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Inconsistent intensity calculations

Former Member
Former Member over 4 years ago

My short bike rides are a 17.5 mile loop that I do a few times a week.  While my average speed varies slightly (16.9 mph - 17.6), the calculated intensity minutes are all over the place, from a low of 70 to a high of 122.  This variability, on a relatively consistent ride, makes me doubt the accuracy of the whole process.  Anyone else experiencing this?  Any explanations?  solutions?

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    Intensity minutes are calculated by HR and not distance or speed.  Is your HR recording consistently with those rides? If you're using the WHR, is it possible the watch was moving or accumulating more sweat under the watch due to temperature on some of those rides giving you poor data? 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tess

    Also please note, that intensity minutes are not directly related to a recorded activity. They accumulate whenever your heart rate exceeds certain level. So if your heart rate remains high after the ride, then it might still count as intensity minutes. Inversely, if your heart rate is low during a recorded activity, it might not count towards intensity minutes. To make things more complicated, above a certain heart rate level intensity minutes count double.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to tess

    Thanks.  The temperature/sweat may have something to do with it, but it's still weird.  I do use the WHR.  Looking at two recent rides -- same distance; same average speed, same route -- my average HR was 122 and 121, the high HR was 162 and 166, and the intensity minutes were 70 and 120.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

    I'm aware of all that.  But given that it's the same route ridden at (in my opinion) the same level of intensity, the variability doesn't make sense

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Neither average nor high hr shows the whole picture. And again, be aware that some intensity minutes might have originated from outside the activity.