You can certainly bike to/from Pitt if you live off-campus in the right areas. Fifth Ave, which is the main thoroughfare for buses through North Oakland and Shadyside, isn't that hilly. I live a bit above Fifth but it's a slight hill that I could certainly bike if I had one with me.
The street that goes up to the med school is very steep, but those of us who bus to campus just enter through the hospital and take elevators/escalators (although you'll have some killer leg muscles if you climb up the hill everyday).
Keep in mind that Pitt students get access to public transportation for free (it's included in some $180-ish fee you pay per semester), so many of us take the bus to campus if we live a bit further out. If you're lucky, you'll have multiple lines to choose from. I've also used the buses to get to/from the airport, to downtown, Pirates game, Steelers game, etc. And UberX and Lyft just got approval from the governor and are very cheap/useful if you want to go somewhere where a bus may take a bit longer.
but for the most part cars and bikes are pretty good about sharing.
