... plus, if you don't already have one, get a triple. I did the same thing as Hermes, moved up here from LA, and I thought I was a good hill climber (with a double). Then, I climbed one hill, Quimby, that got me to walk my bike up a hill. That was demoralizing. Later that day, I went to the bike shop, ordered my triple, and have been riding that ever since.