Heart-rate Monitors

[Lucy]

Hi Everyone!

I am looking at getting a heart rate monitor but am not sure what to get. I was thinking of spending $300- $400 and getting a wrist unit so I can use it running.

I am happy to hear anything anyone has to say about heart rate monitors but here are some questions to get things started:

What is a reasonable price to spend?
Should you get a cycling specific monitor that will double as a cycle-computer?
What heart rate monitor do you use? What are your personal experiences with them? If you don't use a heart rate monitor, why not?
What sort of functions should it have? What functions do you use and find most helpful?
What brand? Any brands/models to avoid?
What is the best way of buying it? LBS, sports store (rebel, sportman's warehouse, ect), authorised online dealer or direct from polar?

Would be very glad to hear any comments you have.
Thanks everyone:)!

[SimonD]

Don't run. It is an inefficient and ridiculous way of getting around which people were forced to do in the old days, before bikes were invented.

To know what you want, you've got to ask yourself, "what am I going to do with the info it gives me?"

What is a reasonable price to spend?
You can spend anything! $30 to $600. You should be able to get something pretty decent for that amount.

Should you get a cycling specific monitor that will double as a cycle-computer?
You might as well, now that you won't be needing to run anymore.

What heart rate monitor do you use? What are your personal experiences with them? If you don't use a heart rate monitor, why not?
I've got a Polar. I use it for motivation when doing intervals mainly - I have something concrete to tell me if I start slacking off during an effort. Also if I'm doing rec riding to make sure I go easy enough. But now I have power, I usually use that instead and leave the HR strap at home because I can't be bothered putting it on.

What sort of functions should it have? What functions do you use and find most helpful?
I never use the zone info on the computer, but some people like the little alarm that tells them if their bpm are too high or low for what they're doing. I like mine because it downloads to the computer, making a training log pretty easy! Then I can select the intervals or race or whatever and see how hard I was working.

What brand? Any brands/models to avoid?
I had a Blackburn which worked well until it broke. Then I tried to get service for it and the Aussie distributor was so useless that I chucked it and got a Polar. Polar Aus are very good with service.

[Lucy]

Thanks very much Simon!

Should you get a cycling specific monitor that will double as a cycle-computer?
You might as well, now that you won't be needing to run anymore.

You can get a cycling specific wrist unit (Polar CS300, http://www.polar.fi/au-en/products/cycling/CS300). It has the features of the other CS units but wrist unit with extra watch features.

Is it important to be able to download the heart rate info to the computer? I have read reviews complaining about the Polar website how you can not transfer the info to other applications (excel, word docs, ect). They have also complained that it take a long time to set up, transfer and it doesn't often work. This has been said in reviews of the CS300 so it may not be the case for other models. What model do you use? Any issues?

The reason I run is because last year I had a stress fracture in my tibia and was not allowed to do any weight bearing sport for four months. Then this year I started riding and stopped running but then x-country came! Was fit enough to win school x-country, come 3rd at zone then do well at ACT but the stress fracture came back. It was recommended by my physio and sports doctor that I do some x-training so I can run and do school sports without the reoccurrence of a stress fracture!

[Ross]

Be wary about buying Polar products from overseas online bike shops/eBay as a lot of them aren't authorised Polar dealers (there is a list on Polar website) and warranty will be void. I wanted to buy a new cadence sensor a while back from a LBS and they didn't have one in stock so I asked them to order one but they weren't interested and told me to order myself direct from Polar.

[Niggle]

I have the Cateye V3 - speed, cadence and HRM - $177 on PBK. I have a different cheaper wrist one for cross training. I tried the wrist one for riding, but I never looked at my wrist. I then strapped it to the bars, but then I had to look at two different screens!!So the bike specific one is good for that and you don't have to look at different screens for HR, speed and cadnce data.

I don't think the cateye has downloadable functionality...

[Nos131]

I have the Polar cs300 with cadence. It works well and I haven't had issues with down loading data on to my laptop from it. I use it mainly to keep track of my effort (heart rate) and Km and to giggle when I get a new max speed :).

[SimonD]

Downloading's not important, it's just an easy way to keep a training log. I have the fancier CS600 which is infrared download to the Polar ProTrainer software, which is really good. I haven't had any problems with mine. But I haven't used the online thing that the less fancy models use.

PS. If you're going to get HR, I reckon get cadence too.

[Steven]

Suunto T3c falls into that price range, Lucy. It's worth checking out. The only HRM that looks great too! (since we're in the subject of bling...)