Trakhak

At 68 years old, I rarely see my heart rate going as high as 180 bpm out on the road. But since subscribing to BigRing VR and starting in on their virtual rides, in Italy, New Zealand, etc., I find myself being sucked into maintaining a heart rate in the mid-180s on climbs, and even higher---up to 195, repeatedly, for 10 seconds or so each time, when I'm pushing with a resistance wattage about 25% above my FTP. Scary.

I'm guessing that those heart rates are so high at least partly because, although I use a fan while riding indoors, it's not enough to cool me efficiently, now that the temperature in the part of the house where I do my trainer rides has gone from around 55 degrees F to the low 60s as spring approaches. But still: 195 bpm is surprising and a little concerning.

So I'm curious: riding your smart trainer, do you see your heart rate going higher than you're used to seeing it on the road?

MinnMan

Yes, it's much more likely that I will max out on my HR on the trainer than on the road. I don't have a smart trainer - I don't think the "smart" has anything to do with it. The cooling might be part of it, but mostly I think it's more likely for me to put in a sustained effort without recovery on the trainer- either because I'm in a zwift race or doing intervals. In the real world, there are hills, corners,, and traffic controls.

Mid 180s at age 68? Pretty impressive.