Originally Posted by chasm54

If you ride just for fun, and aren't using HR either for health reasons or to train specifically, then it's just data and there really isn't any point in having it...

When I'm at home, and spending maybe 10 hours per week on the road bike, I've gone back to having the chest strap on. I find that I need structure if I'm going to be as fit as I want to be - a few months of just riding around saw me lose a lot of fitness. So training with HR zones keeps me honest.

And it doesn't detract from my enjoyment. Actually, I rather like the additional focus it brings.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

…Another unintended benefit is mental. I find that to honestly maintain my 60% RPE pace I must concentrate on keeping it up. At 50% RPE I don’t think about pace. One detraction from training for mileage is sometimes the lack of novelty (boredom) from riding well-trod routes. I find that the mental concentration and enjoyment of keeping on pace occupies my mind enough to displace any thoughts of boredom.

That intensity after the warm up is pretty comfortable, and actually exhilarating to maintain as a noticeably faster pace. When I get to a hill, there’s no dread about accelerating to 70%. and maintain for the length of the upgrade, usually for about two minutes (as I might also work in as a two minute interval on the flats if the route has no hills).

I readily know I’m in the 70% phase because within about 30 seconds I’m automatically breathing hard, but not gasping…