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@clubman
One thing I wish I'd known at the start.
It's worth knowning what your resting heart rate is.
Your RHR is a rough guide to fitness. It's another measure like weight. If you know your weight and RHR when you do your best rides, you'll know what you need to get to next season.
A raised RHR can be a indication that it's time to rest rather than go out training: it may mean you are overtired, or that you're ill (viral myocarditis can be fatal to athletes who ignore it).
A typical healthy adult will have an RHR of around 60-70 beats per minute, a racing cyclist will usually be around 45 bpm. Beryl Burton was said to be 37bpm and Big Mig (Indurain) 28 bpm, but he was physically a bit of a freak.
You may need to explain to your doctor why your RHR is low: a clubmate, in hospital after a minor road race crash, woke up to find himself in intensive care surrounded by worried medics who thought he was dying because they'd noticed his RHR was down to 40. He had to explain to them this was perfectly normal for him!
You can check your own rate as follows (you need a clock with a second hand): on waking, before you get out of bed, and certainly before drinking any tea or coffee (stimulants) find your pulse (neck or wrist) and count - probably for 30 secs then x 2. Repeat after a few days to confirm first count wasn't a freak.
If you know your RHR before you start on a training programme it should be a source of encouragement as it decreases, as it will if you're doing it right.
By the way, I'm an unqualified amateur, so bring your own judgement to my advice.