I concur with Jet Travis regarding short goals. Telephone poles, which are typically spaced 1/32 mile = 165 ft = 50.3m apart, make great goals. Also, watch for false summits, i.e., switchback turns which fool you into thinking that you have reached the top, only to round the bend into a 12% upward grade.

Red rider's round-the-clock pedaling tip, i.e.,, using the upstroke, is also spot-on. If you don't pull up with yoru trailing leg, you can actually end up fighting yourself a bit, particularly when standing ("dancing on the pedals").