John V: Very nice picture, for gearing it is a question of fitness besides grades--if one mostly rides flats it will be harder to ride hills. I don't have a choice where I ride so I do enjoy hills except when it is so hot like yesterday at 98 degrees with no wind!
Spending the last year and a half on the beach on my fatbike really opened up my eyes to appropriate gearing. Strange to be spinning away in sand or into fierce headwinds at 6-8 mph. We're pretty flat here though within 7 miles are two sets of headlands that'll give me 800' of very good climbing in a 14 mile over and back. Grades vary from 3% to a couple of 18% pitches (
) but that fat bike gearing (22, 11-32) allows spinning up with fabulous cardio training at a knee saving pace.
Of course the fatbike weight penalty (33 pounds) and my weight penalty (
) reminds me that I'm ascending as a touring level cyclist. But it makes riding the Colnago that much sweeter. And my knees thank me.