makbike ~ Thanks for the info. My legs never even get sore on hills - it's just my huffing and puffing (loudly) all the way up that kills me. And some of these hills are very low-grade (but longish). When I am riding with others, I get self-conscious about my breathing because I never hear or notice them breathing hard, while I am panting away. I have a yearly physical coming up next month and will talk to my doc about my situation and ask about QVAR in particular. I am already using albuterol but don't find that it makes a lot of difference if I use it before a ride or not. I forget about half the time and do about the same as when I use it.

Thanks!
Emily