How to Use Heart Rate Monitors

Once upon a time, the only gadget you’d find on a cyclist’s wrist was a tiny clock. Fast forward to the here and now, and these devices have evolved into high-tech tools capable of so much more — such as tracking your heart rate in real-time. For cyclists, this advancement has been a game-changer. 

Whether it’s a wrist-based monitor or a chest strap wearable, heart rate monitors offer live insights into your cardiovascular performance. Considering the transformative effect they can have on your fitness, you’re probably wondering how to use a heart rate monitor to improve your cycling. Read on to find out…

Why Do Cyclists Use Heart Rate Monitors?

For many cyclists, heart rate monitors are a game-changing tool that transforms the way they train, providing valuable, actionable insights. Heart rate monitors provide crucial data on your body’s performance during a ride by measuring how many times your heart beats within a given time frame — usually 60 seconds. 

This is referred to as BPM (beats per minute), and it’s a handy metric that can be used to monitor a number of things: 

• Real-time feedback: heart rate monitors provide immediate insight into how hard your body is working during a ride. This real-time data helps you adjust your effort on the fly. 
• Monitoring progress: by comparing heart rate data from different rides, cyclists can take note of how their endurance and recovery capabilities evolve, and analyse potential strategies for optimisation. 
• Targeting heart rate zones: understanding and utilising heart rate zones can be a key tool for cyclists hoping to train more strategically. Categorising workouts into different intensity levels allows cyclists to focus on specific goals. 

What Is a Heart Rate Zone? 

A heart rate zone is a specific BPM range used to measure the intensity of your workout. The zones are calculated as a percentage of your max heart rate, which differs based on a number of variables such as age, fitness and sex. 

• Zone 1 (resting zone): 50-60% of max heart rate. 
• Zone 2 (endurance zone): 60-70% of max heart rate.
• Zone 3 (tempo zone): 70-80% of max heart rate.
• Zone 4 (threshold zone): 80-90% of max heart rate.
• Zone 5 (anaerobic zone): 90-100% of max heart rate.

Understanding heart rate zones can transform your training. Before we move onto how to use a heart rate monitor to improve your cycling, we need to figure out how to get your maximum heart rate…

How to Calculate your Maximum Heart Rate

If you want to start incorporating heart rate zone training into your regimen, you’ll need to first figure out what your maximum heart rate is. While the most accurate way to do this would involve undergoing cardiovascular testing, you can get a general idea of your maximum heart rate with a simple formula: subtract your age from 220. 

So, a 41-year-old cyclist would expect to have a maximum heart rate of at least 179 — however, you can actually improve this figure by getting fitter and more proficient overall. 

Which Heart Rate Zone Should I Cycle In?

Most experts recommend focusing the majority of your training in Zone 2, which helps build long-term endurance. The higher zones, especially Zone 4 and Zone 5, are ideal for more intense sessions. Mixing up your training across zones is conducive to well-rounded development.

Ultimately, it depends on what you want to achieve from your ride: 

• Zone 1: good for warming up, recovery rides.
• Zone 2: good for building long-term endurance.
• Zone 3: good for event-specific training.
• Zone 4: good for practice ‘breaking through the wall’.
• Zone 5: good for increasing VO2 max.

Choosing the Right Heart Rate Monitor to Improve your Cycling

Not all heart rate monitors are created equal, and as such, selecting the right one can be tricky. While you’re generally going to be well-served by well-known brands such as Garmin and Apple, there are a few key considerations you should keep in mind: 

• Accuracy: you’ll need a reliable heart rate monitor that can provide precise readings. Monitors that utilise optical sensors or chest straps tend to give more accurate data. 
• Battery life: as a cyclist, you may have rides that last hours, and trips that last days or weeks. Try and find a monitor that offers days of charge at the least, with weeks of charge being preferable. 
• Water resistance: you’ll likely be spending a fair amount of time outside as a cyclist, so getting a waterproof/water-resistant wearable is advised. An IP65 rating is probably the minimum you should be aiming for.
• Comfort: an incredibly important thing to consider is the comfortability of your heart rate monitor. Chest straps are more accurate but less comfortable, wrist-based monitors are often more comfortable, but provide less accuracy. 

Heart Rate Monitors: Chest Straps or Wrist-based?

When it comes to using a heart rate monitor to improve your cycling, cyclists often find themselves choosing between two popular options: wrist-based monitors and chest straps. Both have their own distinct advantages and drawbacks, so it’s really about finding which type suits you. 

• Chest straps: thought of as the gold standard when it comes to heart rate monitoring. By using electrodes to detect electrical signals, they can provide highly accurate heart rate readings. Offers a level of precision that might be mandatory for advanced cyclists. 
• Wrist-based monitors: by using optical sensors to detect blood flow beneath the skin, wrist-based monitors can provide an impressively accurate measure of heart rate. However, they are less precise than chest straps. A very solid option for most cyclists. More comfortable, too.

I’m Getting Into Cycling, Do I need to Use a Heart Rate Monitor?

While it’s far from a prerequisite if you want to get into riding, incorporating a heart rate monitor into your cycling routine is one of the best ways to track and improve your performance. Doing so allows you to unlock the potential of heart rate zones, and effectively targeting them can genuinely take your training up several notches. 

We hope you’ve now got a better idea of how to use a heart rate monitor to improve your cycling. We also hope you’ve been enticed by the prospect of heart rate zone training.

Hill rides are a great way to get into zone 3 / zone 4 territory — if you want a primer on how to train for those vertical ascents, check out this blog.