Quote Originally Posted by KSH
OH... PS... about the climbing reference... since I have no clue how/when to change gears... that might be an issue too.
While climbing, change to a lower gear BEFORE you absolutely NEED to. Anticipate the climb, look ahead. What you don't want to do is power partway up the hill and then - poof - out of energy, you're done. I see so many new riders do this. They charge the hill, fly by me, and then die and I ride by at about the same pace I started out on. Better to have some energy left at the top and pick up the pace than to start too quickly. Pacing is SO important.
When you're learning, it's better to use lower gears, let your knees and muscles and ligaments and tendons become accustomed to the extra work. You then have a base to build on without causing yourself injury.

Good luck with the new fitting. Hope It helps.

annie