I ride a compact, and ride mostly in my big ring up front...even for a small climb. I don't live in a particularly hilly area, although most of my routes do involve some steeper hills that require me to drop down to the small ring. There are even a few hills, that require me to be in my lowest gear and just spin my heart out just to make it up to the top. Climbing is not my forte, so I try to focus on staying seated, sitting up nice, tall, and relaxed, taking in lots of oxygen, and just spinning at a higher cadence until the hill flattens out. But there are a few hills I encounter, where staying seated simply won't cut it...and for those I'll come out of the saddle.