Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

During nearly all of my 40 cycling years, my training has been by mileage. I never used a heart monitor, and on a rare occasion might check my heart rate just by counting. This year though, I decided to go for speed (intensity), and I use the semi-quantitative, standardized, but personally relavant system of (Borg’s) Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE), with my own particular adaptation; see PS at the end of that long post.

Originally Posted by Road Fan

To the OP, I would say, read up on heart-rate training in general and try to find ways of setting your zones based on lactate threshold or the various approximations of LT. Use these rather than maxHR. There's not a lot of point in knowing your maxHR, it can be really difficult to find, and I tend to think if it's that hard it might not be safe unless you really know your cardiac state of health. This might be a red herring and I am not an expert, but I like to take a conservative approach.

Also, read up on polarization training, papers and a video by a gent named Seidel. It's a little technical but the gist is that very effective human training can come from riding a high percentage of your time in a strenuous but conversational zone, and a low percentage a little above where you feel like your breathing can't keep up (near or a little above lactate threshold)…

There are several threads on it in the Training forum, and there's more about determining your zones. The polarization zones are set up based on first knowing your Friel (Joe Friel's heart rate zone system) zones. It's not hard, just a little measurement and a little easy percentages math.

You can estimate LT based on rules of thumb as well, but the problem is the same as with the 220-age equation: if you are a slow beater, what a rule says is your LT could actually be your max and then "standard zones" would be too aggressive for you. If you are a fast beater, you would find zones that are not aggressive enough for you and not experience effective training.

My view is, that with some understanding, it can nearly all depend on you.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…I usually ride solo according to schedules on well known routes so on these organized rides it’s a treat to be lost to time and place, and to have companions as nice as the Road Fans to chat with, from bicycling topics such as technical details and training techniques, to life style items such a music and travel. It’s particularly interesting, as inhabitants of Bike Forums to discuss the other correspondents we know and read, either personally, or as “E-entities.”…

Originally Posted by bo31210

Ask your doc when you see him next. I use the 208 minus (age X .7) and it is pretty much spot on.

Originally Posted by chasm54

It may be for you, but it isn't for most people. There's a distribution of around two standard deviations around the supposed norm. At 61 I still see HRs above 180 from time to time. According to that formula my max should be 165, which is barely above my lactate threshold.

Originally Posted by StanSeven

That's wise advice from your doctor.

However just so people understand, what a doctor may tell you about how high you should limit your heart rate and your max are two different things. Someone's maximum heart rate is the absolute highest it can register. In other words it's the limit on how fast the heart muscle can work. Unlike resting heart rate which can drop through training, max isn't affected by how fit we are. It does decrease with age though.

It's difficult to reach your max. For example one test involves a very long hill where you shift to a progressively harder gear one minute at a time. You do this over a five minute or so period after you are thoroughly warmed up and physically stressed. When your cadence starts to drops down and you can't maintain it, you shift again one more time, stand up and sprint all out for 20 seconds or so. You may see spots, have tunnel vision, and be lightheaded. But that's your max. If you measured it properly, no matter what you do it won't be exceeded.

Originally Posted by Don in Austin

But you forgot about the snarling Pit Bull chasing you! Now THAT is max!

Don in Austin

Originally Posted by icyclist

So, can you talk when you ride for 40 minutes at over 150 beats a minute?