Hi,

I live in Pennsylvania -- Penn's HILL vania.

Here's what I did. Go to a bike shop that will refit a road bike with a hybrid bike's gears. EG: get a Raleigh gran sport, a typical entry level road bike. Then refit the gears with a mountain bike system -- Shimano Tiagra (9-speed) moves also with a Shimano LX (mountain bike) rear derailleur. If you use a compact crank (50 / 34) put the LX rear derailleur on the bike and put on the mountain bike 12-34 9-speed Shimano cassette. The chain needs to be longer.

So change the rear derailleur, chain, cassette and you get a hilly goat of a little road bike.