Scheideck Pass

Overview

Scheideck Pass is a Category 4 climb in Germany, running 7.6 km from base to top. It gains 258 m of net elevation, starting at 295 m and topping out at 553 m. On paper it is a short, manageable ascent — the kind of climb you can hold at a steady tempo without the mountain length that forces conservative pacing.

The number that reshapes that picture is total ascent. While the net gain is 258 m, the total ascent is 423 m — meaning you actually climb 165 m more than the start-to-summit figure suggests. That gap is undulation: sections where the road dips or flattens before rising again. Every dip you descend, you have to reclaim. The effort is meaningfully harder than a clean 258 m pull, because the rhythm keeps breaking.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 3.41% average is close to meaningless here. Averaging in the flat and downhill sections drags the figure down and hides where the real work is — the max gradient hits 12.97%, roughly four times the average. Expect the climb to alternate between soft and sharp rather than settle into one steady grade.

• Flatter and recovery sections that pull the average down and let you spin
• Repeated short rises rather than one continuous slope
• A steepest ramp near 13% that demands you shift down and stay seated or drive over it

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chase even effort, not even speed. Hold a consistent sustainable power output across the whole ascent — let your speed rise on the flatter dips and drop on the 13% ramp, but keep the effort steady. Riders who try to hold constant speed blow up on the ramps and coast the flats, wasting the recovery. Know your ceiling before you start: use the FTP estimator to set a target, then ride the steep pitches just under it so the 165 m of hidden climbing doesn't compound into a bonk.

Gearing

The 12.97% max gradient governs your setup. That is steep enough that a standard chainset will have you grinding at low cadence when the road kicks up. Run a compact (50/34) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear gives you room to spin the steepest ramp instead of muscling it. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; you don't want to discover you're overgeared halfway up the steepest pitch.

Summary

• Length: 7.6 km
• Average gradient: 3.41%
• Maximum gradient: 12.97%
• Net elevation gain: 258 m
• Total ascent: 423 m
• Category: 4

Scheideck Pass rewards riders who read the profile rather than the average. Pace by effort, gear for the 13% ramp, and treat the 165 m of hidden climbing with respect — do that, and this short Category 4 rolls under you cleanly.