Seichereck

Overview

Seichereck is a Category 2 climb in Germany, running 6.6 km from a start elevation of 866 m to a summit at 1,340 m. The net elevation gain is 474 m, and the road holds an average gradient of 7.21% across its length. That combination puts it firmly in serious-climb territory: long enough to reward pacing discipline, steep enough on average that there is nowhere to truly switch off.

The number worth flagging is the gap between the 474 m of net gain and the 631 m of total ascent. That 157 m difference is climbing you do that the summit height never credits you for, because the road dips and rolls on the way up. Seichereck is not a single clean ramp; you pay for descents and false flats by re-climbing them. Plan your effort around 631 m of vertical work, not 474 m, or the back half will surprise you.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 7.21% average is an honest headline but a poor map. With 157 m of extra ascent hidden inside the climb, the road clearly loses and regains height, which means the sustained gradient on the climbing sections sits above the average, while brief downhills and flats drag the mean down.

• Flatter recovery pinches where the road dips or levels — short, and best used to spin, not coast.
• Repeated short climbs stacked between them, each steeper than the 7.21% average implies.
• A steepest ramp that spikes well into double digits — the pitch that sets your minimum gearing.

Pacing Notes

On a rolling climb like Seichereck, chase even effort, not even speed. Hold a steady sustainable power output and let your speed rise on the shallow pinches and drop on the steep ramps. Riders who instead defend a fixed pace tend to over-push the steep sections and blow up before the summit.

Anchor your target to a percentage of threshold rather than a pace or heart rate that lags the terrain. If you don't have a current figure, run the FTP estimator first, then set a ceiling you can hold through the re-climbs after each dip — that is where the 631 m of total ascent is really felt.

Gearing

Gearing here is governed by the steepest ramp, not the average. On a Category 2 climb with double-digit pitches, run a compact (34-tooth inner) or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — a 34×32 or 34×34 low gear keeps your cadence up when the road bites. Confirm your actual chainring and cassette before the ride; discovering you are under-geared on the steepest ramp is not a mistake you can fix mid-climb.

Summary

• Length: 6.6 km
• Average gradient: 7.21%
• Net elevation gain: 474 m
• Total ascent: 631 m
• Category: 2

Seichereck rewards riders who read the profile before the pedals turn: pace to power, gear for the steepest ramp, and account for every metre of the 631 m you actually climb.