Oh yes, it does get better, and what a feeling!! I live in easter Pa, so there's nothing but rolling hills in my ride. Even if it LOOKS flat, it never is! This spring, my heart used to just about come out of my chest at any incline, and if anyone could have heard my breathing, they would have dialed 911. So I walked when I had to. But I didn't give up, and my lungs and legs are so much stronger. I often switch between standing and sitting - standing seems to let my heart catch up a for a few beats.