Awesome advice all. I have tried the big rig training method, I don't have a power meter, and I also have started MTBing. The climb is 2.5km (I think), with a few sections over 10%--the only reason why it has become a point of interest is because we have started timing it. It is not really considered a climb compared to most of the roads around here, but I think mastering this will help me in my overall riding.

I would love to drop weight, but that would likely mean that I would have to drop some of the foods that I love so much! ~I'd rather just loose the competition frankly.

It seems that there is a lot of support for the effectiveness of 6-7 minute hill repeats. I'll definitely give it a go. I do also run, and I am a big proponent of the positive effects that it gives, particularly in terms of cardio improvement.

Thanks, y'all...