Suggested workout HR for cycling seems low

Hi all,

I have seen that the HR suggested for cycling base rides and base runs really differ. 
My suggested HR for running is around 150 bpm, which I think matches RPE quite well (I feel like I can go on forever & keep up a conversation easily). 
For cycling however it suggests 120bpm which I feel is ridiculously low (and the same HR target is used for recovery rides). 

Is this discrepancy normal? My HR end up in the 130’s anyway and have found that I can increase the wattage from the 120/125 suggested to around 150w and still get “base training effect” at a bpm of around 140.

Am I going about this wrong? I’m new to cycling so maybe I’m meant to do my base rides in low Zone 1?
Should I continue to go harder than suggested, or am I missing something? The hr/power it suggests now is so low that I don’t even get a new VO2max estimate…

Appreciate any insights you might have! I like the suggested workout feature as it takes the thinking out of exercising, but this feels a bit wrong!

about me:
Age:28
MaxHR:202
RHR:47
FTP(Zwift ramp):256
I use HRM Pro for HR

  • Does the fenix 7 have automatic calculation of the anaerobic threshold for the bike? as well as ftp?

  • I have started to use the daily suggestions for cycling and I have the same problem.

    Here I put the suggestions for this week for cycling and running.

    Cycling
    Base - 1:30:00 109bpm 100W <- This should not be Z1, it should be 133bpm 120W
    Base - 2:54:00 109bpm 100W <- This should not be Z1, it should be 133bpm 120W
    Base - 1:17:00 109bpm 100W <- This should not be Z1, it should be 133bpm 120W
    Threshold: 46:00 Warm Up 15:00 133bpm 120W 16:00@162bpm 180W LOOK THE WARM UP HERE, IT IS CORRECT, IN Z2 RANGE
    Recovery - 30:00 109bpm 100W This  is correct
    Threshold: 46:00 Warm Up 15:00 133bpm 120W 16:00@162bpm 180W
    Base - 1:17:00 109bpm 100W <- This should not be Z1, it should be 133bpm 120W

    Run (Run zones and paces are correct in running)
    Base - 45:00 137bpm 5:45
    Base - 40:00 137bpm 5:45
    Threshold - 39:00 Warm Up 10:00 137bpm 5:45 19:00 162bpm 4:35
    Base - 45:00 137bpm 5:45
    Threshold - Warm Up 10:00 137bpm 5:45 3x7:00@162 bpm 4:35
    Recovery - 32:00 124bpm 6:30
    Anaerobic - Warm Up 15:00min 137bpm 8x1:00@3:50

    Main
    MaxHR: 183
    LTHR: 165
    Resting: 42
    Auto Detection
    Max Heart Rate: On
    Threshold: On
    FTP: On

    Zones Based On %LTHR

    99-111% 163-183bpm < Why all the porcentages in all zones are changing in automatic mode? By example this zone was setted start from 100% by default and now is 99%
    95-98% 156-163bpm
    88-94% 145-156bpm
    79-87% 130-145bpm
    64-78% 106-130bpm

    Sport Heart Rate

    Running
    MaxHR 183
    LTHR 165
    Resting 42
    Zones Based on %LTHR

    Cycling
    MaxHR 179bpm <- I do not know why this is decreasing when no max efforts habe been done (it is in automatic mode)
    LTHR 164bpm <- This has not updated with my last LTRH Running detection 2 days ago from 164 to 165, maybe it is normal?
    Resting 42bpm
    Zones Based on %LTHR
    98-109% 161-179bpm < Why all the porcentages in all zones are changing in automatic mode? By example this zone was setted start from 100% by default and now is 98%
    93-97% 152-161bpm
    87-92% 143-152bpm
    79-86% 129-143bpm
    63-78% 104-129bpm

    Ride Zones: Based On %LTHR
    99-111% 163-183bpm < Why all the porcentages in all zones are changing in automatic mode? By example this zone was setted start from 100% by default and now is 99%
    95-98% 156-163bpm
    88-94% 145-156bpm
    79-87% 130-145bpm
    64-78% 106-130bpm

    Chirs, Could you give a look to this, it seems an SEVERE  old bug still present on 11.25

    Please fix it and add primary race for cycling for daily suggestiion to work for primary races.

  • Hi,

    I have Fenix 6 and started following the suggested workouts for cycling about a month ago. I have similar situation to you: base and recovery workouts have the same target heart rate (113 bpm), which is below lower bound for zone 1 (121 bpm, based on % of hrr).

    Did you continue to follow the suggest workouts and did the target normalize with time?

  • Sadly no, I completed a 4 months plan and it never normalize. I always did the suggeested workout for the day and I did not pick workouts in other order.

    For me there is other major flaw and it is the recovery time in bike suggested workouts.

    Even with Z1 workouts the recovery time is excessive and a lot of workouts are replaced for rest days or reduced at half or more.

    Because that, the accute load was always at bottom of the green bar, barely maintaining 'maintaning status' and Vo2max lowered from 55 to 54.

    I do not recommend to follow daily suggestions to prepare a race.

  • Having the same issue with the cycling suggested workouts on my quatix 7 pro. Using %HRR for both running and cycling where running suggestions works just fine.

  •   could you help us with this problem? You have permissions to view my account, would you need me to send any files from the Fenix?

    I am giving DSW a second try for cycling but the same thing keeps happening as two years ago, the base workouts still have a heart rate below zone 1 but it gives a recovery time as if it was a z2 workout

    Every workout since the beginning has been 108/109 bpm.

  • This is my DSW for this week which has been very similar for the month and a half I have been following the plan.

    MaxHR 183

    LTHR 169

    Vo2 Bike  55

    Vo2 Running 55

    Zones based on LTHR (same on run and bike sports zones)

    Z1: 110-135

    Z2: 135-150

    Z3: 150-161

    Z4: 161-169

    Z5: 169-183

    Primary Race: Bike 

    Date: 30th april

    Distance: 113km
    Cumulative elevation gain 2033m

    Saturday

    B Base 4:00:00  (108 bpm)

    R No alternative

    Sunday

    B Base 1:30:00 (108 bpm)

    R No alternative

    Monday

    B Recovey 30min (108 bpm)

    R Recovery 27min (130bpm)

    Tuesday

    B Vo2 max 4x4:00@174bpm

    15min (132bpm) + 4x[04:00 min (174bpm) +  2min (108 bpm)] + 15min 108 bpm

    R No alternative

    Wednesday

    B Base 1:17:00 (108 bpm)

    R Base 30min (143bpm)

    Thursday

    Sprint 3x4x0:10@430W

    20min (132bpm) + 3x [ 4x [ 0:10@430W + 2min (99 bpm)] + 5min (108 bpm)] + 15min (108 bpm)

    R No alternative

    Friday

    B Base 1:17:00 (108 bpm)

    R Base 30:00 (143bpm)

  • Accute load low and sleep and hrv good.