1) Remove your spedometer
2) Add clipless pedals
3) eat half a snickers bar
4) gear down
5) Spin, spin, spin your way to the top
6) repeat 1-5 until no longer necessary

There's a real steep hill smack in between my house all the action (work, downtown, etc). On the days that I feel tired, gimpy, or hungover, and dread climbing that hill, I just think about all the cars I'll pass when I burn down in in the opposite direction during rush hour.

This is what I do... plus I have a very low gear. Learned to do this when cyclo touring and climbing mountains when fully loaded. There is not much else you can do... may as well get used to it.

On my daily commutes I use these long minutes on the hills to just reflect on the day. I do not GRIND up the hills, but focus on spinning. I save my workouts for the faster flats where it is more fun.

Just looked at this thread again and this time took note of your user name- bbuddha.

You've had the answer all along, Dorothy. Long climbs and headwinds are an exercise of the mind as well as the body.

This hill is your chance to be the buddha. don't think about getting to the top, don't think about time, don't think about speed, don't compare yourself to other riders or even yourself on another day, release yourself of desire and just be in the moment. feel those lungs sucking in all that air, your body working at it's maximum, feel what it means to be fully alive and present. the fact that you've got an opportunity to have that experience and practice that discipline once a day is worth it's weight in gold.

ps. and drink some water before the climb and dump the rest on your head 1/2 way up the climb.

I noticed this after my post as well...

Do not ride up the hill. Rather, let it roll beneath you...going down.

mostly bad advice on first page, IMO...

I imagine you have some stress going up a flight of stairs from biking so much... its why you made it up the hill the first tries, but its harder now.

1. On hard hills, your walking speed is as fast as 40 rpm at 26 gear inches (1:1), so if you can't pedal any faster, get off and walk.

2. breaking yourself on the last hill can add a full day's recovery time easy to the next time you can ride... so only attempt it when you know you won't ride for a few days. Go ahead and step off the bike midway through the hill with some energy still left... try to make it 20 feet past the last time on every attempt.

3. If you have a heavy bike, or weigh a bit, the following technique works well for me, and uses your bike's momentum energy to your advantage. Start in the strongest possible gear on your middle chainring while on the flat part leading into the hill, and pedal as fast as you can. Shift into a lower gear whenever you drop below 80 rpm. Cross over to the small crank around 3rd gear. If I can't maintain rpms well over 60, I get off and walk. -- If you are hauling a lot of weight, you can't accelerate uphill.

Thanks for all the good advice. You guys have really rejuvenated my spirits and cracked me up.

I should have originally posted that equipment-wise I am fine. Thanks to previous posts here I have a touring bike with toe clips that I modified with an even smaller chainring and skinnier tires. Before that I was doing the walk of shame before I even got halfway up the hill.

I have to agree with those of you that have said that it’s mostly a mental thing. I thought that by now the hill would be a piece of cake but since it hasn’t I thought something was wrong. I now realize that I’m not riding up the hill like I was at the beginning. I’m usually in a higher gear and don’t have to resort to the granny gear near as often.

So here’s my new game plan. On days when I feel full of energy: charge up it like a bat out of hell. On days where I don’t have as much gumption: take my time, rest before I head up, rest halfway up, drink lots of water…and oh, yeah do that think about perky breasts thing

After all it would be a real shame for me to bail out on this hill. How many other people get to ride through two golf courses, past two waterfalls, up to a canyon rim trail with spectacular views of a winding river 550 feet below you, and finally underneath a bridge where more-often-than-not I get to watch base jumpers fling themselves into the air?

Do what you can, and if you have to hop off and walk the last bit, you've still done better than if you drove.

You'll get better at the hill following the advice people have given here. BTW, you'll enjoy it more if you don't try to "force" your way to the top. Alternate standing and spinning. When you are standing, don't stomp on the pedals, just walk on them. When sitting, switch a couple gears lower.

One thing that will help is if you can ride with other people sometimes. If you could see how much you are improving, I think you'd have more fun.

I have a commute that is only 6 kilometers - but it is technical trail (roads here in Costa Rica would qualify as double track) and rises about 300 meters - and most of the rise is in about 1 1/2 kilometer.

Just started doing it - and I don't make the top - yet, but I suspect I will. If there were no rocks, I might. But, I am glad of them, it increases the intensity of the ride, otherwise, real soon, the ride will not be enough. Well, I can always keep going another 9 kilometers to the top of the mountains and bomb back down... but, for now, this is more than enough challenge.

Since I am 47, I figure I have nothing to prove, if I need to stop, I do. Honestly, I figure anything faster than walking is a plus. And sometimes, I am going a LOT faster than a walk.

Surviving a hill is enough - and eventually - learning to enjoy. I totally agree, don't let yourself get blown - gear down before you are suffering - and if you can't gear down enough - either get lower gears - or just walk a bit. The benefit you get in riding most of the hill is better than not riding it at all.

Until I heard about the base jumpers I was thinking about alternate routes even if they are a lot longer. When you have conquered the "Hill" get a trailer and offer to haul the jumpers gear back up to the bridge .

Love your sig