you start — the FTP estimator gives you the number to hold against.

Gearing

The 24.02% maximum governs your setup. At that pitch, on a climb totalling 790 m of ascent, you want a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 at minimum to keep your cadence out of the grinding zone on the steepest ramp. Under-gearing here means muscling over the wall at low cadence and paying for it on the pitches above. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride, not at the base.

Summary

• Length: 7.6 km
• Average gradient: 8.28%
• Maximum gradient: 24.02%
• Net elevation gain: 628 m
• Total ascent: 790 m
• Category: 1

Kinome Pass rewards riders who respect the gap between its net gain and its total ascent. Gear low, pace to effort, and treat the 790 m as the true measure of the day.