What is a 'normal' BPM supposed to be?

[pincher]

On, for example, a 25km ride at an average of about 16mph and on a largely flat track, with cadence of approx 85?

[Mr Will]

Depends how hard you are trying!

I think looking up your heart rate zones will give you what you are looking for - different ranges for different levels of effort. For reference these are what an online calculator gives me (yours will be different):

Zone	Effort	BPM
Z1	Endurance	0-111
Z2	Moderate	111-130
Z3	Tempo	130-148
Z4	Threshold	148-168
Z5	Anaerobic	168+

[pincher]

Feck!!!

[Mr Will]

pincher said:

Feck!!!

What's the problem?

[pincher]

I think it probably goes to show just how unfit I really am - I was testing a Garmin with cadence sensor and HRM that I got off a mate and it was mostly along a flat seafront with a couple of short hills and I was, according to the HRM, an average of 156bpm over the 25km - I wasn't going particularly slowly but I wasn't busting a gut either. Felt fine afterwards but I just thought that was quite high. Was expecting less.

Edit - maximum was 176

[tigger1]

It will come with fitness.

If you're riding 16mph for an hour, I'm guessing you're still making improvements on a weekly / monthly basis - so don't worry too much about heartrate zones just yet. That said, if you're riding zone 5...you'll struggle to maintain that sort of speed for any length of time.

[superkartracer]

pincher said:

On, for example, a 25km ride at an average of about 16mph and on a largely flat track, with cadence of approx 85?

^^ for me around 105 at that speed

[Mr Will]

Sounds fairly reasonable, depending on your age.

To elaborate, my heart rate will normally sit at about 145 for a comfortable all day pace, high 160s is pushing hard but sustainable (TT-style) and can rise to 180+ sprinting up a hill.

Average over a quick 75 miles yesterday was 141, including stops.

[TonyHetherington]

Mr Will said:

To elaborate, my heart rate will normally sit at about 145 for a comfortable all day pace, high 160s is pushing hard but sustainable (TT-style) and can rise to 180+ sprinting up a hill.

Pretty much the same as me - my max ever is 187 but 180+ up a bugger of a hill, 160s when going for it. When it gets to 170 I know I'm not going to last long

[okgo]

Heart rate is so variable between people it isn't even worth thinking about how yours compares to another persons. So don't

[Mr Will]

tigger1 said:

It will come with fitness.

If you're riding 16mph for an hour, I'm guessing you're still making improvements on a weekly / monthly basis - so don't worry too much about heartrate zones just yet. That said, if you're riding zone 5...you'll struggle to maintain that sort of speed for any length of time.

I disagree - it never gets easier, you just go faster

Heart-rate is a measure of effort, not performance. No matter how hard you train your maximum shouldn't change significantly, nor will your average over a period. What will change is your speed for the same level of effort - you'll be doing 18mph instead of 16mph.

It's also important to bear in mind that it's a very personal measure. Despite the online willy-waving it's not comparable from one person to another, only against your own efforts.

[pincher]

Thanks for the replies - I really am hoping that it will come down as I get more miles under my belt. Will be interesting to see if it does.

I think the max came towards the end of the ride when I was going up a bugger of a hill (you lot would probably class it as a slope )

[AyBee]

I commute (10km) at about 170 average with a max of low 190s

[TKF]

How long is the piece of string you are measuring heart rates with?

To show how useless it is to compare heart rates look at Chris Froome's data from the Vuelta a couple of years ago.

http://www.trainingpeaks.com/av/Z3JDD63H2UVGP77YSX...

He was 2nd in the TT, churning out 400W for 60 minutes with avHR 147bpm.

My HR hits 147bpm pulling my bib shorts on.

[mchammer89]

okgo said:

Heart rate is so variable between people it isn't even worth thinking about how yours compares to another persons. So don't

This.

Compare it to your own over time by all means, but comparing to other people isn't really going to tell you much. Too many variables.

[Disco You]

My heart only beats once every half hour. Anyone with a higher resting heart rate must be fat.

[Some Gump]

Lol, according to the online calculator i used, the last timetrial i did was all in zone 6, for 10 miles. Either i'm built wrong, or the calculator is...

[Disco You]

Some Gump said:

Lol, according to the online calculator i used, the last timetrial i did was all in zone 6, for 10 miles. Either i'm built wrong, or the calculator is...

To get an accurate idea of what zone you are in, you need to find out your maximum heart rate... This is only accurate if done experimentally.

[Some Gump]

My maximum is 192 bpm. I have hit this a whopping twice - once going up winnats pass, amd once going up mow cop.
I've seen 190 / 191 more frequently, but never for long - i totally bail afterwards if i go that hard.

[Mr Will]

Try putting that in to here then: http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/heart_r...

Does it match up better with what you feel when riding?