Quote Originally Posted by BabyBlueNTulsa View Post
My resting HR usually sits around 67-75. My avg riding HR on this Saturday ride was 155-161 (depending upon whether you ask GC or MB). They were around the same from my PowerTap data previously too.
Just another point of reference ...
I'm 39, and my resting HR is around 60 - 65.

And here's my HR profile for a race I did back in April. I was absolutely maxed out, and there were a couple of moments where I felt lightheaded and nauseous. I wouldn't have been able to push myself that hard outside of a race, but it did give me good data for figuring out my max.

Based on that profile, the coach I worked with to train for a race in June estimated that my actual MHR is a little over 200. I discovered that on "shorter" rides (no more than a couple of hours), I can spend a fair bit of time around 180 and not burn out. On endurance rides (2 hrs +), I need to keep my average in the 160's or less. I know we've got a lab in town that will do LT testing, and maybe I'll get around to visiting them the next time I set a cycling or fitness goal.

Here's a little quote from Joe Friel on the "220-Age" formula for max:
"This formula is as likely to be wrong—way wrong!—as it is to be right. In sport science, where a reliability quotient of 0.95 is considered good, this formula’s reliability is 0.51. In other words, it’s reliable about half the time."
There are other formulas that may be better on average, but as a rule I don't think you want to use a generalized formula.

If you want to go low-cost and easy ... just pay attention to how you feel at various HR. You'll start to kind of figure out how high you can work and maintain for an endurance ride, vs. what you're only able to maintain for a few minutes ... half an hour ... an hour.

If you want more specific help, but don't want to pay for a coach, you could check out one of Friel's training bibles and follow his formula for finding your LT and HR training zones. And if you can find a lab nearby that will do the LT testing for you that'd be pretty awesome data.

If you have more time than money, hire a coach and let them help you sort through all that information.

And have fun with your Garmin! I love mine.