Lucke

Lucke cycling climb profile

Lucke is a short, controlled category 4 climb: 1.8 km at an average gradient of 4.54%, rising from 275 m to 357 m for 82 m of net elevation gain. On paper, that makes it less of a decisive mountain test and more of a rhythm climb - the kind of ascent where the main risk is not the gradient itself, but riding it too hard because it never looks intimidating.

The key number is the relationship between the average gradient and the maximum gradient. With the climb averaging 4.54% and topping out at 5.22%, Lucke does not appear to hide a severe ramp or a late wall. The profile is defined by steadiness. The road may still feel different depending on wind, surface, and where the gradient nudges upward, but the data points toward a climb that stays within a narrow effort band from bottom to summit.

How the gradient unfolds

The start at 275 m gives you a low-speed transition into the climb, but the modest average means there is no obvious need to attack the opening meters. Over 1.8 km, a rider who goes immediately above threshold will not have long enough to completely implode, but they will likely pay for it in the final part if the road holds near the upper end of its gradient range.

Because the maximum is only 5.22%, the hardest sections should feel like a firm seated grind rather than a gear-breaking pitch. That matters tactically. On steeper climbs, pacing is often dictated by the road. On Lucke, the rider has more control. If the effort spikes, it is likely coming from the rider, not from the terrain.

Pacing and gearing notes

For most trained riders, Lucke is best treated as a sustained aerobic-to-threshold effort rather than a climb that demands repeated surges. Settle early, keep cadence smooth, and avoid treating the shallow opening feel as permission to over-pace.

Practical approach:

• Start slightly under target power for the first portion, then build once breathing and cadence are stable.
• Stay seated unless a short change in gradient or road feel makes standing useful for comfort.
• Use a gear that lets you hold cadence without grinding, since the maximum gradient does not justify overly defensive gearing.
• If using /glossary/ftp as a pacing anchor, the climb suits a steady percentage-based effort better than a punchy, variable one.

Lucke is not a climb that wins through severity. It rewards discipline. The fastest ride will usually come from keeping the effort clean, resisting unnecessary accelerations, and using the final stretch only after the climb has shown that there is no sharper sting waiting above.