HR monitor advice please

samsbike

I have been commuting for around 4 months (2 days a week) and had no improvement. Then reading around and getting advice, I learnt that riding like I stole it was not doing me any good.

So now I am trying to train to around 65% of of MHR.

Is there any reason why a HR monitor, something around the £20, should be sufficient?

Is there any advantage to the higher devices?

My issue is that I have no idea how long I will continue cycling for, especially when the weather turns and the only time I get to get out is on my commutes (which is 1.5hrs ish each way)

thanks

16mm

Get a cheap one.
But finding your max hr is not simple. Easiest way is to cycle through a lion enclosure.
If there is a lion enclosure on your commute then going this way will definitely improve your fitness.

ut_och_cykla

I'm surprised riding like you stole it has not led to any improvement. You should have got quicker on your commute I would have thought. Riding at 65% of MHR probably won't help much either to be honest - unless you're going to ride for several hours at a time.
If you're happy doing your commute - then increase the number of times a week you cycle - include days off inbetween (ie ride monday/weds/fri?) and make sure you eat enough before during and after ride to keep energy levels up for your repeated efforts.
With regard to the HRM question - £20 should get you a reasonable starter. Ifg it has an 'average' function all the better - as you get better teh average for your commute should go down or your speed up!
If you continue cycling/get better/ more interested you can buy a more advanced one later.

16mm

Also how are you measuring improvement? I'd suggest you have got fitter, but if it takes a lot of extra fitness to get small speed improvements once you're going quite quick.

amaferanga

If you haven't improved in 4 months of 'riding like you stole it' then you sure won't improve by riding at less than 65% MHR all the time.

drlodge

My MaxHR is 185 (measured), my average HR on rides is around 145-150, or 80% of MaxHR.

16mm

amaferanga wrote:

If you haven't improved in 4 months of 'riding like you stole it' then you sure won't improve by riding at less than 65% MHR all the time.

Maybe "riding like he stole it" refers to wearing Burberry and a hoodie and pedaling at 120rpm in the small ring?

samsbike

16mm wrote:

Also how are you measuring improvement? I'd suggest you have got fitter, but if it takes a lot of extra fitness to get small speed improvements once you're going quite quick.

Time to work, which has not really changed, well maybe a five minute improvement from 1 hr 30min to 1 hr 25min ish.

Its a bit difficult as no 2 days are the same, but I was riding till breathless and open mouthed.

At least going slow means I eat less bugs!

16mm

If you riding so that you can't talk in short sentences then IME you're almost certainly going faster than 65% MHR.

You should be getting fitter. Do you feel the same?

samsbike

16mm wrote:

If you riding so that you can't talk in short sentences then IME you're almost certainly going faster than 65% MHR.

You should be getting fitter. Do you feel the same?

yep I do feel the same and I did a 20minute ride to the town centre and felt just as exhausted. It does not feel that I am improving at all.

Alex_Simmons/RST

samsbike wrote:

yep I do feel the same and I did a 20minute ride to the town centre and felt just as exhausted. It does not feel that I am improving at all.

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... ting-19175