heart rate whilst cycling...is this high????

hello hello!

i'm 39, and fitter than i have ever been in me life, i either do at least an hour a day on me turbo trainer, or a couple of hours on the road..well at least 5 times a week work dependant!!
anyway i was chatting to a mate, and he said my heart rate seems high...
i always wear one when cycling and yes mine is accurate....
i cycle at about 90% effort..and generally cycle the hills around here on the south coast, if i cycle on a flat bit with no wind it will average 160 to 170 bpm at over 20 mph...
but whilst out on the hills it will vary from 170 to 185 bpm.. and generally peak about 190 bpm, though have got it to about 203 on some very steep hills!!!!
today for example, i did about 2 1/2 hours and my average was 174 bpm..
but i feel fine when doing so my breathing is fine, quite normal in fact just deep but not laboured at all..
it only gets laboured when it reaches 190 plus..
my resting rate is below 60 bpm..my blood pressure is fine..

anyone know if this sounds fine? or anyone have any views!!

thanks in advance!!!!!

HR is a very personal thing and cannot be compared between two riders. It can also vary quite a bit for a given individual based on many things including: hydration, recovery, emotional state, nutrition, temperature, etc.

Definitely don't worry about comparisons to other folks heart rates and I wouldn't even worry about my own variation from workout to workout unless a clear trend surfaces (like really high HR coupled with excessive fatigue for very moderate workouts or substantially elevated waking pulse that doesn't change with some extra rest).

Bottom line, your HR is unique to you and it may vary so don't worry too much about it. Stay with what's working for you and don't worry about what others experience for similar efforts.

-Dave

Best person to talk to is your Dr........



I told mine I hit 195 bpm on a ride and he slapped me in the head........but I was 48 at the time.

He told me to stay under 190 now

thanks!!

i dont worry too much, as i feel fine!!
and always cycle at 90% and recover quick..
the only time i get really out of breath is over 190 bpm!
cheers for your opinions!!

whats everyone elses bpm whilst out i wonder???

just being nosey now...lol!

I'm 54 and my threshold HR is 172 bpm with a resting rate of 38. If only I were younger, then I could get a few extra bpm at the top end I bet.

Your numbers are very similar to mine, and I'm a couple of years older than you. My max on the bike was about 202 when I was 20 (I worked at a gym which had a semi-portable monitor), and it's still similar, although I gave up sprint training a few years ago, so I haven't seen it up there in a while -- but, a couple of years ago, I went crazy trying to catch a guy in a truck who nearly hit me, and my heart rate hit 204 (perhaps the big surge of adrenalin did a fair bit), which is the highest I've ever seen it.

This shows that you're most likely not riding at 90% on the flats. It's easy to think you're going hard on flat roads when you're not, because you probably feel like you're working hard, and you're probably going at a good speed, etc. This is common, and it's not until a steep enough hill comes along that people work hard enough.

Try getting onto the back of a very fast group ride on a flat road, and if you start struggling to keep up, you'll soon see you heart rate going way over 170.

I once had a little 'disagreement' with a physiology lecturer who told me it was impossible for her to elevate her HR when riding on flat roads. She was much smarter than me, so I wasn't gunna push it, but I told her that she either doesn't know how to pedal; doesn't know how to push herself; and that if she came a trained for 5 mins with me a couple of my buddies, she'd see her monitor doing things she thought was impossible. Rah!! How macho of me


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Yep, heart rates can vary a fair bit between people, and it doesn't mean a whole lot when it comes to fitness and generating power on a bike. For eg, Lance Armstrong's max was meant to be 202, but other pros with similar fitness have much lower maximums.

Also, HR can vary on days when, a) it's hot (it can elevate), b) you're dehydrated (elevate), or c) your legs are so shot from previous days on the bike that you'll find it difficult to get it up to normal levels

Easy tiger, this is a family forum. A couple of guys in 5 minutes - are you sure that sprint training was 'on the bike'?

"Well, it's better than playing with yourself! Ho ho! A cheap sexual illusion, makes the world go round"

I forgot the smiley.

Is everyone in Limeyland a Young Ones fan?

I'm also a high HR guy. 210+ is my max, Anaerobic Threshold/E4 power intervals are between 175-190. I average 193-194bpm in a mountain bike race.

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Kev

i am 35 and sit between 145-165 on my 15 mile cycle in to work, however when i play squash i work at 185 during the games, my resting hr is about 56.

i am 35 5ft 8 in 175 now when i started riding this spring (190lbs) i was not in good shape. my bpm were higher like mid 170's average with 200+ on hills, 15 mph average for 15 miles. i have put in around 1000 miles in 2 months lost 15 lbs. now for the same route, i will average mid 150's average at 17 mph average 15 miles. i thought mine to be high also. my resting bpm is around 78.