HRM Hassle

[Intelligenthamster]

Hi all,

I had a CatEye HR-10 which worked fine until it went mad and started giving me a resting heart rate of 200. Replacement supplied.

I set up the replacement with the same correct profile perameters (age, height, honest weight) as before.

Now, I have been riding the same route since January, to begin with the Petersfield Road hill was a bit of a sod and would put me above the optimum zone, now I fly up it. I've knocked my time down and generally don't have to work too hard except for one hill...

But the new HRM insists that I am way above the optimum zone, and working too hard. I have no idea why this should be unless the first one was always wrong, or I have another faulty unit.

I thought the optimum zone was fairly easy to ride in, so why does my gentle pootle come out as though I've been climbing Alps?

I have tried upping the exercise schedule setting in case this was because I had got a little fitter, but no difference.

Me puzzled.

 

[yenrod]

i bought one other week rode it a bit but its reporting miss beat ie 170bpm when I know its should be 107bpm etc..

Gonna check out new batts.......

 

[Membrane]

I set up the replacement with the same correct profile perameters (age, height, honest weight) as before.

[...]

But the new HRM insists that I am way above the optimum zone, and working too hard. I have no idea why this should be unless the first one was always wrong, or I have another faulty unit.

This doesn't explain the discrepency between the two units, but an HRM's VO2Max threshold should be freely programmable after having done a MHR test. An age derived VO2Max threshold is far to unreliable. For example my actual MHR is 26bpm higher than what the age formula says it should be.

 

[Steve Austin]

batteries area good thing to replace before getting to irate.

sometimes, HRM's can read high because of lack of fitness. so whilst you think it should read low, its registering high even though you don't feel your working high. but your heart is.
its not always a HRM fault

 

[Intelligenthamster]

Thanks for the advice.

Steve Austin- I did wonder about that, but usually if my heart rate goes up I feel like I am making an effort, can usually hear the blood pounding in the ears as well thanks to sinus trouble. The rides feel easier which is why I don't know what's up. I will try pulling the battery and setting up again though.

 

[frog]

I know two things which play merry hell with HRM's. The first is bluetooth devices. Do you ride past houses etc where you get funny readings? It could be someone inside has their phone on at that time.

The seconnd is yourself. As I was winding up to a pulmonary embolism last year one thing I noted was one hill which left me on my knees gasping for breath but the HRM never went above 70 bpm. Once on the level things evened out.