Share how you came to love the hills

[maillotpois]

I like the hills because I can always be better at them than I am now and I will never be particularly good at them. They're my weakness (long sustained climbs at any rate - rollers, I rarely even shift). But they sure as heck don't stop me.

[Veronica]

I'd rather spend an hour or two grinding up a mountain than ride the flats. I get bored on super flat rides. I like the challenge of a climb. Plus you can't have a flying descent without a good climb. Well, I guess you could, but that would be cheating.

V.

[kat_h]

Yesterday a friend was telling me about her commute. Going home each day she has 6 km of hills. I don't know the total elevation gain but it's a rough way to end the day. She said that part of what keeps her going is that right around the point where she'd love to quit there's a big ad for a gym with a picture of a person riding a stationary bike in the gym. That reminds her that she's outside actually riding a bike, instead of driving to the gym to pay to ride an exercise bike indoors.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have grown to accept hills and have a love/hate relationship with them.
I can definitely say that I love how climbing hills has changed the shape of my legs....pure vanity.

[mimitabby]

Yeah, what she said. Living where i live, i can hate hills and be miserable because they're pretty much unavoidable, or I can just treat them like what they are; part of the landscape. If i had my druthers, i'd be on a 1% grade going downhill, but if I am on a hill, i use my gears and start climbing. I love it when i find myself going faster up a hill than I usually go. But somehow I just can't bring myself to love the hills.
I love it when I'm finished with a hill. That's about as close to loving hills as I get.
The hill I loved being done with the most was Hurricane Ridge, it was 17 miles with 5200 feet of elevation gain.

[smilingcat]

Yesterday a friend was telling me about her commute. Going home each day she has 6 km of hills. I don't know the total elevation gain but it's a rough way to end the day. She said that part of what keeps her going is that right around the point where she'd love to quit there's a big ad for a gym with a picture of a person riding a stationary bike in the gym. That reminds her that she's outside actually riding a bike, instead of driving to the gym to pay to ride an exercise bike indoors.

LOL so true. When you get to the top of a hill there is a sense of accomplishement that you don't get with riding the flat. Don't think of it as conqure or be conqured. View it as something you learn to pace yourself and its there to help you with your spin.

I huff and puff my way up but I just think of the exilerating feeling at the top. Just visualize on your way up. Or at least visualize and break the hill into smaller section in your mind. To the next telephone pole, to the manhole cover, to that tree... and you can spin your way to the top.

wish you luck,
Smilingcat

[Trekhawk]

I can not say I love riding hills but I do however love living in the hills. So even when I move from one side of the world to the other I still find myself riding up hills as soon as I leave my home.

[Harley]

I live in the mountains, have always lived in mountains, I love the mountains, unless I'm riding a bike.

Short hills are fun, a short burst on energy, standing to pedal, feeling the weight of my body rocking from side to side, propelling me up in style, visions of TdF... I'm a star!!! Of course this is a hill I can see the gradual incline and top, 50yards, maybe 100 on a good day.
Otherwise I'm with Knot enjoying the flowers, strolling up the hill.

However, I have a goal... It may not be this year, but I will ride the North Cascade Highway to Washington Pass. 3500ft climb in 35 miles... Someday...

Now DOWNHILL is another story... Ooooh how I love the downhill... The ONLY reason to go UP!!!!!

[Pascale]

I'm getting used to them, but what I really hate are steep DOWNhills - they scare the heck out of me - i ride the brakes constantly (yep, i'm a chicken!)

[alpinerabbit]

Mountains - the cyclist's natural enemies - Erik Zabel

...

however, I love the feeling once I'm up, and they make you stronger. so there.