Originally Posted by
LarDasse74
'If it hurts in your legs shift to an easier gear; if it hurts in your lungs shift to a harder gear; if hurts in your legs and your lungs slow down.'
Spot on advice! The biggest key to success, at least for me, is to keep my HR out of the "red" zone. Most of the climbs I do are short (3-4mi) and steep (6-8% average grade). If my HR gets too high, it's very difficult to ease off enough to get any appreciable recovery. I find that a slightly more difficult gear and slightly lower (~70rpm) cadence seem to work well for the most part.