Heart rate monitor

RHJ

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2 Wheels Good

Use a Suunto myself, don't have it but they do a bike pod attachment. Polar or Garmin both good options as well. Cateye and Garmin also do bike versions with hrm options.

RHJ

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blorg

Flip a coin and then multiply it with the output of a random number generator. The result is your calories burned.

2 Wheels Good

Down to 2 things i think (I wouldn't call myself an expert so open to correction)
1, Not sure how good the bikemate hrm are, and 2, does it take your details, age, gender, weight etc into consideration.
While a good calculator on a site may be close, a good hrm set up right will always be more accurate as it's measuring your hearts efforts.
Same as a hrm that also measures body temp etc would be more accurate again.
Some of the higher spec hrms also take your level of activity into account and adjust your results accordingly. My Suunto has activity class and training effect that give a more accurate reading on how i'm doing.
Like i said, i'm no expert but have found it beneficial and accurate enough.

macnab

I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 and find it great. I dont use mapmyride any more as its not accurate, have a look at ridewithgps.com.

RHJ

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irishmotorist

I have a CS300 and find it fine. I've got the cadence sensor too. The only negative that I have about it is the Internet upload feature. It uses audio - little morse code beeps and you need a dead silent room with an external PC mic to use it (in my experience). I find that because it's a difficult interface to use I don't upload my stats and that's one thing that I wanted to be able to do (just to be a bit nerdy). I think that if/when it dies, I'll be considering a Garmin to replace it as it's better gadgety and has better looking output.

But, for just seeing your HR, it does the job nice. I also like the fact that it's wearable as a watch!

RHJ

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RHJ

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Super Freak

I believe Bryton are being sued by Garmin for copyright infringement. I can see why, that device is a dead ringer for the Garmin Edge 500.

If you are prepared to spend that amount I would strongly recommend getting the edge 500.
http://www.handtec.co.uk/product.php/2337/garmin-edge-500-heart-rate-monitor---speed-cadence

Do a search here, very popular unit.

irishmotorist

RHJ wrote: »

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Sorry - I'm not thinking of getting one yet. There's still plenty of life in my Polar and I couldn't justify replacing a working device. But WHEN it gives up the ghost, I'll be considering Garmin along with whatever else is out there. I've never used a Garmin or looked into them yet so I've no real opinion on them other than the fact that the pages that owners share to show their stats look REALLY cool

Lumen

Super Freak wrote: »

I believe Bryton are being sued by Garmin for copyright infringement.

The legal action alleges patent infringement, not copyright.

Super Freak wrote: »

I can see why, that device is a dead ringer for the Garmin Edge 500.

Garmin's products no doubt infringe a bunch of other people's patents. Avoiding patent infringement is impossible. A quick Google shows that Garmin have been involved in patent lawsuits with (at least) TomTom and Panasonic.

Ironically, the reason most Garmin fitness products produce such laughable calorie estimates is that the best known algorithm is patented by someone other than Garmin. I think Garmin licensed it for the Edge 500, but may have misremembered that.

The evolution of electronic systems is based on improving things that went before by assembling the basic building blocks in slightly different ways.

The patents system is, for the most part, completely retarded. It's not a new problem either - Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone but the technologies were previously developed by many others.

</rant>

Idleater

Lumen wrote: »

Ironically, the reason most Garmin fitness products produce such laughable calorie estimates is that the best known algorithm is patented by someone other than Garmin. I think Garmin licensed it for the Edge 500, but may have misremembered that.

Slightly OT but I switched the garmin (500) on for my motorcycle journey to work this morning and it estimated that I burned 676 calories. This compares to the 816 for the race yesterday evening so I'm guessing there are still some oddities in the licensed calculation.

Murph100

TBH I'm very suspect on Garmin's HR data, its all over the place, I'd be dead if my heart was fluctuating that much, or hitting the odd crazy max. The old Polar I have and the Tacx produce almost identical HR data to each other, and which doesn't look like I'm being electrocuted !

I think Billyfish might have a strong learned opinion on this

I've been using the 705 since it came out, so I've learned to live and work with its many faults, however at this stage, if I were getting a bike computer and didn't need GPS or ANT+ for Power, I'd probably go for the Polar. It also makes me lean towards the Polar/Look powermeter instead of the ANT+ units.

Just me 2C

RHJ

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RHJ

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Super Freak

I don't use HR based training myself.
This might be of some help to you.
https://buy.garmin.com/support/manuals/searchManuals.faces

blorg

If they were around the same price I would get the Garmin. More popular, brand name and so on.

I haven't used the workout features at all but I am 95% sure a Garmin lets you design HR based workouts like you describe.

corkchef

I have just one final question. Does the Garmin edge 500 have anything like what's in picture 5

i use a garmin edge 500 and it does have screens like those. plus you can customize them as well.

you can upload/download course files into it and it will guide you along. letting you know when to turn etc.

it comes with basic workouts programmed into it, but it is very easy to add your own. i use the workout function a fair bit and find it a very good coach nagging me along when my heart rate or cadence drops below target.

another feature i like is the "race against yourself function". if you are on a course you have done before it will push you to complete it a % faster than last. very simple and very rewarding when you come in 4 minutes quicker.

my cycling certainly has improved with it.

paulo85

I'm also thinking of getting one, was thinking polar, do you need to get one that has a chest strap.

blorg

paulo85 wrote: »

I'm also thinking of getting one, was thinking polar, do you need to get one that has a chest strap.

If you want it to monitor your heart rate, yes.

paulo85

blorg wrote: »

If you want it to monitor your heart rate, yes.

What do the ones do that just seem to be a watch but are called heart rate monitors

blorg

paulo85 wrote: »

What do the ones do that just seem to be a watch but are called heart rate monitors

They come with chest straps. There is another type that will give you an instantaneous reading off a finger but they dont do continuous HR.

paulo85

blorg wrote: »

They come with chest straps. There is another type that will give you an instantaneous reading off a finger but they dont do continuous HR.

Thanks a million. I'm looking at one on wiggle so i think ill get that one. thanks for all your help.