Here's the biggest hill on my commute. According to Google Earth a 10ft gain over 1300ft, max slope of 1.5% !!!

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=275411

What used to be "hills" when I started commuting have quickly become small "rollers" or "inclines" that I actually kinda look forward to.

I have 2 "hills", one in Prospect Park, about a 3.5% grade, the other the Manhattan Bridge. I've taken the Prospect Park hill at 20mph a few times, but in the morning on the commute I take it easy so I don't get sweaty. The Manhattan Bridge will also get me sweaty if I don't take it somewhat easy, but it can't be more than 3%. On the way home I'll either take it as fast as I can, or just gently spin it. It depends on what kind of day I had. I get to go down the hill in the park, and the uphill on the streets isn't very steep.

You know you live in flatland when a bridge is considered a hill. :lol:

On my last commute I had one hill that averaged about 17% and peaked at 20% at the top. It was only 80 feet or so of climbing, but in a year an a half of commuting I never did get used to it. And in winter with the ice on it, it was dangerous. Coming back at night it was a fierce little road, houses and lots of opportunities for cars to pull out with a stop sign at the bottom. You didn't have the time to enjoy the hill.

Here in Atlanta we have a lot of short steep hills that really wear you down after a while. Thankfully, some of the older "unimproved" roads run along ridges or valleys. But a lot of the newer roads where designed with cars in mind and simply go up and over. There's one hill on my way back from the library that's so steep I have to lean over the bars to keep the front wheel on the ground.

Almost everywhere Ive commuted has serious hillage.
The only thing that works for me is developing a mindset that enables confronting them. It could be Florida, right ?!?!? :cry:
Mind over matter. Takes a while, but is more efficient than gears and stuff in the end, for me, anyway . . . :beer:

Older thread about bridge grades in NYC

3.5% is listed for the Manhattan Bridge before it levels out after the tower, and that's about 1/2 a mile. It isn't a killer hill by any means, but it is still a slog up it when you are trying to stay dry.

No hills in Houston either. I've been here 3 years. I actually miss hills. Oh well, there's always wind.