Originally Posted by
Paultreks
Any advice on how I can improve?
It has been said upthread already, but let me say it this way: train with purpose.
Going out and just riding is not good enough, you need intensity (as has been mentioned). There are many ways to achieve workout intensity— hill repeats, max intervals, etc.— but the “with purpose” part is establishing a regimen which works with your schedule, employs targeted workouts, and assesses improvement.
There are many, many tools to help achieve that which I think are affordable (if not free), easy to use, and effective, but if you don’t want to get into that far, just keep hittin’ that hill, every ride, until you conquer it. Maybe try it earlier in the ride, while your fresh rather than later when you’re tired, or maybe make riding the hill the whole ride. I think once you climb it and know that you can do it, it’ll be easier to tackle next time around, and soon after that, it will cease to even be a challenge.