jhurley

As I've been on more and more rides with my new heart rate monitor, I am becoming more curious about my heart rate.

I just got back from a 32 mile ride (personal longest, only been cycling ~5 weeks and still a bit out of shape) with an average speed of 15 mph and my average heart rate was 168 bpm, max was 192.

I realize my max is normal considering I am 29 if you use the known formulas to roughly estimate one's max rate, but is my average normal/high/low? I am curious.

FWIW, my resting heart rate is around 60 bpm.

Carbonfiberboy 

That's high, but beginning cyclists usually run high HRs. People's usual reaction is, "Scary! Why is my HR so high?" But it's normal. You'll see your average gradually come down over the next few months (and years). Don't worry about it too much. You'll soon get a feel for your maximum sustainable HR for various lengths of time, which is the advantage to having a HRM. You can't really compare your current HRs to the numbers and percentages you might read in books. "They say" it takes about 7 years of training to reach your potential. I think that's about right. It's a long game.

jhurley

Cool, thanks!

C_Heath

CFB is dead on. I have been riding for 8 years and just this season, I have begun to see mine change because Ive ridden the most this year. Ill usually avg. 140 on a "pretty good" ride. If I ride hard Ill avg. high 140's. Anything over 150 and my ride was intense. My resting HR is 50 and my BP is usually 115/65

It will get stronger. Eventually, you will be able to sit in a recliner with your HR and listen to the pumps as your heart only needs to pump a little to get the job done. Its a great feelin. Keep ridin and dont worry.

Richard Cranium

There is little to learn from a few readings. But if you continue to log or otherwise store all your training information you will find over a longer period of time (several months) that you will develop an understanding of cardiovascular stress.

If you really want to get technical you need to take a "stair test" or use a trainer - where all the variable such as heat/cold winds and tire pressure, bike fit are identical to previous testing. You will never get repeating conditions on any outdoor ride....... so beware the HR numbers......

chinarider

The raw numbers in and of themselves don't really tell you much. They have more meaning when you compare from ride to ride. As others have said, they will mean more over time. Learning your threshold is important. You should be able to sustain that hr or a little under for a long time, but not for long if you exceed it.

And 192 may or may not be your max. MHR is hard to get to, so unless you were really trying to hit max, it probably isn't. The fact that is seems to fit the formula doesn't mean anything since the formulas can be way off for any particular individual.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yeah, listening to my heart puts me right to sleep. Ka-whamm, ka-whamm, ka-whamm . . . That's how I know I'm "there," in form.

jmX

Yup, when I started a year ago my averages were all in the 160's. Now, every single ride has been averaging in the high 140s and I'm faster than ever.

DataJunkie

Same here. 160s when I first started riding. Now an average ride is 130 ish. A hard ride I may push it to 140-150.
My lungs are more of a limiter nowadays.

OldsCOOL

Early in the season we had a freakish weather day where it was sunny and 85deg on a day I wanted to ride a 30miler. About 16mi into the ride my breathing increased and I knew something was amiss. My pulse rate was near 185. I was hydrated but the heat was taking it's toll on my unconditioned body.

Now, being more in shape I can ride 80+ miles when it's near 90deg and humid....but the heat still exacts it's parasitic toll on my energy stores. Hydrating keeps you in the game but that doesnt stop the heat from working on you.

Last saturday I stopped into an A/C'ed McD's for an ice cream and diet coke break to finish up the last 30mi or so. My heart rate while resting was still 120bpm.

jhurley

Great responses, guys. I appreciate it! The heat really does take it's toll. I have always hated the heat my whole life-- I prefer cold weather because when it's cold you can do something about it (more layers, for example). Anyway, I can ride in high temps as I always do since it's so hot here in Arkansas summers, but it definitely makes it that more challenging. When I ride solo as I have been doing, I wait until about 7:30pm to ride and that way the second half of my trip is in the dark.

I knew that resting heart rates went down as you become more conditioned but I never made the connection with rate averages on actual trips going down with more experience as well. I've likely already seen some decrease but just don't know it since I haven't had my heart rate monitor but a week now!