Riding technique with heart rate monitor

fonty1978

I've started using a heart rate monitor whilst commuting as somebody very kindly bought me a Polar cs300 cycle computer for my b'day. Anyway i've set it up with all the required details height, weight, sex, age and it set a max hr figure of 190.

I then calibrated the computer to define my 'zone' which turned out to be between 152 and 164. The problem is during my commute there is a fairly long slog uphill for the first 3 miles when my heart rate hits 174[max]. Is there a technique for riding to stay within these constraints like breathing exercises or do you just use 'granny rings' a bit more?

Any advice much appreciated

Littigator

You just have to drop rings until you're in a gear which means you can stay in your range. This may be really low at first but the wholepoint of training in ranges is that you stay within them if at all possible.

Over time you'll notice that you move up gears as your fitness level increases.

sc999cs

It's okay to go out of the zone for part of the ride so hitting a max of 174bpm isn't a problem for a short period. Just make sure you recover afterwards and spend the vast majority of the ride within the recommended zone.

If you calibrated your HRM using the 'My Zone' feature where you have to pedal slow for a minute, and then faster for a minute, and then even faster etc you may find the zones misleading. I use my HRM on a turbo trainer and can get virtually any range depending on how fast I ramp up the speed, my starting HR etc. I'd recommend doing some internet searches and entering the ranges you fancy for your age and target achievement. (Different ways of calculating zones, some are based on age, others subtract resting HR etc).

Another way of using the HRM is to record your average HR and average speed to and from work. Over a period of time your HR should drop for the same average speed (wind fouls this up of course) showing an increase in fitness.

il_principe

fonty1978 wrote:

I've started using a heart rate monitor whilst commuting as somebody very kindly bought me a Polar cs300 cycle computer for my b'day. Anyway i've set it up with all the required details height, weight, sex, age and it set a max hr figure of 190.

I then calibrated the computer to define my 'zone' which turned out to be between 152 and 164. The problem is during my commute there is a fairly long slog uphill for the first 3 miles when my heart rate hits 174[max]. Is there a technique for riding to stay within these constraints like breathing exercises or do you just use 'granny rings' a bit more?

Any advice much appreciated

You'll get fitter and the old heart rate'll start to come down. I wouldn't worry about it.

linsen

I use a HR monitor on my way to work and it shows that my average over my 50 minute commute is around 90%. If I slow down I would never get there, and some of the hills are so fierce I'm using the granny already. I've not keeled over yet and the test thingy on mine says I have a VO2 max equivalent of 61 (I'm a 35 yr old girl), so I reckon it's not doing me any harm. I find riding in the "moderate" zone almost impossible.

cjw

This is as useful link for heart rates and training zones.

Don't rely on a calculated maximum HR - it is only an estimate and may well not be right.

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm

Littigator

Apparently 80% of your training should be spent in this stage 2 zone though. I just get too impatient with it all though

fonty1978

thanks for all the advice given, just checked the link out and it provides some very useful information ... off for a lie down to determine my RHR

cjw

That's OK, but then you have to find your max HR.... that hurts... a lot :twisted:

biondino

I think mine is 194, measured at the hardest point of the hardest ride I've ever done. "That hurts" only just starts to cover it!"

I didn't measure it at the top of Leith Hill, though. Certainly I've never needed to suck up oxygen like I did there!

cjw

Mine's 199.... I did say hurts... a lot

linsen

mine's supposed to be 185 (220 minus age?). I get there regularly. Call me perverse, but it's quite a nice feeling....

UncleFred

linsen wrote:

mine's supposed to be 185 (220 minus age?). I get there regularly. Call me perverse, but it's quite a nice feeling....

If it's a nice feeling you're not hitting your max!

220 minus age isn't really that accurate. Best way of finding it is a ramp test.

Get your bike on Trainer, or get to the gym. Make sure you're well recovered from previous rides.

Start off with 20 minutes, easy pedalling in Zone 2, then every 2 minutes shift into a higher gear. Carry in until your going as hard as you can, then sprint for 15-20 seconds.

Prepare for tunnel vision, light headedness and nausea. Cool down for 20odd minutes.

Once done, have a look at the computer to see what your Max HR was.

Clean up the puke.

**Disclaimer - don't do this if you have any heart problems. Don't do it on the road.

linsen

ah yes I think I did something like that in a spin class recently. That did hurt. I remember now

the_hundredth_idiot

I confess that when I wear a heart rate monitor when riding, I generally forget about it (I learnt a while ago to turn off the annoying beep when I go outside my "zone"). When I check it later, some of the max heart rates I seem to achieve are a bit scary for a 37 year old! :shock:

Uncle Fred is right, though, just using the standard 220 minus age isn't right for everyone. I really pushed myself on a 10k race (running) a couple of years ago and got a max heart rate of 198. Still alive, though took me a couple of hours to stop sweating and cool down.

I guess I'm just a quick beater.