Puerto de Locubín

Overview

Puerto de Locubín is a short, uncompromising Category 1 ascent that packs a full day's suffering into just 5.1 km. From a start elevation of 791 m, the road climbs to a summit of 1245 m, delivering a net gain of 454 m over a total ascent of 415 m. The headline number is the average gradient: 8.89% sustained across the entire climb, with a maximum pitch of 14.19% waiting somewhere in the middle. There is no warm-up here and no flat kilometre to recover — from the base to the top, the road tilts up and stays up.

How the Gradient Unfolds

At 8.89% average over 5.1 km, this is a climb defined by relentlessness rather than a single monster ramp. Do the math and the profile is brutally consistent: roughly 415 m of climbing packed into a distance most riders would cover in under twenty minutes on the flat. The 14.19% maximum tells you the road is not perfectly even — there are steeper sections where the gradient jumps well above the average, forcing you out of rhythm. Between those pitches, the road settles back toward that punishing 8.89% baseline, which on a climb this short still leaves no room to freewheel. Expect the steepest ramps to bite hardest once fatigue has already accumulated, since 5.1 km at this gradient offers no soft landing.

Pacing Notes

The temptation on a climb this short is to attack from the base — resist it. At 8.89% average, going into the red early on the lower slopes will leave nothing for the 14.19% ramp that awaits. Ride to your FTP, holding a steady effort just below threshold on the consistent sections and accepting a controlled surge over the steepest pitches. Because the whole climb is only 5.1 km, small pacing errors compound quickly; there is no long false-flat to recover on. If you are unsure where your sustainable ceiling sits, run your numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit to a target. The goal is to arrive at the 14.19% section with enough in reserve to grind through it without cracking, then hold form to the 1245 m summit.

Gearing

Do not under-gear this one. A 5.1 km climb at 8.89% average with ramps to 14.19% rewards a compact setup and a wide cassette. A 34×32 lowest ratio is the sensible minimum for strong climbers, but most riders will thank themselves for a 34×34 — that extra sprocket keeps your cadence alive on the 14.19% pitches without forcing a grinding, out-of-the-saddle slog. On a climb where the average never lets up, spinning a low gear beats muscling a high one.

Summary

Puerto de Locubín is a genuine Category 1 test: brief, steep, and utterly relentless from base to summit. Pace it to your threshold, gear low, and respect the 14.19% ramp, and you will crest at 1245 m with your form intact.

Length: 5.1 km
Average gradient: 8.89%
Max gradient: 14.19%
Start: 791 m
Summit: 1245 m
Net gain: 454 m
Total ascent: 415 m
Category: 1