Another way of dealing with insulin resistance besides starving (literally) is an increase in lean muscle mass. New muscle tissue takes years to become insulin resistant. I don't know that once resistant, that cells can ever lose that resistance. Until they die. That takes years, with or without any change in diet. A muscle cell has a lifetime of 15 years. I am not saying that a low carb diet is the wrong strategy but I don't believe one can 'cure' diabetes this way. Only control it. But if one were committed enough and moved enough heavy iron in the gym to make a physically noticeable difference in their body size and mass and they kept their intake of simple sugars and complex carbs relatively low it would be purely semantics as to whether or not the person was 'cured'. To the o.p. ... I don't know ... when I read "If I climb a hill or start to push myself at all, my legs begin to burn and I can only go so far before I have to stop for a break." I don't automatically think that this has anything to do with your diabetes. All muscles do this when they go anerobic and lactic acid builds up in the muscle fibers. I am not convinced that adding in carbs will fix this problem. But if you want to try it. Try it. It's all well and good the well meant concern expressed here by others but ... ... just saying ... 11.9 A1C ... that didn't kill him. I doubt some experimenting with carb intake on long rides is going to do him any harm. It just may not do any good. More training on the hills (and weight training in general) will increase the legs ability to work longer before fatigue sets in.