Heart rate monitor (strava)
Discussion
So are we saying that it basically is only worth while if the App reporting Heart Rate is visible whilst you're training? Because then you can increase/decrease your intensity to stay "in the zone".
But that there's not a lot of benefit in simply recording it and then reporting it at the end of the ride?
But that there's not a lot of benefit in simply recording it and then reporting it at the end of the ride?
If you go down the route of target, or zone parameter training you will need to see the data live on your handlebars or wrist, it will help if it is programable with audio alarms to help you stay in the zone.
There is plenty of details on the web about the training zones and interval training to follow but be careful the ones that work hurt/are hard to do.
While training it is good to see where you are ref your heart, also if you race time trials it is useful to hold a race heart rate for the duration and adjust as you get better at them, in a road race who cares you can either make the break, jump across or you cannot, watch chasing legends for the interview with Jens Voigt he says who want to hear "I was at 189bhp and just made it across to the break" or as he says "I was suffering so much and in so much pain and just made it"
Also when you get home from a training ride you will be disappointed with the lack of quality time in the zone, due to corners, junctions up and down hill sections etc. It is very hard to stay in a narrow training zone this is easier to do in theory on a turbo trainer.
When you review a road race it will be up and down all over the place but you will look back and think that was when the winning move went but you maybe choose not to go or maybe you did but you wouldn't be looking at the heart rate monitor just the other riders.
I use a garmin edge 500 and it does everything I want it to
There is plenty of details on the web about the training zones and interval training to follow but be careful the ones that work hurt/are hard to do.
While training it is good to see where you are ref your heart, also if you race time trials it is useful to hold a race heart rate for the duration and adjust as you get better at them, in a road race who cares you can either make the break, jump across or you cannot, watch chasing legends for the interview with Jens Voigt he says who want to hear "I was at 189bhp and just made it across to the break" or as he says "I was suffering so much and in so much pain and just made it"
Also when you get home from a training ride you will be disappointed with the lack of quality time in the zone, due to corners, junctions up and down hill sections etc. It is very hard to stay in a narrow training zone this is easier to do in theory on a turbo trainer.
When you review a road race it will be up and down all over the place but you will look back and think that was when the winning move went but you maybe choose not to go or maybe you did but you wouldn't be looking at the heart rate monitor just the other riders.
I use a garmin edge 500 and it does everything I want it to
I looked at linking my iPhone 4 with a heart rate monitor and cadence sensor to use with CycleMeter.
When I priced it up it was something like £140. The Garmin 500 can be had for less than £200 with the HRM and cadence sensor, so I bought that instead. Far longer battery life, it doesn't mind getting soaking wet, and I even (accidentally) found out the other day that you can drop it on concrete from 7ft and it doesn't even make a mark!
When I priced it up it was something like £140. The Garmin 500 can be had for less than £200 with the HRM and cadence sensor, so I bought that instead. Far longer battery life, it doesn't mind getting soaking wet, and I even (accidentally) found out the other day that you can drop it on concrete from 7ft and it doesn't even make a mark!
Personally I find it a quite negative thing to have a hrm showing. For one thing my legs give up long before my heart and lungs (never managed to hit my max heart rate on a bike), and secondly I find that if I can see my heart rate blinking away at me I tend to start thinking about my breathing etc which fluffs up my heart rate which makes me think about it (repeat ad infinitum)
The key with using a HRM properly is to do testing to see what your lactate threshold is, where you start anaerobic respiration and use those figures to set your training zones and hence your training schedule.
If you don't do that it just provides more stats without much meaning. There's a viewpoint that we get too caught up in stats nowadays rather than just putting the work in and riding (or running) to how we feel.
If you don't do that it just provides more stats without much meaning. There's a viewpoint that we get too caught up in stats nowadays rather than just putting the work in and riding (or running) to how we feel.
In your OP you state you'll use it for fitness. For fitness I wouldn't bother. If you're training to race then they are essential. Simply going out 3 or 4 times a week will see you're fitness improve.
They do help but they are not essential IME; that said a simple HR watch and strap can be had for beans these days.
They do help but they are not essential IME; that said a simple HR watch and strap can be had for beans these days.
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