Heart Rate Monitor's

[Simba]

Can anyone recommend me one that I don't need a mortgage to buy one. My budget is about £30-40

 

[Panter]

I use a very basic Polar one ,like this.
It only does the very basics. just shows current HR, average when you stop and you can set an upper and lower alarm limit.
Thing is, that's all I want from one. I also have another, far flashier one that just sits in the drawer because it's too complex to operate

 

[Hauki]

+1 for the FS2c,

 

[Matthames]

I have picked up one from Halfords for £20.

Linky

 

[Rob3rt]

Unless it has time in zone, its useless imo! This is usually a feature on HRM a step up from the bargain bin.

The new bottom end polar range are f*cking sh*te! (sorry for the swearing but its the only way I can get accross how lame they are), they feel like something that came out of a cracker!

My advice is save your cash for now, until you can buy one with a decent strap, programmable HR zones and time in zone functions. Else you will only be kicking yourself in a couple of weeks when the strap fails and you are sick of having to input upper and lower limits every time you use a different HR zone.

 

[amnesia]

I have a Sigma Onyx Pro HRM for sale in AS NEW condition in the classifieds...

Does everything - programmable zones, training guide, interval training etc etc.
Selling it because I now have a Garmin 500 that has similar features.

Wanted £50, but can meet you half way at £45 inc delivery if you're interested.

Daniel.

 

[jimboalee]

Unless it has time in zone, its useless imo! This is usually a feature on HRM a step up from the bargain bin.

The new bottom end polar range are f*cking sh*te! (sorry for the swearing but its the only way I can get accross how lame they are), they feel like something that came out of a cracker!

My advice is save your cash for now, until you can buy one with a decent strap, programmable HR zones and time in zone functions. Else you will only be kicking yourself in a couple of weeks when the strap fails and you are sick of having to input upper and lower limits every time you use a different HR zone.

Save you cash and buy a simple HRM.

You can set your 'Zones' one day and give it some welly. Then a few days later find the intensity of cycling is a lot different in the 'Zones'.

Use a low cost HRM to MONITOR your pulse when you're giving it welly, not as a control feedback sensor to decide how much welly to give.

 

[amaferanga]

If HR is as variable as you suggest then surely the concept of zones makes much more sense than glancing at your HRM when you're giving it some welly? What useful information would you actually get from glancing at your HRM a few times in a ride?

 

[Rob3rt]

Save you cash and buy a simple HRM.

You can set your 'Zones' one day and give it some welly. Then a few days later find the intensity of cycling is a lot different in the 'Zones'.

Use a low cost HRM to MONITOR your pulse when you're giving it welly, not as a control feedback sensor to decide how much welly to give.

If HR varies that much day to day, even temperature and outside factors permitting, that the zones becomes so useless, then maybe its the day to day health that should be considered and not the zones, your HR shouldnt vary more than a few beats each way in a couple of days surely?

I train 6 days a week (mainly running) at varying intensities and my HR pretty much always lands in the same zones (which i look at afterwards, not using as feedback during) and I have 2 sets of zones, one for cycling, one for running, and my intervals etc are of comparable paces, unless its on the fringe and is teetering between 2 zones. For example, when I do hill sprints, my HR will typically be about 102-103% of my cycling ramp tested max HR. It always lands around this point. My tempo runs at about 95% of my max cycling HR, small variance each way. Im not saying you are wrong, but I dont see why it wouldnt be this way.

Noting your HR a few times during a workout, is about as good as choosing arbitrary numbers and trying to relate them to performance as far as I can see. Im possibly wrong, so please explain?




Paying an extra £10 for a HRM to avoid the 20p machine toy style straps on those polar things is worth it on its own IMO.

 

[amnesia]

If HR varies that much day to day, even temperature and outside factors permitting, that the zones becomes so useless, then maybe its the day to day health that should be considered and not the zones, your HR shouldnt vary more than a few beats each way in a couple of days surely?

I train 6 days a week (mainly running) at varying intensities and my HR pretty much always lands in the same zones (which i look at afterwards, not using as feedback during) and I have 2 sets of zones, one for cycling, one for running, and my intervals etc are of comparable paces, unless its on the fringe and is teetering between 2 zones. For example, when I do hill sprints, my HR will typically be about 102-103% of my cycling ramp tested max HR. It always lands around this point. My tempo runs at about 95% of my max cycling HR, small variance each way. Im not saying you are wrong, but I dont see why it wouldnt be this way.

Noting your HR a few times during a workout, is about as good as choosing arbitrary numbers and trying to relate them to performance as far as I can see. Im possibly wrong, so please explain?




Paying an extra £10 for a HRM to avoid the 20p machine toy style straps on those polar things is worth it on its own IMO.

+1 : I had a polar before I bought the Sigma and it really wasn't very accurate, or reliable.


This will do everything you need

http://www.sigmaspor...?punkt=features

Digital coded transmission
4 Heart Rate functions
6 time functions, including countdown and alarm
Training mode based on max HR or individual anaerobic threshold (IAT)
3 pre-programmed endurance training modules
1 programmable endurance training module
2 pre-programmed interval training modules (time or pulse driven)
1 programmable interval training module
Training mode with 3 adjustable HR zones
Lap Counter (50 Laps)
Total values per week, per month, and since reset
Marathon competition counter
Memory for 7 Training sessions



Daniel.

My for sale ad is here - http://www.cyclechat...t-rate-monitor/

 

[Stevee]

I know you only looking for a heart rate monitor but you could look at the velomann v1.20HR.

I've used it for a couple of months now and it's been great, it is a computer as well (e.g. speed, avg, trip) but the heart rate monitor seems pretty decent.
It has current HR, upper limits, lower limits, time spent in lower/upper, max heart rate and average heart rate. It's about £50, a lil bit over your price but worth it in my opinion!

 

[jimboalee]

There are two schools of thought on HRMs.

One school use HR Max to calc VO2 max and therefore power using bodyweight in the equation.

The other school ( the one's with the cash ) use a power meter to directly get a reasonably accurate power value and calculate VO2 using the simple equation which includes bodyweight.


Where both schools agree is... VO2 is the object of the exercise.
The simplest VO2 equation uses Watts and bodyweight.

I have repeatedly said Watts and HR are not mutually linked. Your HR reacts to the work being done, and if you're having a bad hair day, your HR will be up for not a lot of Watts.


It may sound a bit anal, but the serious cyclists ( the ones who earn money doing it ) use an ergometer and do finger tip Lactate tests. Their aim is to increase their power output at the point of LT, or is it raise their LT and therfore be able to produce a higher power before it occurs?

Heart rate is merely a consequence of the procedure.

I'm not saying "throw your HRMs away!" You are amongst the first school I described.

 

[Garz]

If your using it as a tool to keep fit(er) and not taking it to a competitive level then I think HRM are great value.

 

[jimboalee]

If your using it as a tool to keep fit(er) and not taking it to a competitive level then I think HRM are great value.

You'll know when you're getting fitter. You ride up hills with less pain. You don't need a HRM to tell you that

 

[amaferanga]

There are two schools of thought on HRMs.

One school use HR Max to calc VO2 max and therefore power using bodyweight in the equation.

The other school ( the one's with the cash ) use a power meter to directly get a reasonably accurate power value and calculate VO2 using the simple equation which includes bodyweight.


Where both schools agree is... VO2 is the object of the exercise.
The simplest VO2 equation uses Watts and bodyweight.

I have repeatedly said Watts and HR are not mutually linked. Your HR reacts to the work being done, and if you're having a bad hair day, your HR will be up for not a lot of Watts.


It may sound a bit anal, but the serious cyclists ( the ones who earn money doing it ) use an ergometer and do finger tip Lactate tests. Their aim is to increase their power output at the point of LT, or is it raise their LT and therfore be able to produce a higher power before it occurs?

Heart rate is merely a consequence of the procedure.

I'm not saying "throw your HRMs away!" You are amongst the first school I described.

I'm with 'the other school', but your terminology is a bit odd. People training with power meters use functional threshold power (FTP) to define training zones. FTP is sort of your power at lactate threshold - its the power that you can maintain for an hour. I've never heard of anyone training with power using VO2 terminology. The aim of the game whether you're using power or an HRM or just perceived effort though is to increase your FTP (even if you don't actually know what it is) so that you can maintain a higher speed for the same effort.


But the question which you've avoided anyway was how does glancing at an HRM a few times in a ride help you train?