Stubeggsattel

Overview

Stubeggsattel is a Category 1 climb in Austria that runs 6.8 km from a start elevation of 641 m to a summit at 1,240 m. Over that distance it delivers a net elevation gain of 599 m at an average gradient of 8.82%. This is a serious, sustained effort: any climb averaging close to 9% for the better part of 7 km sits firmly in the range where pacing and gearing decide whether you finish strong or blow up.

The number to watch, though, is the gap between net gain and total ascent. You gain 599 m net, but the total ascent is 640 m — roughly 41 m of climbing that gets erased by short descents or flatter recovery sections along the way. That undulation means the road is not a clean, steady drag. You will keep re-accelerating out of dips and back into gradient, and each of those transitions costs more than the raw metres suggest.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 8.82% average is deceptive. Because 41 m of the climbing is offset by descents, the ramps that actually count are steeper than the average implies — and the profile peaks at a punishing 26.45% maximum gradient. That single figure tells you the road throws walls at you, not gentle drags.

Expect the following across the profile:

• Short flatter or recovery sections that briefly drop the gradient and let you spin
• Repeated re-engagement onto steep pitches after each dip, breaking any rhythm
• A steepest ramp hitting 26.45% — a wall that will force you out of the saddle or into your easiest gear

Pacing Notes

On an undulating climb like this, chase even effort, not even speed. Trying to hold a constant km-per-hour will spike you deep into the red on the 26.45% wall and let you coast on the flatter recovery sections — exactly backwards. Instead, meter your sustainable power output and let your speed rise and fall with the terrain: ease slightly before the steepest ramps so you have headroom to absorb them, and use the flatter breaks to recover rather than surge.

If you do not know your ceiling, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you go. On a 6.8 km climb at 8.82% average, holding a touch below threshold on the sustained sections leaves you the matches to survive the pitches.

Gearing

The steepest gradient governs your setup, and 26.45% is steep enough to demand it. Run a compact (50/34) or, better, a sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 at minimum. That gives you a bailout gear low enough to keep the cranks turning on the wall instead of grinding to a torque-limited stall. Check your setup before the ride: confirm your rear derailleur can handle the largest sprocket and that the chain is long enough. Discovering you are over-geared halfway up a 26% ramp is not recoverable.

Summary

• Length: 6.8 km
• Average gradient: 8.82%
• Maximum gradient: 26.45%
• Net elevation gain: 599 m
• Total ascent: 640 m
• Category: 1

Stubeggsattel is a short but severe Category 1 test where the average gradient understates the challenge. Pace to power, gear for the wall, and respect the undulation — the extra 41 m of climbing is where riders unravel.