Cheap HR monitors

[david1701]

Hi Guys,

I see a lot written about working in Zones and resting heart rate (as a way to see if you're ill and to gauge fitness) and I sometimes take mine with a watch which I don't think works too well (I get 60 if I'm in bed or out and about or doing anything really so I think I just revert to counting seconds).

Would one of these be accurate enough to use? Then its the cheapy watches (£10) vs computers (£28) vs cadence computers (£85)

Is cadence worth measuring and are the watches accurate as I have a basic computer already so it seems silly to double up on functions.

 

[amaferanga]

Probably nothing wrong with the cheap ones, but I think having a log that you can upload to a computer after a ride (like you get with a Garmin) is more useful than just having one where you can see your HR as you ride and maybe an average/max HR at the end of the ride.

 

[chris-s]

Also, make sure you can configure the zones to suit YOU. I had a cheap one and I couldn't adjust the zones and was pretty useless as a result since it use to just beep continuously as I exceeded 180 for an entire 10mile tt - very annoying!

Chris

 

[BinBag]

I've just bought a £20 Tesco jobbie - watch with cycle mount and chest strap, says it has a programmable target zone as well as other features. Can't have it until Sunday though as it's Fathers Day present off the kids.....drats!!

Bought this after looking about but didn't want to spend a lot to dip my toe in.

Cadence if definitely worth measuring though, I try to keep within 90-110 - but after a bit you get to know what you're cadence is without looking.

 

[Andrew_P]

If you get the bug for stats, you will end up wanting one that stores the data online. Historical data is the most interesting and a good way to see how you are doing.

I have had a cheapo one, a suunto expensive one and still ended up with a Garmin.