I am curious, what is the gearing on your current bike? You may be able to change your gearing to help with the hills. However, it may not be cost-effective to invest in a Pacific-brand bike.

Persistence pays off too. Five years ago, I was in terrible shape and could not even climb the hill to my home. I kept at it though, and rode a lot, and I made marked improvement. I'm still not in the best of shape, but I'm tons better than when I began.