Is my commute doing me good?

It’s doing you good. It’ll take time and don’t go to mad at it. In a months time or so you’ll be breezing it. Then on to bigger and other stuff.

Using easier gearing an option on the climb home and try harder gears every few weeks?

it's doing you good, keep it up fella.

like others say... keep it on low gear like a car would need to be whilst driving up a hill and your body will adapt.

enjoy the ride

Stick with it, think about where you are stopping to walk and aim to go a little further every couple of rides. Good on you, keep it up for summer gains

I used to commute 2 miles with a 50m climb. Took me 10 mins or so.

I then swapped to 3 miles with no climb (completely flat along the Forth). I really missed that 50m of climbing.

There's a whole school of thought that a minute's intense exercise is all you need.

So - it'll be doing you good.

Is it doing more, less,the same, or different good to walking?

And just remember science says it isn't harder on the way up!

I’ve a similar hill on my commute, it’s right near home so is the first thing I do (descend) and the last on my way home (climb)

some mornings after work (I work nights) I’d spend my commute dreading getting to “the hill” as I couldn’t make it up it without getting off and walking and blowing out my arse, I did a similar thing to what @Hopk1ns says, aim to cycle up a little further each time, try lower gears, take your time, it’s not a race

I can now climb my hill without too much effort, and sometimes I even enjoy it, it initially took a few weeks to get to that point but after the first couple of times, you’ll feel you have it sussed and wonder what all the fuss was about

In short, it’s doing you good, some excellent work so far, keep at it and you’ll get there

oh yeah…report back WHEN you’re laughing it off as well

There’s a whole school of thought that a minute’s intense exercise is all you need.

What, ever?
Schweet 😊

First of all, nice one. You're doing way better than most people 🙂

I used to commute a slightly longer distance, and the first weeks were awful. I was unfit, unready, and unaccustomed to any of it.
But get that little bit further every day, and it gets that little bit easier. I did it for 3 years and it made such a huge difference. That exercise 'break' drew a line under 'work time@
and separated off in a way I no longer have since wfh. I lost half a stone in the first six months, and gained fat not off a connection with the seasons and the world around me. And I really miss it!
You're doing great dude!

Thanks folks I'll carry on with it and hopefully by summer I will be getting out on the moor.

All good advice above.

One thing I caught myself doing this year (as I returned to cycling after a long gap) was pushing harder than necessary uphill. Yes it’s already been said, get into an easier gear, but even then I was pushing and sweating till I got to the top of the hill. As long as the hills not too steep and you’ve got the gear range, just try chilling out and easing off. Will take longer to get to the top but hopefully not a sweaty mess.

I think the main thing to be careful of is tiredness and opportunity costs, ie, are you not doing other exercise, because you're commuting, or are you going into your bigger rides that could deliver bigger benefits, but feeling already tired and so cutting them down or working less hard. I've made both these mistakes in the past and found that doing just a little bit less of the little stuff meant I did more of the bigger stuff. Sometimes it was just psychological I think, I'd go into the weekend just <feeling> a bit tired and it'd affect my plans even when I could have done whatever.

After two weeks your body will be used to it and it will become no problem

And yes - its doing you loads of good not just fitness but also burning off the stress hormones.  the single thing any of us can do to improve mental and physical health is cycle to work

Throwing yourself straight up a kilometre of 1 in 5 climb without a little warm-up is always going to be a little unpleasant. Try some star jumps or running on the spot in your workplace before climbing on.

Well done for cycling to work, keep at it. Even add an extra loop on the way home once it warms and lightens up a bit. 

Keep at it 

I find it really hard doing a hill without a warm up, is there a couple of miles you could add before you hit it?
Stick with it though

How are you calculating it's a 1 in 5 climb @martinhutch ?

I would personally just walk if it is a couple of miles or less as not worth having a bike to put somewhere. I used to walk 3 miles to work and found it very good mentally and seemed harder work than cycling 3 miles so I would guess that exercise wise walking 1/2 a mile is better than riding 1/2 a mile but if the aim is to cycle more and get up to 10 or 20 miles rides then this is a good start I suppose.

If you find it tough now, stick at it. You will get fitter. A short commute won't make you really bike fit but it all helps. You could do with trying to fit in an hour's ride at the weekend and slowly try to build up to 2 hours. It takes time. I had about 5 years off the bike due to injuries. The road back was slow, have and at time demoralising but if you just try to enjoy the ride for what it is the fitness will come.

As your fitness improves and you tackle longer rides. You won't be scared of hills. Bonus.

I used to live half way up Dundas street and work at the bottom. I was pretty fit at the time. It's a steep hill. Rapid on1monute descent dodging the maniacs pulling out the side streets. But despite being fit the immediate uphill from cold return commute was very very ha

In a months time or so you’ll be breezing it. 

It will never be any easier, you'll just be going faster. 

Good on yer, big lad. Stick with it! 👊

Any exercise will be doing you good...the more you do, the better for you (largely).

Sounds like your ride into work is downhill, any way of extending that slightly? Downhill is great but I also felt it was wasted first thing in the morning. Can you try and add a bit of distance in the morning - even another mile. It will help and make the ride home slightly easier.

On way home try to spin the legs instead of grinding - never easy on a climb, but spin until you can't and then grind...you'll be closer to the top and the effort won't be as severe.

Keep doing it as it will all be helping. I'm needing to get my backside.in gear and ride.into work again...I need to get up a half hour earlier and that is the bit I'm struggling with.

Just keep doing it and in no time you’ll be flying. It is very likely you’ll end up extending your commute as your fitness grows. Honestly, if you carry on for six months you won’t believe how far you’ll come on.

I’d walk that - it will take longer to get ready to cycle than the walk will take.

If the goal is to get fit for longer rides .58m is nowhere near enough. Walk home then go for a fun ride after work.

Keep on it. That's not dissimilar to my ride to work. I'm reasonably fit and if it's been a rubbish day I attack the hill. It's enough to be breathing pretty hard but not enough to be a sweaty mess. Mine is two hills with a flat but only 800m so I can go for it. I don't have to worry about gears I only have 1.

Not often I have to drive, hate those days. Takes longer by car and I don't feel as good. Walking is ok (I walk down if I've left my bike and done a slow 5mile run home) but too many kids want to talk or say hiya (teacher) when I just want quiet headspace.

@DickBarton I can go a slightly longer way which would involve going down through some woods it's quite a rocky twisty path  but it's dark in the morning so I'll tackle that in the light which will be soon.