So whats your maximum heart rate?

[Blue]

You dont need to know your max HR, you can work on lactate threshold HR to determine your zones. Since the lactate threshold is actually a sustainable threshold it is probably more meaningful than the MHR.

This is true, however, as the OP was about MHR I stuck with that parameter.

I myself have calculated my zones from my 25m TT downloads and use the calculations/charts contained in 'The Cyclists Training Bible' by Joe Friel. I feel this is accurate enough for someone at my level of the sport.

Without a powermeter I find using the HRM in conjunction with cadence and similar gearing etc., seems to be giving me good workouts that I can compare over time to judge improvements - roll on this years TT season! Maybe next year I will have saved enough for a powermeter and then the HRM will have something realy good to work with!!

 

[GrasB]

You dont need to know your max HR, you can work on lactate threshold HR to determine your zones. Since the lactate threshold is actually a sustainable threshold it is probably more meaningful than the MHR.

Depends what sort of training you're doing, some of my HIIT training LT isn't a useful marker it's HRmax. That said when doing longer runs LT is more useful & so is FTP. Something else to remember is that you're HRmax & more importantly your HR @ LT increases with cadence which throws a spanner in the works.