Heart rate monitor advice

la calera

I'm looking to buy a heart rate monitor, primarily for cycling but I'd also like to use it when running.

I've zero interest in calories, more want to use it as part of a training plan to train as specific effort. I have a computer on my bike that's fairly basis - distance and time - so looking to work the two together ie HR at x over 100k. Is there anything on the market that could do it all (please see budget note :rolleyes: )

Budget is E100 - really don't want to spend more than that and would like it to hook up to a mac to record details etc.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

xp90

Have you tried ebay?


http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=Heart+rate+monitor

Cape Clear

http://www.lidl.ie/ie/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20100712.p.Heart_Rate_Monitor

Anybody bought one of these in the past?

ednwireland

yes they work fine not particularly complicated but they do work
i used it for turbo training (it was from about 4 years ago so not the model there)
but for the price you cant go wrong

i'm guessing you dont want to spend 200 quid on a garmin ?

they dont seem to be ant+ so the strap wont connect to a garmin

blorg

I'd consider something like a Garmin Forerunner which works with bike and running. It is very handy to have everything together for logging. You might get one secondhand on eBay around your budget. Note the 50 doesn't have GPS and needs a foot pod for distance when running; not sure how it does the bike, it may need the cadence/rear wheel sensor which is pricey. So a 205 or 305 secondhand may be a good option (doesn't need anything else for speed/distance either on the bike or running, does it all off the GPS.)

_MadRa_

You can get a Heart Rate wrist watch on ebay for E5..Computer for E10
Is it worth 200Euro to have them all in one?
The few i was looking at were Big money...

blorg

I've seen the Garmin Forerunner 50 with a foot pod included for £50 new on eBay. You would have to add the HR strap- and I don't know how it might do speed/distance on the bike, I think you would need the speed/cadence sensor which is getting pricey.

The Forerunner 305 with HR strap is £109 for a refurb or £128 new from Handtec (same warranty) and probably a better bet. This will do speed/distance/altitude and plot where you went and what your HR was at each point with no foot pod or bike attachment, it is entirely self contained and does it all from the GPS.

Halfway reliable HR monitors probably start around the €30 mark to just show your heart rate with no recording functions.

Whether it is worth it is up to you but I never looked back from my first Edge 305; currently on a 705 and wouldn't be without it. I ran for a bit a few years ago and if I did this seriously I would certainly get a Forerunner.

la calera

blorg wrote: »

I've seen the Garmin Forerunner 50 with a foot pod included for £50 new on eBay. You would have to add the HR strap- and I don't know how it might do speed/distance on the bike, I think you would need the speed/cadence sensor which is getting pricey.

The Forerunner 305 with HR strap is £109 for a refurb or £128 new from Handtec (same warranty) and probably a better bet. This will do speed/distance/altitude and plot where you went and what your HR was at each point with no foot pod or bike attachment, it is entirely self contained and does it all from the GPS.

Halfway reliable HR monitors probably start around the €30 mark to just show your heart rate with no recording functions.

Whether it is worth it is up to you but I never looked back from my first Edge 305; currently on a 705 and wouldn't be without it. I ran for a bit a few years ago and if I did this seriously I would certainly get a Forerunner.

The Forerunner 305 seems to be exactly what I'm looking for - had been looking at a couple of HR monitors (polar etc) but nothing really fitted the bill with gps whereas this does. Thanks!