My cycling max heart rate for cycling is a lot lower than running 170 vs 185. What is the best way to even this out? Leg weight workouts? Or is this generally accepted? I’ve got my cadence up to 90rpm to try and take advantage of higher cadence but still a huge difference. Cadence over 90 I tend to get bad form/pedal stroke.
It’s normal, and pretty much like this for everyone. Over time, people tend to care less about heart rate and more about POWER, as it’s really the most useful metric for, well, going faster. 
As a triathlete coming from a running background my run max was always higher than my cycle.
Especially if I was on a road bike standard geometry then I couldn’t even get my HR close to my run numbers.
It is common for an great athlete to have their highest HR in their best activity. Obviously they are adapted or born with the right stuff for that sport so can perform outside the level of more normal folks at that sport.
Now I no longer run and just cycle, my cycling max HR is higher than than my run (1 beat) was after allowing my body to adapt into a road cycling position.(it used to be 2 beats lower on tri TT position and I simply nowhere near on a standard road position)
This change has occurred even though I am now 52 YO.
And power is not the be all and end all.
I still prefer HR to train by as it follows any change in power. Many tour teams still prefer HR but most used the both.
They compliment each other, but neither tells the whole story on it’s own.
Those that really understand whats going on tend to prefer HR, but athlete without a deeper understanding find it easier to be told a power and hold it.
This requires much more regular testing as power goes up and down with fitness levels, whereas HR tracks.
Measuring HR is actually one step closer to physiological event than power is.
But a lot cannot understand the varying lag between power output and the HR they see, so power is better for them.
What I see is that most that prefer power because HR did not make sense to them, actually convert more towards using HR as they get to understand their body using power and seeing how the HR relates to that whilst they are riding.
My cycling max heart rate for cycling is a lot lower than running 170 vs 185. What is the best way to even this out? Leg weight workouts? Or is this generally accepted? I’ve got my cadence up to 90rpm to try and take advantage of higher cadence but still a huge difference. Cadence over 90 I tend to get bad form/pedal stroke.
Aren’t you the USA Swimming guru??? Why are you doing anything but swimming:)
Pretty much the norm as you support less weight on the bike than running. Forget max HR number. I posted this in a previous HR thread. Note the links and where they take you:
“If you’re capable now, have some “fun” and do the run (and bike) field LT test to find out your HR averages, read this on field LT testing protocol. Then use the downloadable spreadsheet here for determining the HR zone calculations using the above field LT test HR average results and use them as applicable in training.”
I never focus on pedal form per se, I only think of two pistons going up and down! Only the trainer I suffer at 95-100 rpms, on the road I can go a bit higher to about 105. My ideal power range is 80 to 95 though, lower I can drop the HR a bit.
That said, I use virtual power on the trainer and RPE on the road, until I get a power meter. Biking with HR is ok for steady state efforts but intervals and such its a mess due to lag.
A very broad rule of thumb is the Run LT HR is about 8-2 BPM higher than bike HR and swim is another 8 -12 BPM below Bike- again a general guide but lower HR on Bike is the norm. Hope this helps
It is higher for you on the run because you are not strong enough on the bike. Long time cyclists will have the opposite numbers. The best triathletes in the world will have very even HR’s in each sport, because they have trained their muscles to use their top cardiac outputs.
Climb hills in too big a gear and go to the weight room…
My cycling max heart rate for cycling is a lot lower than running 170 vs 185. What is the best way to even this out? Leg weight workouts? Or is this generally accepted? I’ve got my cadence up to 90rpm to try and take advantage of higher cadence but still a huge difference. Cadence over 90 I tend to get bad form/pedal stroke.
Are you seated (e.g. on a trainer) when you get that max heart rate? If you go and climb a hill and get out of the saddle you might be able to get higher than that too reducing the spread