Is max heart rate a limiting factor

IMHO if their watts per kilogram are identical in every category and there bike weight and frontal area are the same then I see no advantage in having a higher max heart rate.

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Austin Flyer said:

Does someone with a max heartrate of 200 have an advantage over someone with a Max HR of 181 if HR was the sole determining factor? Are there any advantages/disadvantages of having either a high/low heart rate?

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With physical activity (exercise) more oxygen is required by the muscle cells, and the circulatory system responds by increasing the heart rate (and the cardiac output). With aerobic training, the actual amount of blood pumped per heart beat (stroke volume) increases and the efficiency of the exchange process at the capillary level improves. The result is a lower heart rate for any level of physical activity in the trained versus the untrained individual. Thus aerobic training benefits include:

• a lower resting heart rate
  
• a lower heart rate for a specific level of exertion
  
• an increased exercise capacity at an individual's maximum heart rate.
  

Austin Flyer said:

Does someone with a max heartrate of 200 have an advantage over someone with a Max HR of 181 if HR was the sole determining factor? Are there any advantages/disadvantages of having either a high/low heart rate?

Max HR makes no difference whatsoever (presuming that people don't have some sort of cardiac problem). HR max decreases as you get fitter, and is specific to an individual

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