Increasing endurance, but why is most of my cycle ride in Heart rate zone 5

[CXRAndy]

Done.


As in use 180 that on the website as the FTHR for now? Like this?
View attachment 527134
Now I’m double confused... or naive, how my zone 5 is more than my Max HR! And do I put 189-217 in my Garmin settings for zone 5 etc?

Zones aren't precise, just a guide. Use the endurance numbers as a level for riding with. So just keep your hr mid 130bpm.

This is Wattbikes version. percentage of functional threshold

Training Zone	Purpose	Average Power
Zone 2	Endurance	56-75%
Zone 3	Tempo	76-90%
Zone 4	Lactate Threshold	91-105%
Zone 5	V02max	106-120%

 

[amasidlover]

If your HR is showing as 160+ for at age 43 for most of a ride then the options are:

1) The device is wrong - optical HR on the wrist on the bike is about the least reliable use case so I suspect this may be the answer.

2) You are going 'full gas' for most of your ride...

3) You have some form of heart condition.

Although RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is difficult for untrained athletes to get reliably correct, it is a useful way of double checking what your watch is saying.

Z1 = Normal breathing
Z2 = Breathing rate increases but still able to hold a conversational comfortably.
Z3 = Breathing quite fast and definite feeling of effort - able to say short sentences.
Z4 = Hard work to maintain for anything more than a few minutes - one word answers only.
Z5 = Really hard, chest on fire, unable to talk, possible nausea too

So I'd say most likely the device is wrong (you could rule out an undiagnosed heart condition by stopping when your watch shows Z5 and checking your pulse with your finger).

As for whether HR zone training is useful; then the vast, vast majority of coaches, serious athletes and peer reviewed evidence say it is - that doesn't mean you can't enjoy cycling and get fitter without it, but in terms of getting fitter in the shortest time or getting the fittest you can in a fixed time its a pretty good tool.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Alternatively....
Ditch all the zone stuff and associated mumbo-jumbo and focus on going in a bike ride.
Pedal at a cadence that comes naturally.

This is the best advice given on this thread so far,

Go out, enjoy yourself, brolacs to all this spinning at 85/90 that's once you're at a certain level, ride in a circle around your house about 10 miles & then as you feel more confident, turn right instead of left & go a bit further. Put the HR monitor back in the box, don't buy a cadence. If you want to see improvement just go around the same route & just monitor the time.

 

[lane]

British cycling use Functional threshold HR. I understand that to be a HR where you can work maximum effort for an hour

I punched in 3 different number over 6 bpm difference. The zones only varied 1 or 2 bpm. Not a great difference.

There might well be more than 6bpm difference between MHR and FT but agree zones are an approximation and can be near enough. But I think there would be more than 2bpm defference between MHR and FTHR. I have tested both mine and it was quite a big difference. It might be 17bpm difference which would mess the zones up.

 

[HLaB]

I'm not sure if this is the right section of the forum, please move if not. It's about me trying to get fitter through cycling.

I'm a 43 year old male, 86kg and 190cm tall (that's 13st 9lb and 6'3"), my Average Resting Heart rate gets recorded at ~60bpm (wearing vivoactive 3 long term). This is the year that I am would like to crack being able to go for rides of more than 10 miles, build up endurance, I want to go out for 2-3 hour rides for 30+ miles. I'm heading out with my friend each ride, which helps with motivation, one I notice that whenever we hit an incline, he gradually passes me, but he seems to power it in a high gear, where I'm spinning on a low gear because my legs can no longer push in a higher gear.

One constant I have always noticed is whenever I go for bike rides, most of it shows as zone 5. What I've never been able to work out is whether I am that unfit (it's possible) or whether it's a device thing. (Using a Garmin Vivoactive 3 - Elevate HR.)

When I go for a decent Bike Ride it's like this. This was a ride yesterday of 15 miles over an hour, no crazy climbing. It's only my 3rd ride of the year on my road bike.

Z5 > 161
Z4 = 143 - 160

The ride before was shorter, 9 miles, but similar effect.

Could be that your Max HR is set wrong. We are all different but as a 56kg, 175.5cm 44year old my Z4 is 164-177bpm, Z5 is 177bpm + and my max is 200bpm and resting hr average 46bpm (40bpm at lowest). It could also be that you are not fit enough yet but don't worry it'll come with more cycling. Also be aware that if the vioactive 3 if its exposed to moving air outside tends to read 5-10bpm too low.

 

[Hockeynut]

Could be that your Max HR is set wrong. We are all different but as a 56kg, 175.5cm 44year old my Z4 is 164-177bpm, Z5 is 177bpm + and my max is 200bpm and resting hr average 46bpm (40bpm at lowest). It could also be that you are not fit enough yet but don't worry it'll come with more cycling.

I think I'm more confused than ever about HR now. :$ I suspect I am that unfit, time will tell. Overall I think I do need to try to go easier and build.

Also be aware that if the vivoactive 3 if its exposed to moving air outside tends to read 5-10bpm too low.

Today I have a HRM Strap arriving, so I'll see on my ride later.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

You're overthinking it, you're going to spoil a great hobby by beating yourself up, forget all this brolacs, go out enjoy yourself, all you need to monitor if you desire is time & disatnce.

 

[CXRAndy]

You're overthinking it, you're going to spoil a great hobby by beating yourself up, forget all this brolacs, go out enjoy yourself, all you need to monitor if you desire is time & disatnce.

The OP stated he wanted to crack on and improve this year. There are several ways to go about 'skinning the cat'.

He can just go out increase his ride times and/or add a few data points to assess his riding and analyse his ride after.

Most of us like to review our efforts

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The OP stated he wanted to crack on and improve this year. There are several ways to go about 'skinning the cat'.

He can just go out increase his ride times and/or add a few data points to assess his riding and analyse his ride after.

Most of us like to review our efforts

Agreed but the OP was asking how to get to rides above 10K not 100K or above 20mph all the 90rpm cadence is not required at this level, his heart rate unless he has a medical condition is irrelevant, he needs to just go out & ride, then sometime into the future all the other stuff will start to fall into place. If he goes out chasing 90rpm & 180bpm without gradual build up to it he's either likely to get disillusioned or carried away in a cardboard box

 

[Fab Foodie]

There are 3 markers I use to gauge whether am getting fitter and my endurance is improving and all you need is a watch....

1. Over my regular loop am I getting faster and/or does is it feel easier?

2. Hills, on regularly ridden hills which gear am I using for my natural cadence

3. What distance can I now comfortably cover on my weekly long ride without collapsing in a heap when I get back

Ok, it’s a bloody expensive watch, but cheaper makes are available.


As said, it’s easy to het caught-up in all this zones/hr mumbo-jumbo, but first you need to establish a reasonable baseline of fitness and endurance. Then the mumbo-jumbo might help fine-tune your performance. I think you have far to go until you reach that point.

Go ride, have fun, look at the scenery, stop reading about cycling....

 

[Hockeynut]

I do actually want to go out for a 20 mile ride at the moment, without busting a gut. Which I imagine involves increasing my fitness, aerobic and strength.

As it stands I can usually do 10, and recently managed a 15 mile ride. But during those 10 or 15 mile rides I'm out of breath very easily and my legs feel like they have little left to give. To the point of being light headed at times. I think I realised before, and the replies have helped, that despite that mileage not sounding like much to most, it probably is to me still. I assume that is why I'm feeling out of breath and legs like jelly. The fact I record most of my ride with a high HR (irrespective of zones being right or wrong) is probably just an indication that I need to try to take it easier. If I have a HR strap which helps me see my HE better and thus I can more easily try to keep myself in calmer territory. From what most of you have said too, this is likely to be more beneficial to increase my ability to ride overall and even my distance some.

I'm hoping that I really start to enjoy things even more and that 20 miles might be only the beginning. Thanks everyone for your really helpful replies, I do understand all points of view. Whether I'm more confused or less about zones is a different matter!

 

[lane]

I think I'm more confused than ever about HR now. :$ I suspect I am that unfit, time will tell. Overall I think I do need to try to go easier and build.

Today I have a HRM Strap arriving, so I'll see on my ride later.

Ride at least 3 days a week - four would be better but no more. Ride reasonably hard so you are putting some effort in and getting out of breath from time to time. Do 2 or 3 shorter slightly harder rides and one longer slower easier ride. You will gain fitness very quickly. You will notice a big difference within a couple of months guaranteed - you will be going quicker, hills won't seem so hard and rides you are doing now won't seem as long. You won't get any fitter any quicker worrying about your hart rate at this stage.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I do actually want to go out for a 20 mile ride at the moment, without busting a gut. Which I imagine involves increasing my fitness, aerobic and strength.

As it stands I can usually do 10, and recently managed a 15 mile ride. But during those 10 or 15 mile rides I'm out of breath very easily and my legs feel like they have little left to give. To the point of being light headed at times. I think I realised before, and the replies have helped, that despite that mileage not sounding like much to most, it probably is to me still. I assume that is why I'm feeling out of breath and legs like jelly. The fact I record most of my ride with a high HR (irrespective of zones being right or wrong) is probably just an indication that I need to try to take it easier. If I have a HR strap which helps me see my HE better and thus I can more easily try to keep myself in calmer territory. From what most of you have said too, this is likely to be more beneficial to increase my ability to ride overall and even my distance some.

I'm hoping that I really start to enjoy things even more and that 20 miles might be only the beginning. Thanks everyone for your really helpful replies, I do understand all points of view. Whether I'm more confused or less about zones is a different matter!

OK, sounds to me like a pace issue (assuming your bike doesn't have treacle in the wheel bearings).
Forget all the notions of time and distance, just go for a ride, but set-off nice and gently, a pace you can easily talk at without gasping and just carry-on like that for at least 20 mins, if you feel relaxed, either continue-on at that pace or just up it a little and continue a while, if you start breathing hard, go back to your previous pace. 10 mins before getting home, just slow right down again. For the time being don't ride to the point where you are getting short of breath. Relaxation is also key, tense muscles also need oxygen, so all but the essential parts of your body should be relaxed as you roll along.
The miles will come readily enough....

 

[Tripster]

You're overthinking it, you're going to spoil a great hobby by beating yourself up, forget all this brolacs, go out enjoy yourself, all you need to monitor if you desire is time & disatnce.

Agree with this.When I started running again I saw some silly HR numbers on my Suunto watch which constantly said after runs I was in PTE zone 5 and should not do this often.
I was running 5:21 min/km for 12-14k over hilly, rough offroad terrain last month, 45 year old, 13stone and good fitness. My max heart rate was 186 up a ridiculous hill and I had a heart rate chest strap....... scared the life out of me, spoiled my run. But straight after I could hold a conversation, sing to music playing in my headphones & I was feeling good. The rest of the run I was at 140-155 with occasional 155
I would pedal at a pace you feel relaxed, and good. Enjoy the scenery and enjoy the ride. Look at the stats after a coffee & cake and follow @Phaeton advice 👍

 

[Colin Grigson]

Ride at least 3 days a week - four would be better but no more. Ride reasonably hard so you are putting some effort in and getting out of breath from time to time. Do 2 or 3 shorter slightly harder rides and one longer slower easier ride. You will gain fitness very quickly. You will notice a big difference within a couple of months guaranteed - you will be going quicker, hills won't seem so hard and rides you are doing now won't seem as long. You won't get any fitter any quicker worrying about your hart rate at this stage.

That is exactly my experience over the last two months .... I don’t know what my heart rate is now whilst peddling but it’s considerably less than those first few outings