Hello all , I know this has probably been asked a million times but Im just getting in to the numbers side of cycling after years of just getting out and riding, I do long distance trips like the Tour Divide etc and local cycling between 30 and 70 miles.
Anyway I think l’m fit, I have recently tried to start zone 2 work outs my age is 54 , when l listen to my body zone two My heart rate is 165ish, im comfortable can hold a converstaion sing etc but wahoo and strava say its my zone 4 if its zone 4 then its easy … I just want to get fit and stay fit as im getting older am i doing something wrong or is it im fitter than l realise , l mean always active .. cheers
Good morning @Cyclingstevo and welcome back to the forums!
You’re correct as to what a Z2 effort should “feel like”, but as someone not much older than you, 165bpm seems high for Z2. I think my Z2 is 112 - 129, but then everyone is different (I’m bradycardic, so my HR is very low across the board). Maybe you’re blessed with the 
of a 20yo!
What are you using to record your HR? Have you done any kind of Max HR testing or a ramp test? Because without some idea of what your max is, any zones you’re working with in Wahoo, Strava, etc. are purely arbitrary.
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Thank you for your prompt reply @CPT_A, that may be what l’ve done wrong.. lm going purely off feeling.. l wear a heart rate monitor , lve never done any Max HR test, like l say normally l just ride im just trying to get some idea of how fit l am and have some number to either stay around or better them… I look back at my Strava and my cycles on my indoor trainer and my zones seem fine last year, the only thing that has changed l can think of is my heart rate monitor has been changed ?*different make) but seems to be the same reading as my watch.. and Im just back from a trip cycling 50 miles every day with over 1000m climbing for a month so l do feel much fitter than I did when I did the tour divide last year .. l have just re subscribed to whoop again that should l think help with finding my zones … heart of a 20 year old what a dream 
l mean lve always lived health and been active dont drink never smoked etc I will google Max hr test , cheers
If you have done the 4DP or ramp test, you have a HR number to use for figuring out the possible zone two range, which the analysis that wahoo provides will tell you.
The average HR of the 5 minute part of Full Frontal test will give a general number to use for finding zone 2. My zone 2 threshold is always around 85% of the average hr for those 5 minutes.
In the ramp test, my zone 2 hr is around 80% of my max HR at the end of the ramp.
However, hr is variable from day to day, so the talk/singing test is still a respected way of defying zone 2, more or less.
If your zone 2 hr is 165, your hr max is likely around 190, which seems possible. Mine was in that neighborhood when I was 50.
Generally the only time I have hit my max HR, i was seeing spots and darkness was closing in. THats not ideal out on the road, and it’s really hard to do indoors.
Might find this useful.
Many thanks @wmalexmann l will take a look at it all
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