Originally Posted by
69chevy
The only way I could follow conventional HR training is to either ride at a lower cadence, avoid hills, or change my max HR to over 200 (which would be cheating unless I actually could get it that high).
I've yet to see anyone reputable basing their zone system on maximum heart rate which can't be predicted based on a formula, varies as a multiple of peoples anaerobic threshold which is relevant to training, and some people aren't fit or motivated enough to reach.
Everyone uses something around the lactate threshold heart rate, AeT anaerobic threshold, or VT2 ventilatory threshold 2.
Most use LTHR measured with a ramp test and blood draws or approximated like Friel's average over the last 20 minutes of a 30 minute time trial.
Chris Carmichael uses an alternate zone system based on a pair of 8-minute time trials.
Tangentially moving farther into Zone 5 (which Friel sub-divides) heart rate becomes less meaningful due to lag. Shorter intervals are done before it gets to where it would be in a steady-state.
20 minutes (second macro-cycle post-crash on a trainer)
10 minutes (pre-crash outdoors)
