Will this hill ever get easier?

[Grog]

I agree that it will get easier over time. However, how long it will take for it to become easier also depends on how much you are riding more generally. Do you ride in other circumstances than going to work? Is there any way you could build toward slightly longer rides? It will help you improve as well. But you have to be very patient. Don't give up!

[Looeez]

I don't drive so I ride when going on errands, shopping and going to the swimming pool. However, none of these trips are particularly long and even when they add up in one day to 15-25 miles or so they're usually broken up with stops along the way. I probably need to push myself a bit more on these trips.

As for zig-zagging, well the first graph is when I zig-zag. The big hill I have to go up is North but the roads going off it to the East and West go up hills on either side too. I dread it! but at least it's over near the start.

[staceysue]

The hills that were so daunting when I started "serious" cycling in September don't even phase me now. I remember at the beginning, though, I had to play games with myself. Games make it easier for me. First, I'd try to only look a few feet ahead of my bike and see how far I got before I gave up and looked to the top of the hill. That was a fun game. Then I'd do little rhythmic things with the pedals - like pedal for 7 counts and then coast "left right left right left right left . . . . coast . . . . right left right left right left right . . . . coast" over and over again. Then I'd count how many times I had to pedal to get to the top. My rule was "if the bike's not falling over, I'm going fast enough."

Keep it up! You can do it!