On Climbing Hills…

The nuts and bolts:
Once upon a time I would climb hills using brut force never going to my lowest gears. I would stand, throw myself on the pedals, and use my arms much like a sculler using both arms and legs. But that was twenty years ago and a lot of muscle has swirled under the dam since then. Nowadays I use the lowest of gears while trying to maintain a comfortable, stainable, cadence. Of course the real test will be when I return to Basstown Bald. The last time I made the climb was eighteen years ago. On that climb I had to dismount twice, at the one mile post and again at the two mile post. It was my last big climb before Chron’s disease really caught up with me. Since then bicycle riding has been difficult to impossible. The disease has taken away a chunk of my active life but I now feel like perhaps I can do it again even if I have to dismount from time to time, so be it. I have moved away from the idea of climbing being a physical test to it being a test of cunning and will. I am for sure older lets see if I am any smarter!