Climb Gradient and VAM Calculator (Cycling and Running)

How to use the Climb Gradient and VAM Calculator (Cycling and Running)

1. Choose metric or imperial units.
2. Enter the length of the climb and the height you gain.
3. Add your time to see VAM, climbing speed and time.
4. Compare climbs by gradient, and efforts by VAM.

Example

Worked example (8 km climb, 520 m, 55 minutes)

• Average gradient: 6.5%, which the tool calls steep (6% to 10%)
• VAM: 567 m/h
• Climbing speed: 8.7 km/h

Limitations

• Average gradient hides steep and flat sections. A climb averaging 6% may have 12% ramps.
• GPS elevation is often noisy, so gain from a device can differ from the published figure.
• VAM is affected by wind, drafting and bike weight, so it is a rough comparison.
• Not linked to any activity tracking service.

Sources

About this tool

The Climb Gradient and VAM Calculator turns the length and height gain of a climb into its average gradient, and with your time it gives your climbing speed in metres of ascent per hour, called VAM. Cyclists use VAM to compare climbs and efforts, because it stays comparable across different gradients. Enter distance and elevation in kilometres and metres, or in miles and feet.

Also searched for as: average gradient calculator, vam calculator, climbing rate calculator, hill gradient percent, elevation gain to gradient, vertical ascent meters per hour.

Climb Gradient and VAM Calculator (Cycling and Running) is part of ToolStack Hub's Calculators. It runs entirely in your browser, which keeps your data private and makes results instant. There is nothing to install and no account to create. There is no usage limit.

Frequently asked questions