Originally Posted by
knotty
Thanks guys, I'm starting again from a long, 15 year layoff and hills are giving me an unusually hard time, I can make it but much slower and lower gearing, same bike.
Besides being older, I guess, the biggest difference is the body weight. I'm still 15-20 pounds heavier today, but losing it rapidly and already lost 50, about 11 inches off the waist!
Most likely it's also fitness. You probably don't have the cardiovascular fitness you had 15-years ago. Your power-output is less as a result. And losing 50-lbs would've lost some muscle and power at the same time as well. On the hills, it really comes down to power-to-weight ratio.