I'm wondering if walking would be a better choice, as you would get exercise both ways, rather than just coasting and braking all the way to work. Is there a section where you can take stairs up part of the hill? On a really steep hill walking is easier than biking because you can go as slow as you want and you only have to move your own weight, not the weight of the bike too. Five hundred feet is like climbing up 50 storeys. It would be easier to walk up without carrying the bike too!