Quote Originally Posted by SJCzar
I am exactly the same way. My legs never (almost never) give out, but by the time I get to the top of a good hill I'm really gasping.

I had to go for a stress-echo heart test last month and the techs told me it was fun to have someone who they could keep turning the speed up on and still not reach their max heart rate. They finally gave me a break when my breathing became too difficult. My heart rate had still not reached the point they were hoping for. This confirmed for me that all this cycling definitely has health benefits, even if I don't feel so athletic by the time I get to the top of a good hill. I'll have to try to concentrate more on my breathing and see if I can improve in that area as well.
SJ i am glad you brought this up. for some of us (age!!!) there is a max
beyond which we should not go heartwise. Some of my fellow bikers have
been told by their doctors not to go above a certain rate..