On a recent 40 mile reasonably flat MTB ride, I attached my HR computer off my road bike and monitored what was going on. On strenuous fast parts of the ride I seem to balance out at about 140 to 150 bpm, so what I considered a good work rate. Felt fine. Today I went out on the road bike. Wind in my face, did a quick 25 miles including some average climbs, nothing big. I was moving with a heat rate of 190 to 200 bpm !! I felt fine, but knew I was working at it. Got home and was rung through in sweat, got changed, cleaned the bike all fine. Having only had the road bike since september and using it to avoid mud, my first rides out used to make me feel rough afterwards and I would need a recovery fluid intake to get back to normal. I dont need this now as feel fine. My main worry is heart rates. Is this normal ranges? Looking at the 220 BPM minus my age of 42, I am well over it. I am a strong cyclist and I am trying to get trained up for Lands End to JOG in 2014, so using this as a focus. Any thoughts on my heart rate, as death is something I wish to keep at bay for a while longer. Any help is good, cheers

you are definitely 100% going to die.

Sounds like you’re only worrying because you’re measuring it. If you felt fine then it’s probably ok but if you’re worried speak to a doctor.

Personally, I know I’m working hard at 170 and almost ready to pass out at 182 (37yo) but everyone is different!

What’s your resting HR?

Everyone’s different but 200 is pretty high for your age

Heart rate monitor fitted, back in ten

It’s a miracle you’re still alive.

As it goes, I was having a few worrying readings from my HRM, linked to a 310XT. I managed to solve the problem by not wearing it anymore, and take being upright as a sign I am ok.

I’m 52 and my heary rate wont go much over 170 so yours is pretty high. But the 220 minus your age is only a guide, lots of varience. Might be temptef to talk to a doctor though, if only for reassurance.

Ajudicated by the current wife at 66 bpm after 10 mins

If I go out on the road bike in my cheapo polyester high-viz jacket I get massive misreadings up to 250bpm on downhills and on windy bits. I think this is because the slightly plasticy jacket builds up static and when it flaps around it sends the HRM sensors haywire. I fixed the problem by not wearing my cheapo high-viz jacket when I’ve got my HRM on. You might have a similar issue going on here. If you feel fine you probably* are fine. 🙂

*I am not a doctor. Don’t try this at home. The value of your investment may go down as well as up. Serving suggestion.

did you feel dizzy or faint during or when you got back from the ride?

That’s pretty high! I hit 199 in a race leading out a team mate for a sprint in my early 40s and I ****ing knew it. Tunnel vision at the time and a 15min splitting headace afterwards.

Looking at the 220 BPM minus my age of 42

Is pretty crap as a guide, or I’m 14 yrs old.
Resting rate here is is around 38-40, max registered is 206, real age 47.
It’s how the heart behaves that’s more important.
Talk to doc if worried.
EDIT: I’ve also had a couple of ECGs which didn’t raise any comments except that it was the heart of an athlete.
Caveat emptor.

Both times I had a thermal layer on ( 2 different types) as chilly and then a cycling short sleeved top and a waterproof ( unzipped mostly) I see that using the HRM on the turbo trainer and have just that on ( oh and shorts and shoes but no top !!) That the 130 to 145 bpm is what I seem to get and work at a steady rate, with a few sprints and work at a reasonable level as just want to warm the legs and do a little bit of exercise, as cycled home before that ( only 2 miles mind).

200 Does sound high but there is no rule! I’m older than you but my max hr is 10bpm above the 220-age rule and resting is below 40bpm. I’m not even very fit.

did you feel dizzy or faint during or when you got back from the ride?

No, not at all. Felt tired on the last mile climb home about 2 miles from home. Did the 25 miles at 18 mph average.

Since you say 140-150 is what you would normally feel as fairly arduous, your high HR road ride may have been just a glitch. This DC Rainmaker article describes.

Also though some people do just run much higher heart rates – my wife for one and one of my riding friends another. Both tend to be around 30bpm higher than me for similar levels of exertion.

I am a couple of years older than you and average 18mph or thereabouts on my road bike, my average BPM is 130-140 and the maximum I have hit according to my Garmin is 179 on that big frigging hill out the back of Settle on the C2C 🙂

But we are all different, I would go see your doctor just for peace of mind.

On a recent local op, I had a pre swab check and blood pressure taken by a nurse and she looked at me and asked if I took betta blockers as my bp was good ( never got the readings). I dont take any medication either. Wife says if I am worried to go to the quacks. Sods law I’ll catch all the lurgies in the recetion waiting for my turn, mind 🙄

The swab was for MRSA before anyone asks 😆

Seadog, the first 13 miles I managed 23 mph average………then it got hilly !!

could be bacause you felt particularly strong and just pushed yourself harder. but just also could be a sign of slight overtraining as your legs may be writing cheques your heart cant cash! i would take your resting heatrate first thing in the morning for a few days if that seems unusually high i would take a week off the bike ( you could still do some very light spinning) through bitter experience id always take the rest option as a week off will make bugger all difference to your training

This is the first week I have done 4X 30 mins turbo and 40 miles off road last sunday , 25 miles road today and allegedly off road in the morning for probably 25 miles. Usually its been road ride saturday MTB Sunday and thats it, although I cycle to work and back each day, although thats 4 miles a day.

Have you done a max HR test on the turbo? I would do that to calibrate. Occasionally I get the glitches mentioned in the link above but I try not to worry… Or I stop a manually check.. it has never been racing. 220 minus age is only a very rough guide though.

Maybe I’ll try the VO max on the turbo in the week and see if that makes a better level/ calibration. I read the above link ( Thanks, Random) and does sound similar in certain instances , maybe with static materials etc.Currently not dead and going to sort the bike for the morning now, cheers guys.

If the only way you knew your heart rate was that high was by looking at your monitor then you don’t have a problem. Your max heart rate is what it is.

Sure it’s not your HR playing up? My old Polar would often show weird elevated HR readings when I went past train tracks with overhead electricity cables or some sections of the road the HR reading would shoot up for whenever I rode along this particular section. Low batteries would also send readings skewed.

Seadog, the first 13 miles I managed 23 mph average………then it got hilly !!

I think I would be pushing 200 at that with my legs 😀

220-your age is just a guide. Everyone has different maximum rates, some low, some hihgh. If you otherwise feel Ok there is no problem with a max of 200. My own personal max is 17 over what the guide says it should be… It’s just the way my physiology works.

I used to get this with my old Garmin. Think it was picking up power lines or something. What made me realise was looking at it afterwards on the ‘puter, it wasnt even the tough bits when “my rate” was high!

As above, everyone is different, at 34 my max is 202 which I tend to only see in races. Most rides where I just head out without a programme I’ll hit 198-199 on hill climbing.

My garmin HR occassionally does the opposite, occasionally it reads very low, sort of around 120 when I know I’m pushing it. Never used to, I’m putting it down to maybe it needing a new battery (its 2 years old)

Its highly unlikely your HR is 200 for any length of time especially if you feel fine. I’ve had stupidly high readings on my Garmin HRM a few times and it been casued variously by all of the following. Dud battery, static, poor skin contact and knackered HR strap

Replace the battery in your HR strap, clean the strap and contacts rub a bounce fabric conditioner cloth or similar over your base layer and try some of the conductive gel available for Tens machines. If that fails your HR strap is probably knackered.

220 minus your age is useless in the context of sport! it not in anyway shape or form an indicator of your true max HR.

i know a 50 year who is pretty hand on a bike his max is 192

mine is 210 which is the highest I’ve hit. and can hold 190 for a while!
If you were at 190-200 you would know about it thou!

If possible look over your file to see if looks out of place in the HR graph or if it builds to it steady it.

Any system of recording HR will give dodgy readings at times. At work, we used medical grade ECG units on people riding dune buggies very fast, and pretty much all of them spiked up to way beyond 200. Looking at the raw data, it was almost certainly some kind of error. Those are units costing a couple of grand.

If it’s the sort you can upload to a computer, then look at the graph – if it consistently goes that high, and isn’t all spiky, then it would be out of character for a connection error (either the electrical & physical connection between the strap and your body, or the digital connection between the strap and the HRM unit). Could just be that you have a high HR. I could easily go up to above my theoretical 220-age calculation last time I tried a few years back.