Heart Rate Zones for Cycling — Bike Training Calculator
Cyclists benefit from lower resting HR due to sustained aerobic training. Use Karvonen zones to structure your endurance, tempo, and threshold workouts.
How It Works
Cyclists often have very low resting HR (45-55 bpm) from sustained aerobic work. Use morning measurements for accuracy.
Zone 2 cycling is your long-ride base — 2-4 hour rides at conversational effort build aerobic capacity.
Zone 4 (threshold) is where you do FTP work and sweet-spot intervals — the bread and butter of cycling improvement.
Zone 5 is for VO2 max intervals and sprint efforts — use sparingly for maximal adaptation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my cycling HR zones different from running?
Most cyclists have 5-10 bpm lower max HR in cycling vs running because cycling uses smaller muscle mass. If you do both, measure zones separately for each sport.
What's sweet spot training?
Sweet spot is high Zone 3 to low Zone 4 (88-93% FTP) — it delivers most of the benefits of threshold work with less fatigue. Typically 2x20 min intervals.
Should cyclists train by HR or power?
Power is more accurate than HR for cycling because it measures output directly, not response. Use HR as a secondary check for fatigue and hydration.