quick cardio question

[Dexter1225]

alrighty! hey guys and gals

quick cardio question

say you're riding in a moderate gear and at a pace you would like to bike for a long period of time (2+ hours) but your heartrate is below that 60-70% mark you'd like to be at. what does everyone find better to do?: go up a gear and keep the same rpm and increase mph or drop a gear and increase rpm with the same mph?

thanks guys,

Dex

 

[FrankBattle]

Purely with respect to cardiovascular fitness, I'd pedal faster at whatever gear feels easy without rocking on the bike. Then, it's a question of how long your lungs can take the effort. Higher gear will make your legs tire faster, unless you're a freak. Or Ullrich (with or without doping).

 

[GuyNoir]

alrighty! hey guys and gals

quick cardio question

say you're riding in a moderate gear and at a pace you would like to bike for a long period of time (2+ hours) but your heartrate is below that 60-70% mark you'd like to be at. what does everyone find better to do?: go up a gear and keep the same rpm and increase mph or drop a gear and increase rpm with the same mph?

thanks guys,

Dex

Just as a matter of preference, I keep the same cadence, but gear up just enough to feel the resistance and cause my heartrate to rise to the target zone. Sometimes this causes me to gear up and down over the course of a ride, depending on the length. But the overall affect is to keep my rpm's up and my heartrate in the zone.

-GN

 

[wiredued]

The highest cadence I could handle without out having to think about it constantly for two hours about 95.