Originally Posted by
ptle
So I've been commuting for almost two years now. I really like it. It's fun, faster, and saves me gas. Also, it keeps me in shape during the winter (along with mountain biking). None of my regular commutes are longer than 5 miles and usually have less than 125 feet in total elevation gain spread out through the entire commute.
You've just been lucky so far to get that much of a route in Knoxville without any more climb than that. My 6-mile commutes from the East Knox to downtown range from 330 to 430 feet of climb depending on route. It's weird how quickly you adapt to the new demands. I used to ride 2 miles to Old North and had something I considered a hill on that route. Now that barely feels like a ride and sometimes I ride up and along a ridge just for the views. I know a guy who's commuting from Old North out to Cedar Bluff an hour and a half each way who probably doesn't think much of my ride anymore.
Pace yourself and get enough gears that you're spinning up that hill and not frying your knees. The upside of doing that in August is that you'll have a shower waiting for you at the end. The downside of doing it in February is that you won't have a chance to warm up before that downhill wind hits you.