I'm not real worried about the climbing now. I was on vacation then but I actually live in the Texas panhandle. Which just happens to be one of the absolute flattest places in the us. The only hills around here are the highway overpasses. I am just trying to learn the pro's and con's of the different set ups. Has anyone had any experience with the Bruce gorden BLT. It seems to be a nice bike for a good price. Is there anything that compares to it in the same price range?