Überschall

Overview

Überschall is a Category 1 climb in Austria, packed into just 4 km of road. It gains 428 m of net elevation, lifting you from a start at 676 m to a summit at 1104 m. For a climb this short, that is a serious amount of vertical, and it earns its category the hard way: through relentless steepness rather than length.

The total ascent is 440 m against a net gain of 428 m, a difference of 12 m. That small gap tells you the road is not a clean, one-directional grind — there are brief dips or false flats where you give back a little height before clawing it straight back. On a climb this steep, even 12 m of undulation breaks your rhythm and forces repeated re-accelerations that cost more than the raw numbers suggest.

How the Gradient Unfolds

The 10.72% average is punishing on its own, but it hides how uneven the road is. Averages smooth over the pitches that actually hurt: with a maximum gradient of 27.73%, there are ramps here more than double the mean, and the "easy" sections only feel easy by comparison.

Across the 4 km, expect:

• Short flatter or recovery sections where the road eases and you can briefly reset your breathing
• Repeated short climbs that stack steep ramps back-to-back rather than one continuous wall
• The steepest ramp at 27.73%, where staying seated becomes nearly impossible and traction matters

Pacing Notes

Do not chase an even speed on Überschall — the undulation makes that a trap. Holding constant speed means spiking your power on every steep ramp and coasting on the dips, which will blow you up early. Instead, pace to an even effort, letting your speed rise and fall with the gradient while your output stays controlled.

Anchor that effort to your sustainable power output and hold a shade below it on the flatter sections so you have headroom for the 27.73% pitches. If you do not know your number yet, run the FTP estimator before you commit to a target.

Gearing

Gearing is governed by the steepest gradient, not the average, and 27.73% dictates the setup. Bring a compact or sub-compact chainset paired with a wide-range cassette — think 34×32 or 34×34 at minimum. On the steepest ramps you want a gear low enough to keep cadence up while seated, because standing repeatedly at that pitch will drain you fast. Check your chainset and cassette before the ride; you cannot fix an over-geared bike halfway up a wall like this.

Summary

• Length: 4 km
• Average gradient: 10.72%
• Maximum gradient: 27.73%
• Net elevation gain: 428 m
• Total ascent: 440 m
• Category: 1

Überschall is short enough to see the top from early on, and steep enough that the view never gets any friendlier. Pace to effort, gear low, and respect the ramps.