Does anyone have any suggestions for doing tempo on an exercise bike. Would you try to get your heart rate into a certain training range(so many beats per minute) and keep it there? IF so, what range? Or would get your HR up to a certain range and then back off for a set amount of time and then back up? I’m looking for alternatives when the weather is bad or I can’t get into the pool. A bike may not be the best way to go, but if I need to I would want to get the most out of it. Thanks.
By cycling on low-moderate to moderate resistance I have done sessions such as 30 seconds on 30 seconds off x10. During the 30 seconds on pedal at a reasonably quick speed and during the off just stay moving. I have also done 15 on 15 off and 30 on 15 off. See what works for you. As Charlie and other members have said before heart rate is a bad indicator of work being performed because sprinters can have there heart rate go up and down alot more than other athletes specifically endurance athletes.
Sprintermt,
Mike Boyle’s functional training for sports has a decent progression for tempo/conditioning on a bike. He also has a tempo program for treadmills too if you are interested. I would post them here and make believe that I thought of it on my own but… 
Get the book its worth the 20 bucks. I can post the program if you are interested.
If we are talking of tempo, i.e., “conditioning” of interval nature and of such durations described by Quik, I wouldn’t bother with HR, as the intervals are too short for HR to be reliable. Going with resistance, as suggested, could be a better choice; just think of the purpose of the workout and don’t load your quads/legs.
How about tempo on a treadmill? Perhaps not every time, if you don’t want, but every now and then it’s not a bad choice…
Hope it helps!