Best value pulse meter €50-200 price range?

Slideshowbob

Anyone recommend a pulse meter around that price?

Best bought in Dublin or online?

Thanks

Raymzor

I bought a polar cs200 which has a Heart rate monitor and cadence sensor. i find it good. i got it for 109stg from chain reaction cycles. you can go for a cheaper polar that is just a watch and heart rate monitor i think it is an fs2.

you could probably buy a cateye for cheaper

aldi will probably do a similar one to the fs2 sometime in the spring for 20e

2 Wheels Good

I've a Suunto T3C, the newer version is end of life and on offer below from heartratemonitor.co.uk (in red).
Find it very good and like how it adjusts depending on your activity.

Suunto T3D

Paul Kiernan

Save your money and just get this -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Bicycle-Computer-Ciclosport-4-2/dp/B000XUHF0U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326745064&sr=8-1

Slideshowbob

What's the cheapest you can get that would automatically upload ride stats to a computer via a usb or otherwise?

Lumen

The Garmin 500 is available from handtec for under €210, and that'll do everything. GPS tracking is useful, even without navigation.

Otherwise I'd probably just go for the cheapest Polar (e.g. Polar CS100), as they have a better reputation for accuracy.

Isn't this all a bit much for an unreformed luddite? You'll be asking for power meter recommendations next.

Raymzor

while my polar cs200 is a very good bike computer the pc connectivity doesnt work. it relies on a microphone to transmit sound signals to transfer data! i have failed to get it to work. also polar software is poor. if you have an iphone check out strava.com and thread here. garmin seem to offer best pc and web based interface. im looking to garmin edge 500 or 200 at moment

penexpers

Raymzor wrote: »

while my polar cs200 is a very good bike computer the pc connectivity doesnt work. it relies on a microphone to transmit sound signals to transfer data! i have failed to get it to work. also polar software is poor. if you have an iphone check out strava.com and thread here. garmin seem to offer best pc and web based interface. im looking to garmin edge 500 or 200 at moment

My CS200 works fine after I put the microphone input to the highest level. Agree about the software being poor though.

Inquitus

My Garmin Edge 500 seems to do a pretty accurate job on my HR, when it says I am in the red, I tend to be in the red! And you get gps, cadence and all the gubbins thrown in. I'd certainly say its accurate enough for the amateur racer.

Casati

penexpers wrote: »

My CS200 works fine after I put the microphone input to the highest level. Agree about the software being poor though.

Do you need to buy a dongle to up load CS200 to a pc, or does it send the data directly from the head unit itself.

How do you find this unit overall, I have heard mixed things about the accuracy with HR and speedo not working all the time?

Casati

Lumen wrote: »

The Garmin 500 is available from handtec for under €210, and that'll do everything. GPS tracking is useful, even without navigation.

Otherwise I'd probably just go for the cheapest Polar (e.g. Polar CS100), as they have a better reputation for accuracy.

Isn't this all a bit much for an unreformed luddite? You'll be asking for power meter recommendations next.

I'm in the market too and the Garmin 500 seems to be v popular but not keen on spending 200 quid + so wondering is the basic unit without the cadence sensor accurate for speed via GPS only?

Also whats the opinions on the Garmin 200, seems to be a lot cheaper.

I saw an Edge 305 for around £100 inc HR strap, I know this is an older model but anybody have anything to say about them?

C3PO

Casati wrote: »

Also whats the opinions on the Garmin 200, seems to be a lot cheaper.

The Garmin 200 is great as long as you don't want a heart rate monitor!

Casati

RPL1 wrote: »

The Garmin 200 is great as long as you don't want a heart rate monitor!

That answers that then!

penexpers

Casati wrote: »

Do you need to buy a dongle to up load CS200 to a pc, or does it send the data directly from the head unit itself.

How do you find this unit overall, I have heard mixed things about the accuracy with HR and speedo not working all the time?

You just need a microphone - the data is transmitted directly from the head unit.

Never had a problem with accuracy, it does the job nicely.

niceonetom

This is basically how Polar communicates with your PC:


It works but it's absurdly outdated.

Casati

Think my mind is made up- I'll go with the old fashioned Polar- I used to have one as a watch that had that mic data connection and in fairness it worked! I would get a Garmin only my head would be wrecked charging it all the time

Thanks a million for the help

fat bloke

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fat bloke

When you say "pulse meter" do you just mean heart rate?

I'm looking to get rid of this ;
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056528869

It's just gonna back on a shelf again, gimme 30 quid or something and it's yours. Never used really. I was never into the numbers game and I'd have been happy to use this away as a hrm only that a bargain edge 500 cropped up.

Casati

fat bloke wrote: »

When you say "pulse meter" do you just mean heart rate?

I'm looking to get rid of this ;
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056528869

It's just gonna back on a shelf again, gimme 30 quid or something and it's yours. Never used really. I was never into the numbers game and I'd have been happy to use this away as a hrm only that a bargain edge 500 cropped up.

Thanks for the offer but I had bad experience with Cateye HRM previously so I will leave it for now, I am sure you will shift it for 30 quid though

I can get a Polar CS300 in CycleSurgery in Dundrum for €110, anybody have experience with them? No cadence but spec looks fairly good, so hopefully the quality is as good as the older Polar stuff?

C3PO

Personally I would wait until you can stretch to a Garmin! JagCon sold a 500 for €140 in the last few days!

Casati

RPL1 wrote: »

Personally I would wait until you can stretch to a Garmin! JagCon sold a 500 for €140 in the last few days!

The cheapest I see the Garmin is €210 new- I think its only fair to compare new prices rather than new versus secondhand?

Plastik

€176 delivered from Handtec.co.uk without the cadence or HR package. €237 with both included.

C3PO

Casati wrote: »

The cheapest I see the Garmin is €210 new- I think its only fair to compare new prices rather than new versus secondhand?

Frankly I don't think they are really comparable at all!
All I'm saying is that I would prefer to take a chance on a 2nd hand Garmin 500 rather than buying a new Polar! I just find that having GPS is a great training aid and also good fun, particularly when used with Strava! I'd be willing to bet that within a few weeks you'll be regretting that you didn't wait!

Raymzor

Just to point out the polar software gives no more than a repeat of what the bike computer shows. using the polar site you will have an average heart rate and a max heart rate and the length of time you spent in the desired zone, the length of time spent above and below the zone. this is then used to give a calorie burn figure during your spin. the big benefit of the garmin is that you will be able to review your exact heart rate throught the ride-your heart rate plotted over time-or you will identify what your heart rate a position on the roadmap! im thinking of upgrading to the garmin for this reason! i wish i could get one cheaply second hand!