Originally Posted by ericgu
We have a lot of hills around here as well. You can keep your heart rate low by running a small gear or just riding more slowly (considering, of course, that too much low cadence work is a bad on the knees, especially when you're starting). Or, you can stand, but ride slowly.
I'd aim for lots of riding keeping your HR under about 85% of your 10 minute average max (I use the carmichael field test, which is a bit more precise).
Thanks again all. Can you describe more about what the Carmichael field test is?
How long should I work on my base until I begin to step things up? What is a good heart rate for base work? Thanks for all the help.