Heart rate monitors

[jan]

Hi all looking for advice on the above I have just lost my usual computer which was quite basic I am thinking of purchasing a new one but upgrading to one that gives you heart rate info. also wondering if I should include one that gives cadence as well, reasoning being I am not the fastest hill climber by far and as I am doing the Alps in the summer I am looking to get as good as I can on the hills by getting the best out my training now. so whats the verdict will a heart rate monitor on its own as well as all the usual stuff you get ie mileage ave speed ect be enough or would I be better to get one with a cadence on it or do or do you think neither the heart rate monitor or the cadence counter will improve my speed any way the one I have looked at in particular is the Bryton rider 4
Hope to get lots of responses and possibly lot of advice.

Ta in anticipation

[allezhopper]

I don't have experience of the Bryton Rider devices, but do use a Garmin Edge 500 with HRM and cadence/speed sensors. On here the range of opinions cover technophobe to technophile, when it comes to cycling gadgets. I'm in the later camp

First off I'll say that my Garmin HRM was great until this past winter, since when I've been getting much higher than should be readings most of the time that I used it - so I've stopped using it for a while (might need a new one?). I've tested this vs a Polar FT60 HRM (that I used to use and it has had the same high readings but now seems to be reliable again), plus a HRM app on my iPhone that uses the camera to monitor the colour changes on fingers when the blood pulses. I think the Garmin HRM is more susceptible to static the base layers. My mate doesn't have this problem with his Garmin HRM.

So the good points of using a HRM with GPS is that you can see what was happening when you view the ride data later. On the Edge 500 you programme the HR zones (I think this is done via Garmin Connect website on Mac/PC and then downloaded to the unit) and other personal data. It has 5 user configurable screens (plus others when doing workouts and following a course). Each screen can be either Off or display between 1 and 8 data fields. I have one screen that shows current HR, average HR, HR graph, HR zone. The other screens generally show current speed, average speed, trip distance, plus a selection of cadence, ride time, time of day, elevation, gradient, total ascent, temperate.

The Edge has some settings that cover the current selected bike profile (up to three profiles). You can save settings such as bike weight, GSC10 cadence/speed sensor ID, and auto or manual wheel size if using a GSC10 sensor. If you do set the profile with a GSC10 sensor, the speed and distance on the Edge will be generated from the sensor. This is good and bad:
- Good: Properly set up this is probably more accurate than GPS tracking. You can use the bike on a turbo trainer and see the distance, speed and cadence - wirelessly, without having to bodge it due to short wires that assume the speed is on the front wheel.
- Bad: Badly set up, and for me I include my experience with auto-calibration, the speed and distance can be wildly out. It will not default down to GPS data unless you use a profile without a GSC10.

For me it's been mainly all good for the Edge and GSC10(s). I really like the small size vs the Edge 800 and newer 510/810.

If you are looking for just a HRM, then that was Polar's primary business who then the added GPS to some devices, mostly via an external GPS unit. For Garmin it was the opposite: GPS first with addition of HRM. £4£ though I think I get more value from my Edge 500 and sensors (when the HRM starts to work reliably - in the spring and layers come off, I hope) and configurable during- and post-ride data than I have with the Polar HRM (which needed external GPS unit, which I didn't buy, and USB device for transferring data, which I did buy). Even the HR data (OK when it was working) showed much more during and after the ride, but maybe more expensive Polar devices will log and export data rather than just highest and average HR, and time in each zone (the FT60 has just 3 zones which equate to zones 2, 3 and 4 on the Garmin). The FT60 has one feature that the Garmin's do not and that is the Fitness Test: this is a non-maximal test (so non-maximal that you do it lying down and absolutely still) that estimates your fitness level and they claim it is analogous to VO2max.

The Bryton 40 looks to be similar to the Edge 500, and not that dissimilar in online prices (not that I've looked much). If you want to use Strava, the Edge has the [ahem] edge. You can upload directly to it, but the Bryton requires extra steps to take the data off and manually upload the file.

Another thought (totally off the top of my head) there is the Garmin ANT+ iPhone dongle that will enable Garmin HRM and spped/cadence to work with Garmin Fit app. I've only seen it with the old dock connector (so pre-iPhone 5). But that would still cost the best part of £100 to setup and you might as well use a dedicated device that has better battery life.

HRM issues pop up on both Polar and Garmin forums, so it's not exclusive to one brand.

[andrewj100]

I looked at getting a Garmin edge 500 at the end of last year but was put off by the many stories on internet forums of the tabs that locate it in the mounting bracket breaking off.
I'm going to wait for the Cateye Stealth 50 to get released http://www.cateye.com/uk/products/detail/CC-GL50/ it should be out by the end of the month.

[Zevon]

i have a 500 approx 2 years old no probs love it.

[allezhopper]

So far I've had no problems with my Edge. The support from Garmin's UK support has been good though (I've an Etrex HCx, Dakota 20, and this Edge 500) and I've found them helpful and not restricted by time when I call them. They even remotely connected to my Mac to investigate a Basecamp issue I had with the Dakota (mysterious self-creating routes).

As the Edge has an internal battery, I'd think that it is reasonable to expect the case and tabs not to fail before the battery (loosely based on Sale of Goods). That's what I'd be telling Garmin if they tried to charge me, given the 12 page thread on their forum - some of whose users have had free 'goodwill' out of warranty replacements.

The CatEye unit might be good, but I'll stick with the configurable pages of the Edge and simple mini-USB connection.