Calculate your Coggan cycling heart-rate zones as a percentage of your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR). Enter your LTHR and get all five zones instantly — the heart-rate companion to Coggan’s well-known power zones.
The Coggan heart-rate zones
| Zone | Name | % of LTHR |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Active Recovery | Up to 68% |
| Zone 2 | Endurance | 69–83% |
| Zone 3 | Tempo | 84–94% |
| Zone 4 | Lactate Threshold | 95–105% |
| Zone 5 | VO2 Max | 106%+ |
How to find your LTHR
Your lactate threshold heart rate (LTHR) is your average heart rate during a hard, sustained effort. A common field test: warm up, then ride a 20–30 minute all-out time trial and take your average HR for the effort (some protocols use the last 20 minutes). That average is a practical estimate of your LTHR.
FAQ
What is LTHR?
Lactate threshold heart rate — roughly the highest heart rate you can sustain for about an hour. Coggan’s heart-rate zones are set as a percentage of it.
How is this different from the power zones?
Same Coggan framework, but anchored to heart rate (LTHR) instead of power (FTP). Use HR zones when you train without a power meter, or to cross-check effort.
How often should I retest my LTHR?
As your fitness changes — every 6–8 weeks of focused training is a reasonable cadence, or any time the zones start to feel off.
Zones based on the published methodology of Dr. Andrew Coggan — Training and Racing with a Power Meter (Hunter Allen & Andrew Coggan).
More: all training-zone methods in one calculator · Coggan power · Coggan HR · Friel HR · Max-HR