Rikoti Pass

Overview

Rikoti Pass is a hors catégorie climb that packs an extraordinary amount of vertical into a short distance. Over just 7.4 km it averages 11.68%, a figure that ranks among the steepest sustained gradients a road cyclist will ever face. You start at 481 m and finish at 1344 m, a net gain of 863 m across a road that almost never relents. The total ascent measured on the way up is 842 m, meaning there is barely any respite — no false flats or downhill kickers to break the rhythm. This is a pure, relentless wall, and its HC rating is fully earned rather than a technicality.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The defining feature of Rikoti Pass is its consistency. With an 11.68% average and a maximum of 17.53%, the ramps rarely stray far from double digits. The gap between the average and the max is only a shade under 6%, which tells you the climb does not spike and recover — it simply stays hard. Expect long stretches hovering around the mean, punctuated by steeper pitches that edge toward 17.53%. Because net gain (863 m) and total ascent (842 m) are nearly identical, there is only about 21 m of descent scattered across the whole 7.4 km. In practical terms, once you begin climbing, you keep climbing. There is no coasting section to shake out your legs, so the effort you carry from the base is the effort you carry to the summit at 1344 m.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep and this uniform, pacing is everything. The lack of variation means you cannot hide behind flatter recovery zones, so ride to a power ceiling you can hold for the full duration. A good target is a percentage of your FTP that you know you can sustain — if you are unsure of yours, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit. Going out at threshold on the first ramps of an 11.68% grade will leave you cracked long before 1344 m. Start conservatively, settle into a cadence you can defend, and treat the steeper 17.53% pitches as brief surges to absorb rather than efforts to attack. With 863 m of gain to grind out, patience beats aggression every time.

Gearing

Do not under-gear yourself here. An 11.68% average sustained for 7.4 km will punish a road-standard setup, and the 17.53% maximum makes a compact essential. A 34×32 is the sensible minimum for most riders, giving you a low enough ratio to spin the average grade without grinding. If you weigh more, are less climbing-fit, or simply want to protect your knees on the steepest ramps toward 1344 m, step up to a 34×34 — the extra range is invaluable on a climb where there is no flat to recover cadence. When 863 m of gain comes with almost no descent, gearing that lets you sit and spin is worth far more than raw stiffness.

Summary

Rikoti Pass is a short, savage HC climb: 7.4 km that never eases, averaging 11.68% and topping out at 17.53%. From 481 m to 1344 m, it delivers 863 m of net gain with barely a metre of descent. Respect the gradient, gear low, and pace it from the bottom.

Length: 7.4 km
Average gradient: 11.68%
Max gradient: 17.53%
Start: 481 m
Summit: 1344 m
Net gain: 863 m
Total ascent: 842 m
Category: HC