I use the term “Training” loosely but I’ve been logging my HR during all my rides for a few weeks now (using Strava)…

Had a brief look at the various ways you can apparently calculate your HR-Max value, and the various Zones but TBH, it’s all new to me, so where should I start?

What should I be looking to find out/understand from the data gathered and how should I then think about applying that to my riding/training?

And no I will not be getting a Power meter…

This is a good place to start.

so where should I start?

what are you trying to achieve?

What should I be looking to find out/understand from the data gathered

forgive me if i’m missing the question; but your heart rate.

That is actually quite useful and understandable, cheers Rusty…

Sorry Tom, it was more of an open ended question…

HR based training is a new game to me, but it terms of goals:
I guess improved my endurance would probably be the first, gaining speed, losing weight, a bit of everything like most people, but I’d prioritise endurance first…

Heart rate is a measure of how hard you are working. The training for a endurance etc. won’t be different to whether you are using percieved exertion levels, HR, or using a power meter.

IMO:

endurance would probably be the first,

raise your threshold

gaining speed,

raise your threshold

losing weight,

more to do with food than exercise.

Have a read of this.

base: a new defintion

What you need to do, to be able to work out how hard you are working is find your max HR or your threshold heart rate. These will then work out heart rate zones.

TBH Tom, that linked article reads like it’s intended for someone with a fair bit more understanding/knowledge on the subject than I currently posses (or am ever likely to)…

raise your threshold

So how does one actually make use of all this gathered HRM data to “raise my threshold”?
Or is this just the “I speak sports science-ise” way of saying “MTFU”?

The BR noddy article suggests:

Zone 5 (89-94% of MHR): For raising anaerobic threshold. Good sessions for 10- and 25-mile time-trials.

Sorry but I’m not a TTer when I say endurance I mean riding at a sustainable pace, further/longer without fatiguing as rapidly, riding 25 miles at 90% MHR isn’t really my goal TBH…

If I’ve understood it, I should be training more in Zones 2 – 3 (65 – 82% of MHR) for longer periods to build aerobic capacity and condition myself to moderate levels of stress…

I think I’ll just use the suggestions outlined in Rusty’s linked article (intended more for HR training the noobs like me?) to establish my Max-HR, work out my zones and go from there…