who use a heart rate monitor, I like one
 

For years, I have raced road bike without any electronic "stuff" and learn what my body tells me. After 10-15 years of being off the bike, its taken me months to just to finish the local training rides with my tongue hanging half past my gut(not riding enough and hate being the last guy). My methods have always been riding lots of miles and chase the guys in front of me until I puke and do it again. At 47, I can't do that siht any moe. I'll break down and get a heart rate monitor to see if there are any benefits. A bunch of my geek friends have those things the size of a phone sitting atop their handle bars that record and show everything from a pee stop to a 9000' climb. I have no need and hate having any of that stuff on my bar. No speedo, nothing. Anyone use those that goes on your wrist like a watch. Runners, what do you use? I am thinking of a watch and HRM, nothing more. Any thoughts?

Jeff

You have a smartphone? I ride w/ a 4iiii bluetooth HR strap and Cyclemeter app on my iPhone that is tucked in my jersey. Doesn't show my HR as I ride, but records it for review later. The other guys are probably riding w/ Garmin GPS cycle computers and ANT+ HR straps.

John,

More then likely I will never look at it once I am off the bike. I like to have a quick glance when my heart is about to come through my rib cage as I chase these bastards up and over the hill or when they slip up a few gears on the flats. I am afraid I am going to blow something.

Yes, they are Garmin products. They chase after new models all the time and sent me graphs of our ride and its terrain. That info is useless to me. when I go out on my own, I push too hard at time and like to stay within a certain threshold so I can build and not over do it.

My wife bought me a garmin 810 so I use it, it has a huge screen that can be seen easily, I mostly use it to see what time it is. I do like the heart rate monitor, and the cadence.

Before the garmin I used a cateye triple which had everything I needed but was hard to see.

If you have an iPhone the wahoo fitness make a nice set that does everything and if you use an app like endomondo it cane share your ride in real time to people who you allow to view.

A heart rate monitor is key to gauging your training and fitness. It is a good way to measure how hard you are working.

This is all I am looking for. Something really simple. Why was your Cateye hard to see, too small or too many features?

I use them and would not like to go without. Helps me stay within limits and helps a lot with training. On long climbs it is very helpful.

my Cateye is waaay too small for my Oldeyes.

You are going to love and HATE my answer.
The part you'll love:
If you want a heart rate monitor, get the simplest, cheapest one you can find. Make sure you can get replacement chest straps. Make sure the numbers are big enough to see. All you need is a number.
Now the part you'll hate :)
1. Consider mounting it to your bars. You need to see it. If you are in a paceline, you do not need to be twisting your arm trying to read the darn thing. You want the info, like your tachometer, right in (or as close as possible) your line of sight. When you are aneorobic, this is huge.
2. You have to figure out how to use that number to make you more effective, which unfortunately means realizing that the HRM is not a measurement of work, it is a measurement of how your body is reacting to work. To measure the actual work, you'll need (the part you'll really hate!) a powermeter. That way you know how much work you are doing, and how your body is responding to it. Powermeters used to be super expensive, some are getting cheaper now.
3. Group rides are all over the place. If you are tagging off the back, you will continue to tag off the back (hrm or not) until you modify your training routine. Don't get me wrong, they are a great way to get your hr up and get motivated and talk trash- I love em'. With a HRM, you will simply be able to quantify your misery. If you go for the hrm, train alone at least some of the time, on a trainer, holding a set heart rate over a set amount of time. Google interval training for cycling to get endless training suggestions. Find some that you like- use them. You want to get used to figuring out how long you can hold a certain amount of power for a certain amount of time, and how your hr responds. It is the personal training that will make you stronger. The group rides are great for fun and cardio aneorobic training, but to progress, you need a structured plan that targets your own threshold level, not the groups. To optimize that, a HR helps, but a powermeter is what really sets you up on a path to huge improvement. Without a powermeter, you are just peddling hard and see your heart rate as a delayed (about 15 seconds or more) response to what you were just doing. with a powermeter, you know exactly where you are at, how much you've improved, and how your body is responding through percieved exertion and heart rate.
A very slippery slope indeed! I'm not trying to talk you into a powermeter- enjoy the heart rate monitor first- But as far as the HRM, get the simplest one you can find. No bells whistles, or gimmicks. Even if you eventually get the powermeter, the hrm is just that- a number. If you want to smash your friends at the local ride, go undercover, learn different training routines that will build muscle and cardio, use the HR monitor understanding it is just a reaction to that, and then when you go on the group rides you can smash em' (at any age).
Oh yeah... regardless of hrm you get- also have a stopwatch on your bars if you want to get faster, then you'll know how to measure time as well.
There you have it power+time=heart rate (how your body responds to the first two). This info lets you fine tune your interval training for max improvement.
I just cluttered up your bars bigtime! sorry :)
Good luck.
Ron

i have the least expensive polar. on the handlebars.
it has proved to be durable, with easy to read numbers.

I just ordered the Garmin Edge, 800. POS arrived DOA. Now I'm fighting on the replacement. Ordered the cadence.....still on the fence for heart rate.

look171, thanks for bringing the topic up. Great feedback and at my age thinking again of having one.
I used to have the original Polar w/ chest strap and wristwatch. Minimal and didn't record much of anything except perhaps a max high. Worked fine when supposed to but had a very short battery life. Was more annoying than its worth. Gave it away.

Was thinking of trying one again but Bluetooth to an app like Mapmyride or sim. Problem is none of these devices have long battery life especially with GPS. I really want the battery longevity solved before I try anymore of these gadgets. Is there a such a solar flexible membrane charger available to wrap around a frame or attach to a camelback?

For running I use a Garmin 305 wrist watch type device, it has GPS, HRM, Altitude, You download from the device to Garmin Training center on my home computer to see the details and maps or upload to Garmin connect which saves it online. I like the online option as I can share runs w/ others. Battery life used to be very good as up to 4-5hr events were doable, w/ age the battery life has decreased, Now I get a warning a little after 1 hr and it shuts down a little after 2 hr. Have to look into a new battery.

I also use a 500 for bicycling, it has been great for 6hr rides and does pretty much the same as the 305 but w/ cadence and in a form that is more compatible for riding.

I don't use the HRM much any longer, Once I got a feel for the correlation between the #s and perception I was set, now I'm using the up and down grade features to get a feel for them, 15% up grade is a bit*h

Heart Rate Monito
 

I rowed in college and competitively for years afterward and have coached for 25+ years. Heart rate monitors are invaluable for training. When the HR goes up, but the work produced (i.e. energy produced) goes down, you know you have gone anaerobic.

When the HR is up throughout the workout, but the work produced is comparatively poor, you know you are over-tired, over-trained, sick or some combination. Knowing that is invaluable because continuing to push then is not productive other than to show you can push through pain (which in itself is important). I spent many years over-training. The key is to find the balance between over-training and not pushing hard enough. To really nail that balance a Heart Rate monitor and a way to measure the work produced (the monitor on a Concept II erg works perfect for that) are necessary.

The numbers are a bit small, but I could still make them out. Once you have the display set up it is pretty easy to use. Just a single press to reset before each ride. If you are just interested in that it is really nice. Cateye sells a new V3 that uses GPS as well.

I really like the cateye HR strap better too, the garmin strap seems to twist easily whereas the cateye stays in place.

Cateye;

Top number is set to speed
Middle number is HR and then a small cadence number to the right
Bottom is scrollable for all totals

Each field can be customized
The top three fields are scrollable between Current/Average/Max

http://www.cateye.com/en/products/detail/CC-TR300TW/

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1385925696.jpg

I am thinking about getting this one Strapless Heart Rate Monitors | MIO Alpha Heart Rate Watches | MIO Global
I jog/run never liked strap models.

I use the same wrist type I used when running on my bike and on my rower. I just made a "wrist" from foam and strapped it on. I use it for training, which means I let it tell me how hard to work, as well as to tell me how hard I am working. I found a website that describes how to do this, so I'll just refer you there.
Running 101: Training With A Heart Rate Monitor - Competitor Running

Been there and done that for way too many times training and racing for over 15 years. There were many good days without feeling like that also. I am a little pig headed and still believe in getting in shape by suffering through racing and training like a mad man. My old school methods. It worked for me over the years, but that was a time when I had nothing going on but ride all day, everyday of the week. I did have a little bit of a rest day here and there. Now that I have no time, so I need to make the best of it so I can finish the ride with my local hammer heads. They are killing me, they always have. This getting old stuff doesn't help. I would lay off the bike during the winter and run instead, and train like mad for three weeks, and hang with the big dogs now, I have to put in three months three days a week just to finish the training ride deal last on the last hill. All the up hills, I feel my heart beating out of my chest and I keep pouring on the power and find myself going backward away form the group. I hate to finish last:mad:, really hate it, because I use to be the guy tightening the screw, turning on the pain giving it to them when the road starts to get steep:D. I know how a HRM is beneficial to my overall training, but need a simple easy to read one and don't care about the ability to log info onto my computer. A quick glance on my wrist and I am good.:cool:

I use this setup with a Bluetooth powermeter and speed sensor - the phone stays in the pocket but broadcasts to a wahoo repeater on the bars. With the gps off I get 5 plus hrs battery life, less than 3 with it on.

that thing is cool. Simple and no bra strap on my man boobs.

Thanks WD15

You have a RFLKT then? Can you give a quick review? I've been thinking about getting one.

Sure-I originally loved the Wahoo case but found it was a)kind big and fugly, b) a little insecure-lost the phone a couple times on fast (40 mph plus) downhills after hitting a bump-very protected, phone fine, group pissed, and c) I don't usually need or use gps on the bike, don't need the display on the bars.

The rflkt seems very stable now, although earlier firmware releases weren't, and has a tiny form factor. You need to keep the phone in a side pocket, and placing a tube over it, for example, can interfere with signal. The customized screens are very nice.
At half the price of the Garmin I can live without the gps on the bars.

Negatives? The buttons require a firm push, too firm almost. The data screen with 6 windows is a little small, but you can break down the data on other pages.

I bought a used first gen rflkt...given that I already had the ant case. The rflkt+ one is a better value if you're purchasing new, as it includes an ant+ bridge which frees the phone from its case if you're using ant sensors. I'm a little annoyed that wahoo doesn't provide a firmware update for the original, as apparently the ant radio is there, just not activated. The plus also does real time altitude (but not grade, wtf?).

At 60 bucks used, no brainer. I'd probably pay retail for one now as well, having had the experience.

Have a nashbar with chest strap. Paid $25 on sale and it works perfectly.

I don't use it every time I ride but I've used it enough to know what an honest workout feels like. In my case I know if I go over 150bpm I'm going to have to ease up at some point. Below that I generally can put in some miles.

thanks for the link. Couldn't find any info on whether it was waterproof for swimming.

edit: Found the info in the download owners manual - water resistant only. OK to swim with but not to depress buttons.

I got the Nike:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386018502.jpg

Works great but, It has the chest strap thing... not bad but I figured out it doesn't send well until it got wet (from sweat) so I would just dampen it wit a little water before I put it on (it is waterproof).

Second big problem, because of the cool twist in the design... when I ride my bike my wrist pushes the buttons... not so cool.

Works great otherwise, bunch of cool functions.

Interesting. I use a Viiiva HR strap which can gather ANT+ signals and relay them to my iPhone using Bluetooth Smart. So I could use the first-gen RFKLT as as well as the current RFKLT+.

I had one of the original Polar HRM with the wireless chest strap and wrist controller. All it did was HR with memory for Max HR. I hate wearing fashion and technology so I went to Home Depot and bought a small piece of of the gray water heater pipe foam insulation. It's already split on one side. Cut a piece about 1" thick, slide on top of the bars, HRM goes over that like your wrist. Easy.

Yes, and its 20% off all week, fwiw.

I used a Polar for quite a while. It worked fine but suffered interference from Bluetooth devices and some high voltage lines.

In 2011, I picked up a Garmin with road mapping, for a series of rides that had pages of turns over a 75-100 mile course.

The Garmin is great since it records all of the information over time. I use the heart rate monitor mostly to look for dehydration, which is very common in this area. I like looking back at some of the rides to see the hill information.

Polar was solid in the past. No recent experience.

Recent I have had a Forerunner 305 which crapped out after 2 years of heavy use and now a 310NX. Both good but overkill for just a HR monitor.

I'd get a Polar or Garmin device. Cheapest HR monitor available.

G

Where (what retailer?). I don't see any deal at Wahoo.

not even close...

Nashbar Tempo Heart Rate Monitor - Normal Shipping Ground

Sorry, must have been a cyber Monday oly deal, my bad-it was on the dcrainmaker.com site, I misread it. Amazon had them yesterday for 99 bucks as well. There is a lightly used one on ebay now for cheap...

Video snapshot of HRMs at the REI site. Tempting but mixed reviews (some big negs too) from others on the strapless. MIO ALPHA Strapless Continuous Heart Rate Monitor - Free Shipping at REI.com

Jeff, for $100-150 you can probably get a used Garmin 500 setup with HR strap, cadence, speed, etc. If you really don't want it on the stem or top tube, they make a wristwatch strap for it too.

Some of the most critical times (steep climbs, fast pulls, etc.) that I need to see my heart rate are not a really good time to take my hand off the bars to check it. I recommend sticking to a strap with a visual that is easy to see. The other advantage to a bar mounted system is that you can scroll through data on the fly with one hand. With a wrist mounted system you have to take both hands off the bars.

Have been using the Garmin Edge 305 for about 8 years now for road and MTB 3 to 5 times a week. I like to have my rides with all data on my computer so I can go back a couple of years and compare to what I used to do when I was younger. The advantage of this device is that is made for biking. The 500 would be the current equivalent and give you also the option to link to power meters if you are interested in the future. The 810 is way to big and expensive for what I need.

If all you really want is a heart rate, then a watch would work just as well I guess. I completely agree with the others that you will want it under you nose on the bar so you can glance at it with minimal effort and distraction (especially if you are doing a group ride in tight formation). You can go with the foam insulation to mount them or get one of the special mounds like shown in the picture (came with one of my HRM watches)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1386125058.jpg

All my devices use the strap and seem to all work fine. I always use a little dab of Buh Bump on the strap to make sure I get a solid signal at the beginning of the ride. For me has worked better than water or spit.

Be safe...

If you need something to get the HR to connect to your skin, just use saline.

Or generic KY jelly, seriously, its cheap and it really works and lasts a while.