Schloffereck cycling climb profile
Schloffereck is a category 2 Austrian climb that sits in the awkward middle ground between controlled tempo and genuine climbing test. At 10.4 km with an average gradient of 5.09%, it is not defined by one savage number. It is defined by duration. The climb starts at 417 m and tops out at 949 m, gaining 532 m from bottom to summit, so the work accumulates steadily rather than arriving as a short punch.
The key detail is the maximum gradient of 11.59%. That is more than double the average, which tells you the average does not describe the full riding experience. A rider who treats Schloffereck as a simple 5% climb risks getting pulled over threshold when the steeper sections arrive, especially if they have already settled into a gear that only works on the easier parts.
How the gradient rides
The available profile data gives the big picture rather than a metre-by-metre gradient trace, so the exact location of the steepest ramp should not be overclaimed. What the numbers do make clear is the shape of the effort: long enough to punish early enthusiasm, moderate enough to invite overpacing, and irregular enough to require a gear that can handle gradients up to 11.59%.
From the start elevation of 417 m, the climb asks for patience. The average gradient sits at 5.09%, which is a paceable number for a trained rider, but the summit is still 10.4 km away. That combination usually rewards a smooth, aerobic approach rather than repeated accelerations. The summit elevation of 949 m is not the tactical point by itself. The tactical point is that the elevation gain is spread across enough road for small mistakes to compound.
Pacing and gearing notes
Ride Schloffereck by effort, not ego. The cleanest strategy is to start slightly below your sustainable climbing power, then let the climb come to you. If you use /glossary/ftp as your reference, avoid turning the early kilometres into a threshold test unless you are specifically racing the climb.
A few practical rules work well here:
- Open conservatively because 10.4 km is long enough for early surges to matter.
- Keep a climbing gear available for the 11.59% maximum gradient, even if the average feels comfortable.
- Avoid grinding too early. A low-cadence effort on the steepest pitch will cost more if it comes after several kilometres of tempo.
- Use the steadier sections to reset breathing and cadence rather than to chase speed.
Schloffereck is not a climb that should scare a prepared rider, but it does demand respect. The average gradient makes it look manageable. The length and maximum gradient are what make it selective.