# Heartrate



## Hyder (May 30, 2013)

He coaches,

I am 46 yrs old 170 pounds and have a FTP of 260.

My heart rate will max at about 182, I got it to 185 once and only once. 
Cannot seem to find any data, in your exp what is the average max heart rate for someone around my age.

Thanks,

Hyder


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## Alex_Simmons/RST (Jan 12, 2008)

Hyder said:


> He coaches,
> 
> I am 46 yrs old 170 pounds and have a FTP of 260.
> 
> ...


160 - 190 bpm


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Max is max. It varies quite a bit between individuals. If you got to 185 once, maybe that's your max. I very rarely hit my max, only for a few seconds, and only after a number of extremely hard intervals.


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## ibericb (Oct 28, 2014)

There are many studies and models of maximum heart rate vs. age. Start here, and note the references included. Also be sure of what you're looking for - maximum heart rate, or activity specific peak heart rate.


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## scooterman (Apr 15, 2006)

I'm 34 my ftp is 315. My max HR is about 180 and I almost never see it ever. Highest i normally see is 172 on a full out sprint or on an extended climb, I rarely pass 170. HR is HR it doesn't matter as long as you know your zones. There is a kid I ride with and his HR will be 190 at 200w his max is 215....


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## bwbishop (Sep 17, 2011)

HR is very different for each person and is not always correlated with health or age. I'm 34, max HR of 203. I averaged 182 bpm on my last half marathon. I have a high active heart rate but only 45 bpm resting HR. What does that mean? Who the hell knows... Ride more and your heart will thank you


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## ParadigmDawg (Aug 2, 2012)

I just use years of data to find my max heart rate. I am 51 and it is 180 which I have only hit 3 or 4 times and each time it was on a mountain bike.


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## corgan_s (Apr 21, 2016)

ParadigmDawg said:


> I just use years of data to find my max heart rate. I am 51 and it is 180 which I have only hit 3 or 4 times and each time it was on a mountain bike.


170 - 200 bpm


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## Ritsuke (Sep 11, 2015)

Heartrate is so personal that it's much better to do a health test rather than search the internet. It's too dangerous to go messing with wrong values, trying to beat the impossible, ... .


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## yogidabear (Mar 4, 2014)

Heart rate varies pretty widely from person to person, as others have said. 

I'm a 40 year old male. Resting heart rate 42, max 178.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

My Max HR is 162 and I am 68y/o. However I got tired of wearing the strap and just leave it in the drawer.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

50 YO and 182. Using formulas it comes out to 181 but I've hit 182, so there it is.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

BikeLayne said:


> I am 68y/o. However I got tired of wearing the strap and just leave it in the drawer.


Yeah me too - age and strap location. I stopped using one years ago (15?) and wouldn't take a free one. I don't need any LCD number. Flat out *IS* flat out at that place and time. I just know.


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## Migen21 (Oct 28, 2014)

Everyone is different. If you have questions or concerns you should consult a Doctor, preferably one with Cardivascular expertise.

Just for comparison, I'm 53, and 6' 5" and about 235 lbs (+/- 5lbs).

My first year back to cycling (winter 2013), I was doing a lot of indoor trainer sessions (Sufferfest in PerfPro Studio) at the local cycle shop. I noticed that my HR was always much lower than people much fitter than me (and younger in most cases).  

I asked my Dr. about it. He did some tests. He said I have a condition he called "Athletes Heart", or "Left Ventricular Athletic Heart Syndrome". I'm a big guy, and he told me that it's fairly common in larger folks who have done endurance sports from a young age to have a larger left ventricle than most others. It's not a problem, although it does indicate some future concerns that need to be monitored. It's just something I need to be aware of. 

I get a full cardio workup every year after my normal physical - mostly because I have a family history of sudden cardiac death. 

My resting HR (sitting in a chair, relaxed - not sleeping or laying horizontal) is about 50. At the other end of the scale somewhere, my 4' 11" girlfriends resting HR is closer to 90. We are two very different people with very different cardiovascular systems.

My riding is not such that I really need to know what my max HR is, as I almost never approach it, except on long/steep climbs. The highest it ever gets on a normal ride is in the high 160s, although this winter it went up over 180 during an FTP test on the trainer (only happened this one time). I normally ride between 120 and 145 or so (unless hills are involved).


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## Fajita Dave (Dec 1, 2015)

Seems like the OP started this a while ago but since people keep posting in it I'll chime in. Heart rate is very personal and your personal needs should to be evaluated by someone who knows what they're doing. If you are in general a healthy person who doesn't have a family history of heart problems then I wouldn't worry about it. Maxed out is maxed out and your average will simply be a measure of how much effort you put into the ride.

Just for fun here is my Strava HR data from my last trail 5K race. I thought my max was 192 but I was off by 2 BPM. I can't recommend ever spending 38mins straight in zone 4+.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

Mike T. said:


> Yeah me too - age and strap location. I stopped using one years ago (15?) and wouldn't take a free one. I don't need any LCD number. Flat out *IS* flat out at that place and time. I just know.


Mostly easy to moderate efforts for me on my usual bike rides. I am trying to ride 100mi a week but the rain has been a problem. Most of my real hard efforts are on the local bike shop rides but I do not really need a HR monitor to tell me when I am at the brink.


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