Quote Originally Posted by Little Lyon View Post
Thanks for all the tips ladies. I have actually never tried doing a lower gear...I just try to get up the hill as hard and fast as possible to get it over with...
Yeah, that was my mistake when I started riding. After I learned how to fully use all 20 gears(I have double), riding became a lot more easier. On hills I can spin at 75 to 80 or little more cadence, but my legs don't hurt. I go about 7 to 9 mph going uphill. It gets better.

Like the above poster - if you use a hard gear and "mash" it up, you WILL be sore and exhausted. Go to your LBS to show you how to use the gears...then you'll be doing more miles. :-)

If you're looking for safer bike roads, some towns have a bike map that has bike paths on paved road (Las Vegas has it), or you can look for one on mapmyride.com and see if they have beginner's ride or loops. For example, Las Vegas has several loop areas that's roughly 2 to 6 miles, yet, it's very safe for cyclists and you can loop around as many as you want.

Lastly, enjoy the ride!