Originally Posted by
GeoKrpan
Per the OP, "Granted, coming home is a blast. Downhill 8 miles".
Evidently it is not rolling terrain.
From the OP's more detailed description I got a different impression but I could be wrong. I'll leave it to the OP to clarify, if need be.
Mine is about 500 feet change according to googling elevation points...so I go down 200 feet in about a mile, then I'm at the river. Cross river, and start climbing 500 feet over 8 miles with a couple of miles of flat here and there. Sounds like nothing compared to your climb but again, so conditioned to 12 miles right next to the Pacific Ocean, don't think I could've gotten a flatter commute if it tried. I'm going to look into a few options. Also seems like my bike doesn't climb efficiently out of the saddle. Got a trek 520, maybe it's my Arms and legs that are noodly and not the frame....running 32s nothing too fat, good tire pressure. Going to do a few adjustments, and keep truckin!
In any case, sounds like a rider getting used to a hillier terrain, which is relative. One man's mountain maybe another man's molehill but that fact isn't going to help the first man up his mountain. Once the OP gets used to this terrain, which I'm sure he will, hopefully he'll be understanding of the next rider who comes along and wonders how he'll get up those hills he now rides easily every day.
To Rumrun- I'm in Becket at the top of a mountain I leave my front door and am hitting 40 mph within a couple of minutes without spinning the pedals. Coming home is a little tougher.
