HRM I've given up

3leggeddog

Along with most of my training partners, I've given up using my HRM for the following reason.

Where we ride (cumbria) you just cannot stay in a specific zone. your training guru's manual say so long in this zone etc, then you hit a hill or the group speeds up and it all goes to pot. We get the same troubles solo training, none of us are prepared to get off and walk, just to stay in a zone!

The only uses I find for it is on the turbo, whch I use less now I commute on the bike and as a calorie counter to tell me how many pies I can eat!

I dont think not bothering with it is detrimental to my training at all. What does the wise world of bikeradar think?

liversedge

Move to Norfolk?

3leggeddog

No chance!

I'm not complaining, just not using it anymore

liversedge

Seriously, you don't need to stay in your target zones 100% of the time, we're talking broad brush strokes not fine art. If all you have is rolling countryside then you are going to have to improve cadence management with good gear choice anyway and then managing effort should get a smidge easier?

There's a big difference between a 3hr tempo ride and 2 hrs of v02max intervals regardless of terrain - but I've never been to Cumbria so I could be talking out my arse!

redddraggon

personally I use the HRM just to keep my heartrate up and stop me being lazy when I train alone. I just accept that I might go above ideal.

SCR Pedro

redddraggon wrote:

personally I use the HRM just to keep my heartrate up and stop me being lazy when I train alone. I just accept that I might go above ideal.

I have also started doing this. I used to wear mine on my wrist, but moved it back on to the handlebars. That way I can see it dropping down to <80% which gives me a wake up call.

Heart rate monitors have their uses, but I think it's easy to become over reliant on them. Sometimes it's best just to listen to your body and back off/push harder when you think you have to.

Cheers
Pedro

Alex_Simmons/RST

3leggeddog wrote:

The only uses I find for it is on the turbo, whch I use less now I commute on the bike and as a calorie counter to tell me how many pies I can eat!

Which is one thing a HRM is not good at doing.

Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. IOW - being a "zone drone" is not always necessary, not desireable.

Nevertheless, training on constantly roling terrain is where power comes into its own. It doesn't mean you will necessarily change the way you ride the terrain, but you will have a very good idea of what you actually did (from a physiological strain point of view). HR data is inadequate for understanding these scenarios.

As a rule of thumb, the more variable the effort levels on a ride (whether or not that is by choice or by external influences, such as terrain, race/group ride dynamics), the less useful HR data is.

NJK

Alex_Simmons/RST wrote:

3leggeddog wrote:

The only uses I find for it is on the turbo, whch I use less now I commute on the bike and as a calorie counter to tell me how many pies I can eat!

Which is one thing a HRM is not good at doing.

Don't lose sight of the forest for the trees. IOW - being a "zone drone" is not always necessary, not desireable.

Nevertheless, training on constantly roling terrain is where power comes into its own. It doesn't mean you will necessarily change the way you ride the terrain, but you will have a very good idea of what you actually did (from a physiological strain point of view). HR data is inadequate for understanding these scenarios.

As a rule of thumb, the more variable the effort levels on a ride (whether or not that is by choice or by external influences, such as terrain, race/group ride dynamics), the less useful HR data is.

This is probably why using TRIMP heart rate data for analysing aerobic stress isn't that good for intermittent efforts as seen in cycling. Unless of course you are very structured and break every effort down into interval groups.

guv001

If I was you I'd buy a Power meter.

jcdessent

If I've got limited time and want to ride sportives at what intensity should I ride in the winter.I bought palmer/allens sportive book and they advocate peter keens old level 2 (35 to 45 bpm below max) but say not to ride for over 2 hours at this level as it's too stressful before advocating 3 and 4 hour rides at this level 1 to 3 times per week in their programs!Most coaches say rides over 2 hours should be below 75% mhr for base building :? .Should I do threshold sessions in the winter?I can devote 6-8 hours per week.Also I did 50 miles yesterday at palmers endurance zone and felt pretty wrecked but can ride 50 at a higher average hr and feel better-is this due to using mixed fibres at higher hr and not being specific enough?

singlespeedexplosif

Seriously, you don't need to stay in your target zones 100% of the time, we're talking broad brush strokes not fine art. If all you have is rolling countryside then you are going to have to improve cadence management with good gear choice anyway and then managing effort should get a smidge easier?

spot on. I find it really easy to stay within a zone now here in E Lancs - the only flat around here is my cellar floor . Just takes practice and good gear/cadence management.

cock_sportif

Part of the answer is to reduce the number of zones: some training plans have so many you wonder if they ever ride outdoors!

You can manage training pretty effectively with just recovery, sub-threshold, threshold and threshold +

Kléber

guv001 wrote:

If I was you I'd buy a Power meter.

If I was you, I wouldn't. Since you're not able to vary pace to suit a particular effort and just want to ride hard with your mates (ie enjoy your riding), then a power meter might not be the right thing.