Whether you're a beginning or expert cyclist, knowing your heart rate while cycling can impact your workout in a positive way. Keeping your heart at its target heart rate can keep you in a comfortable yet strenuous pace. Going too far over your target heart rate can make you feel exhausted too early in the ride, while staying under your target heart rate is not as beneficial a workout. Keep your heart rate at its most productive rate by monitoring your heart rate while you are cycling.
Step 1
Stop the bike periodically and place two fingers on your wrist to find your pulse. Look at your watch and count the number of times your heart beats in 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 to determine your current heart rate. Finding your heart rate this way is considered inconvenient for many cyclists because you must get off the bike and stop your workout to determine heart rate.
Step 2
Take the Talk Test. According to a 2004 University of New Mexico study, the Talk Test is a rough way to determine heart rate. If you are able to carry on a conversation while you are cycling, you have not reached your target heart rate. When you are unable to speak in anything longer than a "yes" or "no" answer, you have reached your target heart rate. Although this is not an exact way to determine heart rate, you can use it as a guideline when no other monitoring devices are available.
Step 3
Wear a heart rate monitor on your body. There are a variety of heart rate monitors available on the market. Some attach to your wrist and double as a wristwatch, while others are strapped directly to your arm or chest. Heart rate monitors digitally determine your heart rate at any given time during the workout, but in some cases may distract you during your workout if you continually look down at the device.
Step 4
Attach a small bike computer to your handlebars. In addition to measuring your heart rate, a bike computer can determine your trip time, your speed, how many miles you have biked and how many miles are left in your trip. In some bike computers, a small strap is attached to your body to measure heart rate. On others, you must place your hand over a specific area of the computer to determine the rate. Like heart rate monitors, bike computers can be distracting to some cyclists.
Tips and Warnings
- Staying in your target heart rate will keep your workout maximized throughout the duration of the trip.
- Wear adequate protective gear while cycling, including a helmet and reflectors.
Things You'll Need
- Watch
- Heart rate monitor
- Bicycle computer
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