I think the best you can is intervals. I'm not really one to advise anyone on training, but basically alternate all-out sprinting efforts on and off. Try short intervals and long intervals. Google interval training for some plans.

For short, steep hills, I'll usually shift to a gear like 48x20, and get out of the saddle, and try to maintain about 15mph. But for me, this only works for things like freeway overpasses, etc...6% grade for 1/8 mile or so. Longer hills, I'll drop to the lower chain ring (34t) and find the cog that works best for the hill I'm climbing, in order to keep my cadence up, and not lose too much momentum.

LOL saw a guy on the monster group ride the other night on a FG with a 30-something front ring, maybe even smaller. He was having to pedal MAD fast just to keep up on the flats!

All my bikes are road bikes, long hills I am going to stand up, shorter hills I sit down. Not too many hills in my 26 RT commute.

By the way, your 27 mile round trip IMO, is about average for all us commuters.. I know I will get corrected if am wrong..

I'll bet it was darned cartoonish on the downhills. I was spinning at 140 RPM a couple times during yesterday's group ride.

I start by taking a good chug of water, which, psychologically or not, gives me a huge burst of energy. Then I straighten my body up and spread my shoulders to allow the air to circulate smoothly in and out of my lungs. Next, if it's a really huge hill, I psych myself up to get HALFWAY up it so that, when I reach the halfway point, I only need to psych myself up for an additional half-a-hill. Finally, I put on a huge smile, which loosens me up and somehow adds some umff to my stride. If I'm still feeling tense or stiff, I take both hands off the bars and proceed to take the hill as if I'm not at all phased by it. This final phase SOMETIMES works, but sometimes just makes me look like a jerk riding no-hands.

Ultimately, whether I feel like a big shot right after climbing the hill or not, the hill wins...somehow!

Depends if the hill is small I'll stand up and petal all the way to the top. If its a large hill ill still try to petal to the top. But it its a steep hip then I'm going to shift to a high gear and petal to the top.

Depends on the hill.

But a little waving side to side keeps me from downshifting on the geared bike.
On the fixed gear I try to stay at 40 rpms on the bridges ... about 12 miles per hour so I don't burn out.

This suits me as well. When riding my SS I will try to add speed before I hit the rise just to have some momentum, then drop into my normal flat cadence. I carry that cadence as long as I can and standing helps. I find that the hills are much easier to handle, that way.

My normal commuter has a 2 speed hub. My experience with it is that for shorter hills, it seems much easier to use high gear in SS manner. for the longer hills, I generally will shift early and just spin up. With a 2 speed hub, there is a big step between low and high, and the overall range is a compromise anyway, i.e. high is too low, and low is too high).

-G