Put the bike in low gear and "let her eat."

One additional point about relaxing. If you relax your hands, your shoulders, and your mouth, the rest of your body will follow. Being relaxed prevents wasted energy. Most people do their best climbing with hands on the bar-top; rest them loosely there. You'll be pushing pretty hard, and so there will be little if any downward pressure on your hands.

Almost my system. If the hill is steep enough then be in granny at the bottom. Don't speed up into the hill and just find the comfortable gear on the rear casette. Then when it gets hard change down- Harder still change down again- still hard then down and down until no more gears- Still hard- then slow down. Works for me every time.

BUT- There is a Cadence problem you have to learn. If you pedal too fast and your lungs hurt- then cadence is too high so change up a gear or so to a higher gear. If it is your legs that are hurting then Change to a lower gear to spin a bit faster. There is that balance between the legs and lungs that will get you up most hills.If it is lungs and Legs- then change to a lower gear and slow down. Slow enough already and no gears- then tough it out and suffer- there won't be much of the hill left and a bit of pain is not a problem.

But the only way to get comfortable on hills to start on the easy ones and progress upwards. 5 years ago I went road with far higher gearing on the bike than I had used before. Started with the 8% slopes- then the 10 %- then the long 10% and gradually worked my way up to the 16% basket. Still don't like that one but as a challenge I do it a few times a year.

(63)I run the same triple on my road bike as my touring bike ,
50/40/24.. , no house and K sink aboard,
lowest just not a 34t cog on the back, a 28t instead.

ziggy zaggy across the road to make your own switchbacks if it gets too steep.

A good way to make sure you aren't gripping the bar too tightly while sitting and climbing is to wiggle your fingers as if you are typing or playing a keyboard.

You might have visions of being able to climb like Lance or Contador but it is not going to happen no matter how much you train. My goal when I started back into cycling was to make it to the top regardless of how slow. There are always going to be cyclists that can climb better. It takes time to reach your "climbing rhythm". On my first group ride I had to stop and push the bike up the last third of a pretty steep hill and I was using a bike with a triple chain ring. Thought I was going to croak. Don't get discouraged.

Yeah, what's up with that? The other day I was climbing Ramsey Hill, a very steep, short hill that's reknowned in the area (it must be 14%?). On a good day, I can muster 7-8 MPH. This young racer guy went bouncing past me at what had to be 11-12 MPH and I thought, "He must be a different species or something...."

In my case, it would be because my body, bones, muscles, internal organs, heart, skin, brain, lungs, etc., all have about 50 more years of wear and tear and wearing down than that 21 year old sprinting past.

Nope, you won't get an argument from me; that's precisely what it takes, in that order.
Folks around here seem to acknowledge me as a Better-Than-Average climber. Whenever they ask me how I do it, I tell them "force of will."

I guess we all have different backgrounds but I have always been active in athletic endeavor so consider 1 and 2 a given. Why else would I be there?

On long hills, say over 5 miles and 8 to 10% grades, be content that there is a place in heaven for those who ride bikes in that terrain. On milder terrain such as coastal Rhode Island and coastal Massachusetts, the rewards are to be had in the near future. As I've gotten stronger over the last year and a half, I'm able to dance on the pedals on these shorter hills of several hundred yards. It is amazing that nearly the same speed as on level ground can be maintained. On long rides, I'm very conservative about energy expenditure but on the shorter rides I'm a playboy on a bike (an old one).

Some technique always helps but like everything else in life, if we do it often and do it like we mean it, we get better at it. When we are better at it, it is a rewarding experience - it just takes a while to get to that point.

Uh, yeah, no argument...but let's remember the OP is 63 and none of us here on the 'net has given him a physical evaluation. "Riding through pain" is not the same great idea it was when we were 19. If your knees, or God forbid, your chest hurts, ixnay on the "determination" and "perseverance" until you modify your training, technique and/or quite possibly your equipment.

Thats right. I sometimes alternate with holding on to the hoods or bars with only two or three fingers. Not so much when climbing, though. THi sis more of a straightaway technique.
I also add to every climb intervals where I honk on the pedals, ie, I raise up off the seat, bend forward on my elbows and push hard into the pedals. Ill do this for 20-30 counts and then sit back. Think of how the pro's climb hills and you get the idea. Repeat as necessary.
NOTE: This doesn't work well in the low, "granny" gears, as it requires the resistance delivered by the more midrange gears. But it helps break up the monotony of the climb and adds another subtle layer of conditioning.

Another way occasionally standing during a climb helps is to keep your speed up enough to allow spinning at a higher cadence. When I notice my cadence dropping in the gear I want to use on a hill (sometimes the lowest, other times not), I will shift up a gear or two and stand, using my weight to help accelerate a bit. After a short time I'll sit back down and shift down to a gear I can spin and try to maintain some of the faster speed.

Also don't grasp the bars with your thumbs underneath. The energy you expend is wasted. Just rest your fingers on top of the bars (unless you are on rough ground which requires more control).

The best advice I can give, is just to do them. Just like riding, it will get easier and easier.

Although I'm not in the 50+ group (I'm 34), I'm new to climbing, and I'm a heavyweight (~280lb). I just wanted to thank all of you for the tips provided in this thread.

Over the past few weeks, I've been tackling a hill in my neighborhood that I'd never thought I'd even come close to completing. When I started, I could only make it up about 150' elevation (100' of ~18% grade). Then I made it up 250'. I could hardly catch my breath. A few days later, I was determined to climb over this 'little' hill. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the top (1 mile) of the 650' summit, but I finally made it. In the past week or so, I've done it 3 times, and it's getting easier each time. I'll have to employ some of the methods in this thread to help me do laps or at least continue to climb higher instead of simply making the small loop.

Um, exactly where in there do you see "Riding through pain" or that I advise continuing in the face of chest or knee pain?

Before you go putting words in my mouth, get your reading glasses on and go back and re-read what I actually wrote.

The first paragraph describes what I mean by determination and perseverance:

Nowhere have I said or implied--in this thread or in any other--that one should ignore signs of any injury--minor, serious or life-threatening--and just keep riding. That's plain stupid. Even if the OP was 19 instead of 63.

One thing that keeps me going on terribly hard climbs when I really want to stop is the certain knowledge that I would never be able to walk up the hill in my Sidi shoes and SPD-SL cleats. :rolleyes:

At 50+, I know better than to try to have a discussion with someone who wants to misunderstand.

All of the above and one more tip. Stay hydrated. Before tackling a long or a tough climb, take a few sips. There's nothing worse than getting a cramp in the middle of a climb.

And yeah, I've passed people on hills while doing 12-15 mph still seated. Just keep at it. At the beginning of the year I would have totally bonked on the same hills.

No argument, but it seems you were trying to totally discredit tsl.

Did the "No argument" part of the sentence modify the rest?

In real life, this seems like ordinary old imperfect communication.