Recommendations for a heart rate monitor

[Russell]

We're looking for a heart rate monitor for cycling use.  Currently using a fitbit which is working OK but it is not easy to use on a bike, needs waking up, characters too small and dim in sunshine etc.  Something with a repeater on the bars so it is displayed all the time and preferably not a chest strap as it would clash with the necessary support that needs to be worn!

Oh, and not expensive either!

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[rafletcher]

Polar used to do sports bras with a connector for the HRM, IIRC. A chest strap IMO is the most accurate type to use. A quick google shows quite a number of suitably adapted sports bras, usually for runners, so I’d expect both Polar and Garmin to be able to be fitted.

[Greenbank]

DC Rainmaker has reviews of a few arm band HR monitors:-

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/optical-heart-rate-sensor-armband-shootout-schosche24-polaroh1-wahoo-tickr-fit.html

You'd still need something to display the HR...

[PaulF]

I’ve been very happy with my Wahoo Tickr Fit. Comfortable to wear and in the head to head tests I’ve done with a Fitbit and Mio they all matched each other well.

[fuaran]

See previous thread here. https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=111472.0

I've now got the Polar OH1. I'm wearing it on the upper arm. Comfy for me, and more reliable than the Mio or Garmin watches I have used (on the wrist). Probably about as accurate as a chest strap, for most cycling anyway.

It transmits Ant+ and Bluetooth LE, so could display it on a Garmin Edge, or Etrex 30, or Forerunner watch, or on a phone etc.

[T42]

Been using my eTrex 30x for the last 4 years.  Fine on bike, belt is not stable enough for walking or running (wot, me, run?).

Outputs a GPX with HR in the <trkpt> tags so you can write your own eval prog.

With its permanently-connected 2-pole ECG pickup it'd be nice if Garmin took a leaf out of the Apple Watch's book and detected A-fib, but it's too old hat now for Gamin to bother with. Paging all Garmin hackers...

[fimm]

Depends on the bra, but I put my heart rate monitor chest strap underneath the strap of my sports bra and it works fine. You will always get more accurate results from a chest strap than from some kind of wrist/arm one. It depends how important that is to you.
I assume you just want a basic HRM without any GPS/bells/whistles?

[fuaran]

Chest straps are more accurate for some people, less accurate for others.

[Kim]

Depends on the bra, but I put my heart rate monitor chest strap underneath the strap of my sports bra and it works fine.

+1

They can sometimes wriggle up and sit on top of the bra's lower band, particularly if you're getting on and off recumbents a lot, but the main issue with the chest strap is that it can be intermittent if the sweat dries up.  In practical terms, that means no reading for the first kilometre or so of rides (easily solved by licking the pads), and dodgy readings if you're taking it easy (eg. riding in a slower group) for a prolonged period.

[Gattopardo]

Do the heart rate monitors do pressure as well?

[chrisbainbridge]

Do the heart rate monitors do pressure as well?

No but the newer hrm based on light do pulse oximetry.