[jacksmom97]

Well, I have been increasing my distance and building my confidence on my bike...riding the trails around town and so I decided to bring my bike to the lake this weekend...well, as soon as I got on the bike and reached that first big hill, I KNEW why I never see many bike riders at the lake...lol...I need to learn about gears and how to work them. I have been reading here and learning but I am no where near being able to ride hills. I took my bike back to the lakehouse and decided to get a good long walk in...hope everonw had a good weekend!

[funetical]

Austin is covered with hills, to the point when I ride I plan to not hit to many on my way back.

[Gandalfe]

Yep, if possible front-end load those big hills. I have a half-mile near 20% uphill grade whenever I leave my house. I used to tell my friends it's 20 minutes to work 5 minutes to come home. "Who needs brakes!"

[flyingdog]

I don't mind hills, it's the mountains that will put the hurt on. Luckily..I don't do mountain roads and waaaay beyond from being too proud to walk the bike on some hills.

[funetical]

I would imagine you have tons of mountains where your at flyingdog.

[Xela]

Originally Posted by jacksmom97

Well, I have been increasing my distance and building my confidence on my bike...riding the trails around town and so I decided to bring my bike to the lake this weekend...well, as soon as I got on the bike and reached that first big hill, I KNEW why I never see many bike riders at the lake...lol...I need to learn about gears and how to work them. I have been reading here and learning but I am no where near being able to ride hills. I took my bike back to the lakehouse and decided to get a good long walk in...hope everonw had a good weekend!

Well the thread title shows you definitely got the right attitude. You'll be tearing those hills up in no time.

[flyingdog]

Originally Posted by jacksmom97

.I need to learn about gears and how to work them.

Well...just the fact you used the word "learn", says your waaay ahead of many.

[photosbymark]

Well and you are not too proud to laugh at yourself. Two suggestions. 1. It never hurts a thing to walk a bike up a hill if you have to. Yeah it takes a little longer, but the ride down hill is just as fun. Just don't let the hill stop you.

2. Always enjoy the journey.

If you are in Austin, just be prepared for the usual "Hey Lance Armstrong" while you are walking up the hill. How you wave back is up to you. lol

[JK13]

Haha! Been there, done that! Actually, last weekend we went on a ride with some friends that included a hill I haven't done in nearly a year (just because I haven't gone that way). There was all this talk about the hill leading up to it...how big it is, how we need to keep our speed up on the down hill leading up to it (flying dog - we were going south on Cherry Creek Trail into the reservoir - that hill from the golf course to the dam). I remembered there was a hill there, but it had been so long that I didn't really recall how "bad" it was. Well, I climbed Dinosaur Ridge followed by Red Rocks (to the amphitheater) the weekend before. This hill didn't have nothing for me!!!
Last year it had me - not last week.

[georgec]

As said before there is no hills where I live the closest thing I have to a hill is a tall overpass over some railroad tracks here in town, so last Saturday I included that in my morning ride. All I can say is I am glad there wasn't another one on the other side of it. You guys and gals that ride in the hills are way ahead of me.