How hard do you ride?

[Marchrider]

I assume you are a cyclist though as on this forum? If so why is it a suprise that some want to know HR?

ha ha - so you are wondering if I actually ride a bike because I didn't know that many/most cyclists obsess about heart rates ?

How do you monitor your heart rate, are you wearing some sort of medical device, or god forbid have one implanted ? do you watch these numbers and rhythms on some sort of screen whilst riding

 

[gbb]

I cycle on average 3 times a week, usually 30miles per ride but with an elevation gain of 2500-3000ft so I'd class as hilly. Some rides longer, 50miles or so but with corresponding amount of climbing.
I find it almost impossible to not go hard even if I try not to. Getting up a 15% incline takes effort no matter what.
I do enjoy pushing myself but I wonder if it's detrimental over time to constantly get next max HR on almost every ride.
Been lots of articles on benefits of zone 2 etc but unless I ride up and down same 5miles stretch of road I inevitably get into hills and keeping HR down is then nigh on impossible.

What does everyone else do? Note I'm a recreational cyclist, I don't race I just do it for fun (and exercise).

First thing I'd say is everyone is different and my experience MAY not apply...even my conclusion may be wrong but...
Formerly cycled 6k miles a year, I always rode hard pushed.myself as much as I could. I could average 18mph solo over 60 mile rides at my best, usually 16mph average. This for some will be no big deal but for me was an awful lot of enjoyable effort.
I ride like this for years until I caught TB through work, 2 years off the bike then tentatively restarted.
What quickly came to the fore were sore hips and knees...which turned out to be osteo arthritis. It doesn't figure much in my family, mum has it but otherwise...
Now I do wonder if the hours and hours of hard cycling, often out the saddle pushing myself have contributed to that OA.

I hardly ride anymore and when I do, I have to take it easy or I will pay dearly.

I may be wrong, the two may not be connected...but they may ?

Nothing to do with max HR of course but ...

 

[Webbo2]

Max heart rate test
warm up then engage a gear that you find slightly too big. Ride to a point where you are becoming very slightly breathless. Then increase your speed by 2 miles an hour every 30 seconds while remaining in the same gear. When you feel 100% exhausted do one final sprint.
or
On the turbo
warm up ride for 2 mins at 95 revs a minute. Then drop it down a sprocket and another 2 mins at 95 revs a minute and so on until exhaustion.
from Pete Read advanced turbo training.
enjoy🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[yello]

Now I do wonder if the hours and hours of hard cycling, often out the saddle pushing myself have contributed to that OA.

Entirely possible, or possibly not. The answer is one or the other. If you could go back with the knowledge that you have today, would you/could you do things differently?

I know folk hate this expression (and its variations) but you are where you are. And you deal with it. (Royal you btw) Hindsight and all that.

 

[matticus]

ha ha - so you are wondering if I actually ride a bike because I didn't know that many/most cyclists obsess about heart rates ?

How do you monitor your heart rate, are you wearing some sort of medical device, or god forbid have one implanted ? do you watch these numbers and rhythms on some sort of screen whilst riding

Would it worry you if I rode with my HR visible on some sort of screen in front of me?
Would it lower your estimations of me as a cyclist?
(and if you discuss something on the internet, does that make you "obsessed" with it?)

 

[Punkawallah]

The coach at the local swim club would tell the kids if they can still talk, they are only at 50% effort. If they can talk between breaths, that’s 80%, and if they can’t talk, that’s 100%.

 

[yello]

(and if you discuss something on the internet, does that make you "obsessed" with it?)

Ah yes, a bug bear of mine! Talking about something, even in depth, doesn't equate to obsession. Loads and loads stuff interests me. Some of it, I read up on. Simply because I'm interested and want to know more. It may not even have any direct impact on or relevance to my life. I like to try and undestand, that's all. And I still sleep well.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Typically five days of easy riding for ~4 hours total and one day of Zwift racing for an hour (usually a quarter of Tiny Races).

Hopefully I'll manage more endurance hours over spring and summer outdoors.

Ebikes are great for having the option of easy riding even in areas where you would average ~100 feet of climbing per mile. Currently enjoying that option in the lanes around Longleat Center Parcs on a hire eMTB, apparently climbed Heavens Gate in an all time PB best yesterday, while using turbo assistance and putting in some effort as running a bit late.

 

[Alex321]

I never knew cyclists were so strongly interested in such stuff, I have absolutely no idea what my max heart rate is, or wish to find out

Some are, somce aren't. Most competitive cyclistrs will be strnigly interested. Many who ride mainly for fitness will have an interest, but not as strong.
Those who ride mainly for pleasure are much less likely to be interested.

why do you want to know, and what happens if you accidentally go above that maximum, do you die ? I suppose you can't really answer that, but it must be a possibility

Why? For those who are serious about training, heart rate zone is important, and y9u can only work out what your zones are if yoiyu know your max. Even for those of us less serious, it can still be interesting.

And you can't go above max. Your body will simply not let you. If you die, it will be becaus you black out and fall off.

what do you do when driving, do you try and keep the rev counter one notch below the red zone muttering to yourself, "I'm entitled"

Entirely different thing. Nobody normally tries to reach their max, except when establishing what it is, but for most efficient training, you try to keep it within specific zones, depending on your training requirements.

For most of us who aren't competing or training seriously, it is just an interesting stat.

 

[CXRAndy]

I never knew cyclists were so strongly interested in such stuff, I have absolutely no idea what my max heart rate is, or wish to find out

why do you want to know, and what happens if you accidentally go above that maximum, do you die ? I suppose you can't really answer that, but it must be a possibility

what do you do when driving, do you try and keep the rev counter one notch below the red zone muttering to yourself, "I'm entitled"

You need to know maximum and resting heart rate to work out your zones for training.

You can't go over your maximum, the new number is your max HR. Depending on physical health, nothing happens, you quickly blow up, you stop because your body cannot continue, then recover after a few moments rest.

Nothing wrong with touching max effort now and then. When I race I may hit near max for 10 secs within an 30 mins event. When feeling really fresh and up for the event I may hit maximum of for me 181bpm for a couple of seconds

 

[AndyATB]

Party Pace is enough nowadays for me..........being fast doesn't make you a good cyclist, merely a fit cyclist.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Note I'm a recreational cyclist, I don't race I just do it for fun (and exercise).

Me too.

Given the above, and that your rides aren't anything out of the ordinary, why do you care about heart rate?

It's not obvious what your motivation in this is?

 

[gbb]

Entirely possible, or possibly not. The answer is one or the other. If you could go back with the knowledge that you have today, would you/could you do things differently?

I know folk hate this expression (and its variations) but you are where you are. And you deal with it. (Royal you btw) Hindsight and all that.

With hindsight, would I go back and do things differently ? Quite rightly a pointless but well meant question..in the same way my experience MAY be pointless..I gave my experience because OP appears concerned what impact HR may have, my experience is to illustrate (possible) other outcomes as a (potential) result of pushing oneself really hard.

Mum had OA and perhaps, just perhaps, had I put (potentially) two and two together...I might have not gone quite so hard on myself.

The point, if one is concerned about the intensity, look back at family history as well...it may help form a more helpful outline.

 

[Ian H]

The coach at the local swim club would tell the kids if they can still talk, they are only at 50% effort. If they can talk between breaths, that’s 80%, and if they can’t talk, that’s 100%.

A cyclist I know would talk non-stop during a ride. Someone asked what happened if he ran out of breath on a hill. His response was "I 'd just talk out of my arse".

 

[Marchrider]

Would it worry you if I rode with my HR visible on some sort of screen in front of me?
Would it lower your estimations of me as a cyclist?
(and if you discuss something on the internet, does that make you "obsessed" with it?)

it wasn't me being all snooty - I simply questioned why so many seem so interested in heart rate, a figure I have never thought of whilst riding, and that question seemed to raise the question of whether or not I was even a cyclist - and this left me with the hilarious concept that there may be some folk out there who only think you can be a "Proper Cyclist" if you wear a heart rate monitor.

I always love this concept of being a proper cyclist, a category that I am almost always glad NOT to fit into.

Some are, somce aren't. Most competitive cyclistrs will be strnigly interested. Many who ride mainly for fitness will have an interest, but not as strong.
Those who ride mainly for pleasure are much less likely to be interested.

Why? For those who are serious about training, heart rate zone is important, and y9u can only work out what your zones are if yoiyu know your max. Even for those of us less serious, it can still be interesting.

And you can't go above max. Your body will simply not let you. If you die, it will be becaus you black out and fall off.

Entirely different thing. Nobody normally tries to reach their max, except when establishing what it is, but for most efficient training, you try to keep it within specific zones, depending on your training requirements.

For most of us who aren't competing or training seriously, it is just an interesting stat.

Is this all about keeping aerobic, and presumably a figure based on a percentage of max heart rate designateds this threshold of ot getting enough oxygen?

The coach at the local swim club would tell the kids if they can still talk, they are only at 50% effort. If they can talk between breaths, that’s 80%, and if they can’t talk, that’s 100%.

this is probably all you need, I would have thought you would naturally know when your pace is above what you can not maintain,