Heart rate zone calculator for cyclists

The most accurate cycling heart rate zones come from your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR): Zone 2 is 81 to 89 % of LTHR, threshold is 94 to 99 %. If you only know your max heart rate, use percentages of max or of heart rate reserve (Karvonen). Pick a method below to get every zone in beats per minute.

Calculator

Model

Lactate threshold heart rate

bpm

Average heart rate over the last 20 minutes of a 30-minute solo time trial.

Zone	Name	Range basis	bpm	Use it for
Z1	Recovery	≤ 68 % LTHR	< 113 bpm	Recovery rides
Z2	Endurance	69–83 %	113–137 bpm	Endurance base, the bulk of your riding
Z3	Tempo	84–94 %	138–155 bpm	Tempo and long steady climbs
Z4	Threshold	95–104 %	156–172 bpm	Threshold intervals, time trials
Z5	VO2 Max	> 104 %	173+ bpm	VO2max intervals and race efforts

LeCoach 5-zone model, % of LTHR.

The LeCoach 5-zone model

LeCoach's default model splits effort into 5 zones by % of LTHR, and it is what this calculator opens with:

Zone	Name	% of LTHR	At LTHR 165 bpm
Z1	Recovery	≤ 68 %	up to 112 bpm
Z2	Endurance	69–83 %	114–137 bpm
Z3	Tempo	84–94 %	139–155 bpm
Z4	Threshold	95–104 %	157–172 bpm
Z5	VO2 Max	> 104 %	173 bpm and up

Why we default to this. It is the simplest model that still covers how you actually train: easy, steady, tempo, threshold, hard. Five zones are also wide enough to absorb the day-to-day drift in heart rate from heat, caffeine, fatigue and dehydration, so you are not bounced between zone labels for reasons that have nothing to do with training intensity. A narrower model looks more precise on paper, but heart rate itself is not that precise day to day, so extra zone boundaries mostly add false confidence.

Three ways to set heart rate zones

Heart rate zones divide your effort into ranges so you can ride at the intensity a session is meant for. How useful they are depends on what they are anchored to. This calculator, part of the free LeCoach cycling calculators, offers four models.

Method	Anchor	Best for
LeCoach 5 zones	% of LTHR, simplified	Most riders. Simple, wide zones that absorb normal day-to-day drift. Recommended.
Friel 7 zones	% of LTHR, finer-grained	Riders who want Joe Friel's original, more detailed breakdown
Max heart rate	A percentage of your highest heart rate	Quick setup when you know your true max
Heart rate reserve (Karvonen)	A percentage of the range between resting and max	Riders who know both resting and max heart rate

Why LTHR is best. Two riders with the same maximum heart rate can have very different thresholds. A trained rider may hold 92 % of max for an hour; a beginner maybe 82 %. Zones based on max heart rate treat them the same, which puts one of them in the wrong zone. Zones based on LTHR follow where your own threshold actually sits.

Cycling zones from LTHR (Friel's 7-zone model)

Joe Friel's cycling zones are a finer-grained alternative to the LeCoach model, nice if you want more detail:

Zone	Name	% of LTHR	At LTHR 165 bpm
Z1	Recovery	below 81 %	below 134 bpm
Z2	Aerobic endurance	81–89 %	134–148 bpm
Z3	Tempo	90–93 %	149–155 bpm
Z4	Sub-threshold	94–99 %	156–164 bpm
Z5a	Super-threshold	100–102 %	165–169 bpm
Z5b	Aerobic capacity	103–106 %	170–174 bpm
Z5c	Anaerobic capacity	above 106 %	175 bpm and up

How to find your LTHR. Warm up well, then ride a 30-minute time trial alone, as hard as you can sustain, on a flat road or the trainer. Your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes is your LTHR. Riding alone matters: in a group or race, heart rate runs higher.

Why does Friel have 7 zones? The extra boundaries separate super-threshold, aerobic capacity and anaerobic capacity work, which is useful if you are coaching very precise interval sessions. In practice this precision is fragile: one day's sub-threshold effort is another day's above-threshold effort, depending on heat, fatigue or how rested you are. That is a big part of why LeCoach defaults to the simpler 5-zone model above, and treats Friel's 7 zones as a nice-to-have for riders who want them rather than a requirement.

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Zones from max heart rate and heart rate reserve

If you do not have an LTHR, use five zones based on maximum heart rate:

Zone	% of max HR	At max 185 bpm	% of heart rate reserve	At max 185, rest 50
Z1 Very light	50–60 %	93–110 bpm	50–60 %	118–130 bpm
Z2 Light (endurance)	60–70 %	111–129 bpm	60–70 %	131–144 bpm
Z3 Moderate (tempo)	70–80 %	130–147 bpm	70–80 %	145–157 bpm
Z4 Hard (threshold)	80–90 %	148–166 bpm	80–90 %	158–171 bpm
Z5 Maximum	90–100 %	167–185 bpm	90–100 %	172–185 bpm

The Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method uses: target = resting HR + % × (max HR − resting HR). It shifts the lower zones up, which usually matches how hard easy riding actually feels for trained riders.

About max heart rate formulas. "220 minus age" is off by 10 to 12 beats for many people. The calculator offers the better Tanaka formula, 208 − 0.7 × age, but any formula is a population average. Your highest heart rate seen at the end of a hard race or a very hard final climb is a better number.

Heart rate versus power

If you train with a power meter, use power for intervals and heart rate as a second signal. Heart rate lags: in a 4-minute VO2max interval it takes a minute or more to catch up, so a heart rate target makes you ride the first half too hard. For efforts under about 2 minutes, heart rate is no use as a target at all.

Heart rate is at its best for:

Long endurance rides, where it keeps you honestly in Zone 2. Set your power zones as well and use both.
Spotting fatigue. A heart rate that will not rise to its normal level at a familiar power, or that runs high on an easy ride, says more about your recovery than power alone.
Riders without a power meter, for whom it is the best available measure.

Common mistakes

Using 220 − age as fact. Test or observe your real max instead.
Taking LTHR from a group ride. Drafting, surges and adrenaline change heart rate. Test alone.
Chasing heart rate in short intervals. Ride short efforts by power or feel; heart rate catches up later.
Ignoring drift. On a long ride your heart rate creeps up at the same power, especially in heat. Late in a ride, a Zone 2 heart rate may mean a lower power than at the start. That is normal.
Using running zones on the bike. Most people have a lower heart rate on the bike than running at the same effort. Test LTHR separately for each sport.

When your zones should change

After a training block, retest LTHR. It changes less than power, but it does change.
In heat, heart rate runs higher for the same effort. Keep the zones, but expect to ride a lower power to stay in them.
When tired, ill or stressed, heart rate can be suppressed or elevated. If heart rate and feel disagree strongly, back off.
With caffeine or at altitude, heart rate runs higher than normal for a given effort.

Your resting heart rate and HRV are useful signals in their own right. Read more in our guides on HRV for cyclists and HRV versus resting heart rate.

LeCoach uses the heart rate and power zones in your Intervals.icu profile for every workout it builds. Each morning it reads your resting heart rate, HRV and sleep, and when they point to poor recovery it suggests an easier day and tells you why.

Sources

Friel J. The Cyclist's Training Bible, 5th edition. VeloPress, 2018.
Karvonen MJ, Kentala E, Mustala O. The effects of training on heart rate: a longitudinal study. Annales Medicinae Experimentalis et Biologiae Fenniae, 1957;35(3):307-315.
Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001;37(1):153-156.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my heart rate zones for cycling?

The most accurate way is from your lactate threshold heart rate. Ride a 30-minute solo time trial and take the average heart rate of the last 20 minutes. Zone 2 is then 81 to 89 % of that number, Zone 4 is 94 to 99 %, and so on. The calculator does the maths for every zone.

What is Zone 2 heart rate for cycling?

With LTHR-based zones, Zone 2 is 81 to 89 % of your lactate threshold heart rate. For a rider with an LTHR of 165 bpm, that is 134 to 148 bpm. Using max heart rate, Zone 2 is roughly 60 to 70 % of max, but that method is less precise.

Is LTHR or max heart rate better for zones?

LTHR. It reflects where your threshold actually sits, which varies a lot between riders with the same maximum heart rate. Max heart rate zones are a reasonable start if you have no threshold test, but expect them to be off for well-trained riders and for beginners.

Why is my cycling heart rate lower than when running?

Running uses more muscle mass and carries your full body weight, so the heart has to work harder. Most people have a lower maximum and threshold heart rate on the bike, often 5 to 10 beats. Set separate zones for each sport.

How do I find my max heart rate?

The highest value you see at the end of an all-out effort, such as the final minute of a hard race or a maximal climb after a good warm-up, is your best estimate. Formulas like 208 − 0.7 × age give a population average and can be off by more than 10 beats.

What is the Karvonen formula?

It sets zones as a percentage of heart rate reserve: target heart rate = resting heart rate + percentage × (max heart rate − resting heart rate). Because it accounts for resting heart rate, it usually gives more realistic easy zones than a plain percentage of max.

Should I train with heart rate or power?

Use power for intervals and pacing, and heart rate alongside it for long rides and to spot fatigue. Heart rate lags behind effort and drifts with heat and fatigue, while power is instant. If you only have a heart rate monitor, LTHR-based zones work well for endurance and threshold training.