Train to Heart Rate Targets and Ranges

Some of the best training is paced by heart rate rather than raw power. Recovery spins, long aerobic rides, and most Zone 2 work are prescribed as a heart rate to settle into and hold. Ride Cave now lets you put heart rate targets and ranges directly on your workout intervals.

What heart rate targets are

A heart rate target is simply the heart rate you are aiming for during an interval. You can set a single target to sit near, or a low to high range to stay inside, which is perfect for holding a zone like aerobic endurance.

These targets guide you, not the trainer. The trainer holds a steady, comfortable resistance and you bring your heart rate into the band by adjusting your own effort and gearing. That is how heart rate work is meant to be ridden. Forcing a trainer to chase your heart rate leads to a frustrating surge and fade, so Ride Cave keeps you in control of the pace.

Behind the scenes, targets are stored as a percentage of your threshold heart rate and converted to live beats per minute for your profile. If your fitness changes and you update your threshold, every workout rescales itself automatically, with no rebuilding required.

Setting a target

Open the workout Builder or start an Instant Workout, then tap any interval block to open its quick editor. Next to the power and cadence options you will find a heart rate field. Choose Single for one number or Range for a low and a high, then enter the value as a percentage of your threshold.

A live readout does the math for you, showing the resolved beats per minute and the matching zone as you type, for example about 143 to 149 bpm in Zone 2, so you always know what the target means in real numbers. The same editor powers both the Builder and Instant Workouts, so it works wherever you create a ride. An interval with a heart rate target rides as a Free Ride, freeing the trainer so you can pace to the band, and you can also add an advisory heart rate band to a power interval if you want both on screen.

Set your threshold heart rate first

Because everything anchors to your threshold heart rate, set yours in Athlete settings before you build heart rate workouts. Enter your LTHR in beats per minute, ideally from a threshold test of 20 to 30 minutes. This single number drives both your heart rate zones and your interval targets across the app.

There is also an optional Max HR field. You only need it if you import workouts that express heart rate as a percentage of maximum heart rate, which is common in files from other platforms. For everyday use, your threshold heart rate is the only number that matters.

Watching it during your ride

Once you are riding, your heart rate data cell does the work. With no target active it shows your current heart rate and your session average, exactly as before. When the running interval has a target, that same cell switches into target mode.

You will see your heart rate targets right in the heart rate data cell. A dotted line marks a single target, or two lines mark the top and bottom of your range, and a live bar shows where your heart rate sits against the band. One glance tells you whether to ease off, hold, or lift the pace to settle into the zone.

Bring your existing workouts

If you already follow training built around heart rate from another platform, such as a structured plan from your watch, you can import those workouts and Ride Cave will read their heart rate steps, translating zones and percentages into your own numbers so they are ready to ride.

Set your threshold, build a steady aerobic ride with a heart rate band, and let your heart rate steer the session.