How do you use heart rate?

First off you will need to determine your maximum heart rate because that is what traing by heart rate is based on. Essentially there are 5 zones that are percentages of max heart rate. 220 - your age is not a good way to get your max heart rate. Better ways are to go out and find a long hill and gradually increase your speed and go as hard as you can over the top, that should be your max heart rate or close to it. Once you have that, you take that max number and multiply it by the percentages for upper and lower limits to each zone to find out what HR you should be at to be in a given zone.

Zone 1 65% of MHR (recovery rides)
Zone 2 65-72% of MHR (endurance events)
Zone 3 73-80% of MHR (high level aerobic activity)
Zone 4 84-90% of MHR (lactate threshold(LT,AT); time trialing)
Zone 5 91-100% of MHR (sprints and anaerobic training)
What level experience do you have with cycling and what do you wish to accomplish? Centuries? Just riding for fun? Racing? That would be helpful in recommneding a plan for you to use.

Good advice there, and don't forget to check with your doctor, if you haven't done fitness for a while. Make sure you do if you are intending to find out your max heart rate based on blacking out going up a hill!

(My doc said absolutely no way should I do that; it wasn't heart attack, but blowing an artery he was worried about.)

(Slightly) Funny anacdotes re HRM's

1. I was training in the house, when a joiner was working close. He started a circular saw, and my heart rate jumped from 140 to 250 bpm. I panicked 'cos I couldn't even hear how my heart was going!

2. Someone else posted similar experience while cycling under power lines.

Moral of the story: Always listen to your body, no matter what technology you might have!

Hope some of this helps.

jon_stewart said:

Good advice there, and don't forget to check with your doctor, if you haven't done fitness for a while. Make sure you do if you are intending to find out your max heart rate based on blacking out going up a hill!

(My doc said absolutely no way should I do that; it wasn't heart attack, but blowing an artery he was worried about.)

Good point on checking with a doctor. I should've mentioned it. If you have no fitness at all, just start out slow and later on you can determine your max HR.

Another approach is to determine your heart rate for a time trial of a certain time or distance (1/2 hour is common - Carmichael uses 2 3 mile TTs with a brief recovery in between). Then zones are defined around (both under and over) that rate. Friel's "Cyclist's Training Bible" uses that sort of a scheme scheme.

atomicrc11 said:

First off you will need to determine your maximum heart rate because that is what traing by heart rate is based on. Essentially there are 5 zones that are percentages of max heart rate. 220 - your age is not a good way to get your max heart rate. Better ways are to go out and find a long hill and gradually increase your speed and go as hard as you can over the top, that should be your max heart rate or close to it. Once you have that, you take that max number and multiply it by the percentages for upper and lower limits to each zone to find out what HR you should be at to be in a given zone.

Zone 1 65% of MHR (recovery rides)
Zone 2 65-72% of MHR (endurance events)
Zone 3 73-80% of MHR (high level aerobic activity)
Zone 4 84-90% of MHR (lactate threshold(LT,AT); time trialing)
Zone 5 91-100% of MHR (sprints and anaerobic training)
What level experience do you have with cycling and what do you wish to accomplish? Centuries? Just riding for fun? Racing? That would be helpful in recommneding a plan for you to use.

Awesome advice! Ive been riding hard for about a year now but want to get serious in my training. I have no problems completing centuries and ride 150-175 miles a week. I just want to become a stronger rider...maybe try some racing in the future. I am going to buy a Heart rate monitor and want to know how to properly use it on my rides...like how many hard rides should I do in a week...things like that. You sound like you really know your stuff...could use all of your advice. Thanks a bunch!!!

If I wake up in the morning and my heart is beating, I go ride. I haven't had to deal with the other option yet.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Back to the serious discussion already in progress.