Lautulae

Overview

Lautulae is a Category 2 climb that packs a real punch into a compact 6.3 km. From a low start at just 10 m of elevation, the road hauls you up to a 414 m summit — a net gain of 404 m over its length. The average gradient sits at 6.38%, which sounds moderate on paper, but averages hide the story here: a maximum pitch of 15.03% means the climb is far from uniform. This is a effort where consistency of power, not raw speed, wins the day. Expect somewhere between twenty and thirty-five minutes of climbing depending on your fitness, all of it demanding your full attention.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The headline numbers tell you this climb is uneven. A 6.38% average against a 15.03% maximum means the steep ramps are more than double the mean gradient — proof that the road ramps and eases rather than settling into one steady wall. Practically, that gap of nearly 9 percentage points between average and max is where the difficulty lives. There will be stretches where the grade sits below the 6.38% average, offering brief moments to recover and breathe, and then sharp pitches that spike toward that 15.03% ceiling and force you out of the saddle. The net elevation gain of 404 m over 6.3 km is what your legs must ultimately absorb, and the way it's distributed — in bursts rather than evenly — is what makes Lautulae harder than its average suggests.

Pacing Notes

The smart approach on Lautulae is to ride the average and respect the spikes. Hold a sustainable effort near or just below your FTP on the shallower sections, then allow yourself to surge briefly over threshold on the 15.03% ramps rather than trying to hold a fixed speed. Over 6.3 km, blowing up on an early steep pitch costs you far more than the seconds you'd save by attacking it. If you're unsure what threshold you should be targeting, run your recent numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a pace. Meter your effort so you arrive at the steepest pinches with something left, and let the flatter sections be genuine recovery.

Gearing

With a 15.03% maximum and 404 m to climb, gearing generosity pays off. A compact 34-tooth inner chainring paired with a 34×32 low is a sensible baseline for most riders tackling Lautulae, giving you a spinnable gear through the average 6.38% grade. But if you weigh more, are carrying fatigue, or simply want to protect your knees on the 15.03% ramps, step up to a 34×34. That extra sprocket is cheap insurance against grinding to a standstill on the steepest pitch, and it keeps your cadence high where it matters most.

Summary

Lautulae rewards riders who pace by power and gear for the spikes rather than the average. It's short, sharp, and honest — a Category 2 test that punishes over-eager starts and repays measured effort.

Length: 6.3 km
Average gradient: 6.38%
Max gradient: 15.03%
Start: 10 m
Summit: 414 m
Net gain: 404 m
Total ascent: 379 m
Category: 2