Which HRM ?

[border-rider]

I have an elderly Polar HRM watch, which I run with a chest strap from a cheapo Lidl one; the inability to change the battery in the Polar irritated me...

Anyway, the strap is falling to bits so I want to buy a new HRM.  The one I have is dead basic.  Do I need anything more ? Why ?

Recommendations ?

[mattc]

Unless you plan to anal-yse the data on a pc-type device:

No.

I've found the alarm thingies pretty useless, and the rest are just gimmicks.


However, I WOULD like one with an easily-operated light! This is surprisingly rare ...

[gonzo]

What do you actually want to be able to do?

record your data to analyse afterwards and compare with profile, power and cadence, or just to give you an idea of how hard you're working at any given moment?

You can get more comfortable chest straps (fabricy rather than plasticy), coded transmission so you don't get cross talk, integrated HRM and bike computer etc. the list goes on.

[border-rider]

What do you actually want to be able to do?

Good question.

The current one does nothing beyond showing my HR, and i've not felt I'm misssing anything.  But have I been ? If it did more would I do more with it ?

record your data to analyse afterwards and compare with profile, power and cadence, or just to give you an idea of how hard you're working at any given moment?

 

The latter, mostly.  It might be fun to see afterwards how my HR had varied during a long ride, but it's not something that I think I need necessarily...  Would it be fun to have though ?

You can get more comfortable chest straps (fabricy rather than plasticy), coded transmission so you don't get cross talk, integrated HRM and bike computer etc. the list goes on.

OK, thanks.  Plasticy works for me OK; coded has never been an issue for me even though one bloke on an audax got really arsey because he was picking up my (much higher) HR

I'd like to be able to change the strap battery myself. Sending it back to Finland doesn't appeal.

[Polar Bear]

What model?   I have a Polar Pacer which I gave up using some time back.   I tried to change the battery myself last time it needed one but I managed to trap a section of the gasket and it still sticks out.

Strap is fine if that's what you want though.

[border-rider]

However, I WOULD like one with an easily-operated light! This is surprisingly rare ...

Very good point.  A must for audax...

[border-rider]

What model?   I have a Polar Pacer which I gave up using some time back.   I tried to change the battery myself last time it needed one but I managed to trap a section of the gasket and it still sticks out.

Strap is fine if that's what you want though.

are you selling ?

[Wascally Weasel]

I've got a Cateye one - it's the double wireless one that acts as a not bad bike computer too:

cateye cc-hr200dw computer

Has a reasonably good light on it that is easy enough to use when riding.  The HRM belt that came with it turned out to be compatible with my tacx turbo which was a bonus.

I find the belt pretty comfortable.

[SpaceBadger]

I'd like to be able to change the strap battery myself. Sending it back to Finland doesn't appeal.

Polar have a service centre in the UK, see http://www.polarelectro.co.uk/uk-en for the address. I have used them many times and their turnaround/service is excellent.

Many of the more recent Polar HRMs enable you to change the battery yourself, without jeopardising the waterproofing. I use a RS800CX Bike, which was pretty pricey, but it does all I could want it to, plus more.

If your current HRM is very old, try contacting the service centre. I did the same with my old Protrainer XT model. As it was so old, Polar could not work on it as they no longer had the waterproofing strip in stock and therefore could not guarantee it afterwards. The upside was that for models like this, they offer a trade-in scheme. I got 40% off of my new one and only had to return the watch. I kept the chest strap as a spare.

[mattc]

However, I WOULD like one with an easily-operated light! This is surprisingly rare ...

Very good point.  A must for audax...

... and good for evening running.

[SpaceBadger]

I have an elderly Polar HRM watch, which I run with a chest strap from a cheapo Lidl one; the inability to change the battery in the Polar irritated me...

Anyway, the strap is falling to bits so I want to buy a new HRM.  The one I have is dead basic.  Do I need anything more ? Why ?

Recommendations ?

I tend to use the ability to set training zones the most, so I can be alerted when my HR moves outside of my intended zone when riding/(turbo)training. When HR training, this is the most useful thing, in my opinion.

I also find it handy to be able to download the data. Whilst I don't analyse it to any degree, it does provide me with a no-effort diary of when I've ridden, for how long/far, estimated calories burned (if I'm feeling guilty) etc. I got a great graph of my efforts at last year's Etape from it, including altitude.

[border-rider]

OK, so what's recommended for an HRM with downloadable data, backlight and a self-changeable battery ? I'm not bothered about it being bike-specific.

[mattc]

I tend to use the ability to set training zones the most, so I can be alerted when my HR moves outside of my intended zone when riding/(turbo)training. When HR training, this is the most useful thing, in my opinion.

But can't you tell this by reading the display?
[pointless question really, as you obviously find it useful But I'm curious, cos I don't find zone alarms useful ...]

And what about sessions where you move between zones?
(e.g. 10mins warm-up, 20mins LT, 5 recovery, etc ...)

[border-rider]

As an interim, I've just bought a new strap for my existing watch. 

I'll continue to ponder.  Thanks for the advice so far.

[SpaceBadger]

I tend to use the ability to set training zones the most, so I can be alerted when my HR moves outside of my intended zone when riding/(turbo)training. When HR training, this is the most useful thing, in my opinion.

But can't you tell this by reading the display?
[pointless question really, as you obviously find it useful But I'm curious, cos I don't find zone alarms useful ...]

And what about sessions where you move between zones?
(e.g. 10mins warm-up, 20mins LT, 5 recovery, etc ...)

I can tell this, but sometimes in the middle of intervals, I prefer to be concentrating on chewing on my handlebars rather than reading a watch display ;-) . It's generally about being able to look around, rather than concentrate on the display. My HR has always responded quickly to a change in effort, so it may be more useful for me.

As my HRM is a posh one, I can program defined zones for set periods of time to allow for warm-ups/downs, intervals etc. However, with my old one that wasn't so feature-laden, I just used to allow myself x minutes to get into the zone, and then not worry about my HR when warming down.

[nic]

Just my 2p worth MV, have you considered a garmin 705? Battery life isn't fantastic for long audaxes but nothing a external battery pack can't solve. Plus it doubles as a competent gps. 

[gonzo]

re. intervals and the 705; my favourite trick with this is as follows:
- set lap mode to lap on location
- do 2 mile loop
- when I pass the GPS mark, it beeps: I sprint.
- when I pass mark 2, it beeps and I stop sprinting

Basically, it records sprints between 2 points without me having to hit the button (and the couple of meters variation is rather good for randomising it).

[border-rider]

I've already got an Etrex, so I don't really want a GPS, but ta.  Good suggestion

[fuaran]

What about a Garmin FR60 (which doesn't have GPS)?
It can record all of the heart rate data for download, and you could combine this with the GPS track from the eTrex for analysing.
Batteries last ages - its easy to change the battery in the strap, and not too hard to change the battery in the watch (with a small screwdriver).

Though I've not really looked at what training features it has, but I think it can do all of the stuff with intervals etc.

[inc]

OK, so what's recommended for an HRM with downloadable data, backlight and a self-changeable battery ? I'm not bothered about it being bike-specific.

I have used a Polar S720i for a few years now. It can be used with a bike(s) but doesn't need to be. I know you use Linux. I use the S710 application
 s710 -
 
 Project Hosting on Google Code to download the data and use SportsTracker Home of SportsTracker to store record graph the data. It is Java so works on any OS there is a screenshot here www.saring.de/sportstracker/screenshots/st-4.0.0-editing.png. In sportsTracker you can also mix your sports so you can also record your running. The Polar straps have had user renewable batteries for over five years. The S710/20 also record altitude so you can produce graphs showing speed altitude HR time distance etc

[Greenbank]

An old Garmin Forerunner would do what you want. Worth checking eBay as many will be dumping their old 301 (chunky but do the job), 305 and (newer) 405s for the sparkly new 310XT and 405CX.

The 405 is good (not excellent), the bezel button design is shite but you get over that when you have it setup properly and there's no need to access those menus when actually running. ~8 hours battery life when in GPS mode, have used it for Audaxing with a quick recharge at cafe stops it survived the Willy Warmer 200 last year.

Indeed, Forerunner 305s going for about £100 and Forerunner 405s (not the new CX) going for £150.

The newer 310XT and 405CX are > £200 but look lovely.

[border-rider]

I had a Forerunner (200 and something ?) which I had to kill  by immolation in a French hotel to stop it endlessly beeping and keeping everyone awake.  It hated the slightest hint of damp - and it was always a bit crap

Are the 305 and 405 that much better ?

[Greenbank]

Are the 305 and 405 that much better ?

They're waterproof but that just means the water stops getting inside. Prolonged rain still irritates the hell out of the buttons/bezel on the 405 making it (sometimes) beep incessantly. Headphones solved that problem. I can put up with it (the annoyance is outweighed by the benefit of the data) and it generally calms down once out of the rain.

The 305 is far less silly a design not having the pressure sensitive bezel, but I haven't had one so I can't say for sure how it copes with rain. The motionbased forum will give you a pretty good and honest review, there are plenty of uncensored whingers on there.