ntjp

How do you reach your maximum heart rate on a bike anyway. I'm a runner too, and when the weather is bad or i'm injured, I go to the gym and go on the cross trainer.

Hit 194 on a cross trainer in a very hot gym (temperature was ridiculous - maybe this had something to do with me hitting highest heart rate ever).

Got 190 on a run and frequently have come close to that.

Highest I've ever managed on the bike is 183. It always seems that anaerobic fatigue on the bike cuts in before I can max out. Lungs are absolutely heaving but heart rate not as high as when I'm running. Anybody else find this??

Anyway, to answer the OP's question, I set my max heart rate on a hill running race shortly after buying my first garmin, and that was 188. About a year later I hit 194 as mentioned above.

back4more

always higher running than on the bike - bike may gop up on a hard hill or a sprint but not as high as I can drive it on a run.

znomit

You are getting faster and lazier. HTFU
I never feel as bad as I used to, struggling on those hills I now spin up happily.

Andy Somnifac 

I've just gotten better at pushing harder/longer once I get into the anaerobic zone. The max I've seen is 192 (I know, not that high), but that max seen rate keeps getting bumped up on a fairly regular interval as my fitness level increases, and my weight decreases. The beginning of the season (and 65+ lbs ago) once I got to the low 180s I was backing off.

goose70

I no longer run, but your post jogged my memory....that pretty much sums up my experience.

ntjp

I've been doing a lot more cycling than running the last 3 weeks or so. Ran 6.6 miles tonight and pushed pretty hard. Definitely gets the lungs working harder for me.

bikerjp

You're right. Sorry. It's the bf diet.

Seattle Forrest

My max cadence at the end of every ride is 234 rpm. I've never been able to hit 235, but even on short, hilly rides when I mash all the way up and recover on the way down, it's always 234. I got a Garmin so I wouldn't have to make stats up - it does it for me.

ntjp

How can you spin the pedals that fast. I don't think I could get near that.

mmmdonuts

He just told you, get a Garmin.

ntjp

Ah, I see. Garmin gave a false reading did it. I don't have a cadence meter, but my Garmin once reported that I hit over 5500 mph No joke.

bikerjp

You do realize that the Garmin measures things in the quantum universe as well (it's in the patent) so you probably did go that fast.

NoRacer

At age 50 (in 2008) on the way from Essex, MD to Ocean City, MD, I got caught in a construction zone with jersey walls on each side--couldn't stop to get out with the current traffic. The road was a suggested "bike route". Yeah, right. Over a distance of a quarter of a mile I maxed out at 197 BPM:

Dist: 0.28 miles
Climbing: 0 ft
Min Avg Max
Speed 16.4 19.0 22.9 mi/h
Elev 98 112 120 ft
HR 161 183.6 197 bpm

...due to the big truck traffic passing me within inches of my handlebars. I had to stick my arm out to "take the lane" a few times because I could feel my heart beating out of my chest. I haven't been on that road since then. I hear construction is still going on.

ntjp

Yeah, ah, actually you are completely correct. Now I think about it I remember I "dropped the hammer" and did get up to that speed - in a kind of generally quantum way. I was having a good day

ntjp

That sounds like an alarming experience ! !

I remember years ago I decided to ride over a section of motorway (uk name for it - I think you call it freeway in the us) as it was a much shorter distance to home, and i was in a hurry as it was wet and pitch dark. All the lorries passing me at 70mph kept sucking me out into the lane. It was not a great experience. Don't know what my heart rate was though. No garmins back then.

oldster

since you are probably at an altitude a lot higher than most folks,that may make a bit of a difference,(not sure but just a guess.) I see 160 on mine from time to time,at 5280ft,and am 69(probably not relative to anything,however)
Bud

DGlenday

Just for the record - your "theoretical" max heart rate is 176.

Beau210

How high was it when you were 21? I will pretty frequently hit the high 190's low 200's on really steep climbs or long sprints but I have never actually tried to figure out what my max is. My avg. on a normal ride is the 120.

Madridjoe

Hope no one minds, but I have a related question. I got an Edge 800 about a month ago with the heart rate monitor. It seems to work ok at rest 68 bpm. I am 61 and ride 150 miles a week at a good pace 20mph and up for the most part. Anyhow my heart rate frequently goes over 200 bpm sometimes up to 240. I am sure it is not accurate since I am often not even breathing hard, and able to carry on conversations with other riders. I have tightened the strap as tight as is comfortable, made sure the contacts are wet, even turned it so the contacts are on my back. Garmin replaced the unit in case it was at fault, but the new one is the same. Anyone have an idea what is going on?

znomit

Loose shirt flapping around in the breeze?

gregf83 

That frequently happens at the beginning of a ride if it's dry out and my jersey is loose. It usually settles down after 15 min or so although this summer I spent some time in a different part of the province where humidity is much lower and my HR would often read high for an hour or more, particularly when going downhill.

bikerjp

Colorado is pretty dry and I don't have any issues like that. I wet the contacts first, but that's it.

Madridjoe

I thought that could be part of it so I make it a point to wet them before starting out, today I rode 63 miles, averaged 18.6 mph for the ride and my Garmin claims I averaged 180bpm, with a high of 250 bpm. I was never uncomfortable, never stressed, can't imagine that it could be so high.

fishymamba

I am 16 and I hit 170 really easily while spinning up a small hill or cruising(20-23mph) on flat.
1 get in the 180s - 190s on long climbs. Max I have hit is 234 while sprinting up a hill.

bikerjp

You either have some amazing heart or your garmin is wonky. Or maybe the HRM. When was the last time the battery was changed? Might try a new one. If with a fresh battery and damp contacts you still have this issue I would contact garmin and maybe see if it's a warranty issue.