Is there a way to accurately find the difference in these? There are some generic calculators on the web but they are all general, nothing specific to running or cycling.
You’re getting waaaay too serious. I would expect you to make fun of all the age group geeks running around worried that their entire Ironman Florida taper is toast cause they went one beat out of Zone 1, all the while wondering if the aero drag from the extra stubble on their beards or legs from not shaving in 2 days forced the additional beat into Z2 in an effort to keep the typical Z1 pace…you can do better than this!!!
This not the Swimfan we know. You might get banished to letsrun.com if you get too serious on us! You are losing your edge…
why would they be any different?
There are Max HR tests for the swim, bike and the run that will enable you to get close. Wes Hobson’s book ,Swim Bike Run has a good section on the tests and the training zones. I just use that example because I happen to have the book.
why would they be any different?\
Exactly…They shouldn’t be, but often are different because of fitness differences in each sport, and most often because of strenght differences…Most people have a harder time keeping HR’s on the bike equal to thier run rates, and that is usually a strenght issue. Muscle fatigue sets in before they can maxamize thier HR…That is the normal scenario for most folks. People that come from a bike racing background usually do not have that problem, and most pros can sustain pretty equal HR’s in both sports…If you have a big difference, it is an indication to focus more on the weaker sport, either by harder training(lots of strenght type stuff), and/or hitting the weights to help get over the hump of quick muscle fatigue…
I understand most people may not being able to get their heart rate high on the bike
but does that mean the ‘zones’ have changed?
Isn’t the zone a reflection of the cardiovascular ‘state’ your body is in? Maybe you can’t hit a certain zone on the bike, or swim, but wouldn’t the zone be the same?
also, htfu and pedal harder and get that heart rate up! 
I suppose it would depend on how you define your zones. If it is just the hard HR #, then they are they same…If you define your zones by how long you can train in them, then they would be different. Say you can run an hour hard at 175 HR, but can only bike hard for that hour at 155…Both workouts have the same PE to you, but the HR’s are totally different…Of course you goal should be to get them closer, by elevating the cycling portion, but for pratical purposes, the HR’s are different for the hour, so a different HR for the same zone…
Your max hr can be the same for bike and run and still have different zone limits. Zones are based on fuel consumption for the activity. Comparing activities, a higher hr for a zone indicates better efficiency in that activity. That is my understanding, at least. What Monty said is true. When I started in the sport, my run zones were shifted by about 10-12 bpm higher compared w/ cycling. Now after a couple years they are pretty similar (ie. I brought my cycing ability up).
You’re getting waaaay too serious. I would expect you to make fun of all the age group geeks running around worried that their entire Ironman Florida taper is toast cause they went one beat out of Zone 1, all the while wondering if the aero drag from the extra stubble on their beards or legs from not shaving in 2 days forced the additional beat into Z2 in an effort to keep the typical Z1 pace…you can do better than this!!!
This not the Swimfan we know. You might get banished to letsrun.com if you get too serious on us! You are losing your edge…
Ironman Florida? Thats not a REAL ironman! It’s just a race for beginners, drafters and Amanda Lavato to qualify for Kona.
My understanding is that cycling uses the peripheral muscle system and hence it’s harder to push HR up. Running uses the core system making it easier to push HR up. Most people’s zones are about 7-10 beats lower on the bike than run.
Read Joe Friels Training with a heart monitor book. I remember the bike HR zones to be around 6 bpm less than your running zones.
I suppose it would depend on how you define your zones. If it is just the hard HR #, then they are they same…If you define your zones by how long you can train in them, then they would be different. Say you can run an hour hard at 175 HR, but can only bike hard for that hour at 155…Both workouts have the same PE to you, but the HR’s are totally different…Of course you goal should be to get them closer, by elevating the cycling portion, but for pratical purposes, the HR’s are different for the hour, so a different HR for the same zone…
Zones are typically defined as a percentage of LT. LT is reached at different heart rates in different sports. I reach my LT in swimming at a lower heartrate than in cycling which is at a lower HR than running.
There is no standard conversion because it’s specific to each individual.
that’s pretty close to my understanding. And from the athletes I’ve worked with/ helped out it varies ( see Monty’s post). You might have a former runner who can hardly get his HR up on the bike because he hasn’t developed that system yet.
So running zone vs. cycling zone does not matter? Should one individual train at the same HR zones for bike and run?
When I am running comfortably my hr is around 150, same effort on the bike yields to 110 or so.
Heart rate discrepancies in cycling versus running
by Dan Empfield 2.15.02
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/coachcorn/cyclingrate.html
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No I’m not saying that at all just the opposite. Bike HR zones are going to be lower than run. Roughly 7-10 beats lower.
Check out trainingpeaks.com
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