| Intensity | Common names | Perceived Exertion Scale (1-10) | Friel Heart rate zone | Coggan Power Levels | Conversation Indicator | Breathing Level | General Feeling |
| Easy | Active Recovery, Endurance | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | You can easily hold a normal conversation | Breathing is normal to very slightly elevated. You can still breathe through your nose with your mouth closed | Go all day pace. JRA (just riding along) pace. Light pressure on the pedals. |
| Moderate | Endurance, Tempo | 3-4 | 2-3 | 2-3 | Conversation is still possible | Breathing is slightly elevated. You must open your mouth to breathe | You can cruise along for 2-3 hours at this pace |
| Moderate-Fast | Tempo, Lactate Threshold | 5-7 | 4-5a | 3-4 | You can talk in four word sentences but conversation is difficult | Breathing deepens markedly. It is audible to a training partner | You can maintain this pace for a maximum of 3-60 minutes |
| Fast | VO2max | 7-9 | 5b | 5-6 | You can give one word answers but cannot converse | Breathing changes to sucking | This is the pace you can maintain for a maximum of 30 seconds-3 minutes |
| Maximum | Anaerobic Capacity, Neuromuscular Power | 10+ | 5c | 6+ | Grunting is possible! | Sustainable efforts are too short to max out breathing level | You can only sustain this pace for very short efforts |
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