Originally Posted by
The Weak Link
Do any of you need to use a HRM to increase the intensity of your activity? Again, for MTBing it doesn't make sense, as if you're on the trail you know you gotta put out the effort. When I road ride I'm calibrated to do 12-13.5 MPH. I almost always end up with a sweat, especially with the hill climbs.
So why should I bother with a HRM?
Exactly as I found- Mountain biking and you are up the top of your HR Range on every hill- But although high intensity- It does not last for too long- Then you get to the top of the hill and wait for the rest to catch you up. For me this means that I am above 145 and seeing 165 or higher by the end of the hill.
On the road- I find that 135 is just right for cruising speed- but on the slopes I will get to 150 and it takes a good hill for me to get to my limit.
Problem is that on the road- I will find that I slip well below my "Cruising" HR. In feel there is not much difference to me on 125 and 135- but at 135 I am getting a good workout. Although it is nice to be able to see that you are pushing too hard and won't be able to finish the ride without running out of energy---- I use the monitor more to ensure that I am in my working zone rather than slipping below it.
That is the problem with these road bikes- You can turn a workout into an easy ride if you are not carefull.