Heart rate monitors
al_kidder
Posts: 73
How much variation is there in the accuracy of these things? I needed a new speedo anyway, so I bought a cheapy with a heart rate monitor that turns out to be from some Chinese manufacturer called SunDing.
To me the heart rate that it is giving me seem suspiciously high. I haven't tried taking it up any serious hills yet, but going up some small Hills, only a couple of hundred metres at up to 10% it has given me a heart rate over 160, (peaking close to 170) which is pretty close to my nominal maximum (that would be 165) if you accept the formula of 220 minus your age.
While I was riding along a flat road at a shade under 40 kmh it had me sitting at a pulse of 160 for several kilometres. Granted, I was close to my maximum sustained effort but the road was also flat.
So do any of you bother to compare the readout from various brands of monitor? Maybe by swapping monitors with other riders or by riding with more than one monitor on at time?
How seriously should I take the reading that it is giving me?
To me the heart rate that it is giving me seem suspiciously high. I haven't tried taking it up any serious hills yet, but going up some small Hills, only a couple of hundred metres at up to 10% it has given me a heart rate over 160, (peaking close to 170) which is pretty close to my nominal maximum (that would be 165) if you accept the formula of 220 minus your age.
While I was riding along a flat road at a shade under 40 kmh it had me sitting at a pulse of 160 for several kilometres. Granted, I was close to my maximum sustained effort but the road was also flat.
So do any of you bother to compare the readout from various brands of monitor? Maybe by swapping monitors with other riders or by riding with more than one monitor on at time?
How seriously should I take the reading that it is giving me?
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Comments
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Um...take your pulse and compare it to what your HRM is telling you0
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HRMs can produce silly readouts, yes. That formula, and others like it, for some people can be quite accurate, but for others decidedly not. MHR is quite difficult to measure accurately anyway; if you want to train seriously using HR, FTHR (functional threshold) is eminently more measurable. See British Cycling's resources.0
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is it a chest strap one?
make sure it's tight enough, also wet the pads before putting it on, loose/dry contacts can result in weird readingsmy bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Some cycling jerseys can also play havoc with HRM readings. Plus, as Sungod says, make sure the electrodes are moist. If cycling outdoor the wind can also cause high readings.
This might help
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/12/annual-public-service-announcement-how-to-fix-heart-rate-strap-dropoutsspikes.html0 -
How seriously should I take the reading that it is giving me?
Depends on how serious you are about training to HR...0 -
Like most of these devices, it's better to spend the money on a HR monitor from a well known reliable company.
I've used Garmin, Polar, Wahoo et al over the years without any issues. All the HR data provided is similar between them, so the chances are the data is accurate.0 -
Yes, it is a chest strap type. And I have also observed that it doesn't seem to work until I work up a sweat. I was a bit surprised how far I have to get before it was damp enough round my chest to work.is it a chest strap one?
make sure it's tight enough, also wet the pads before putting it on, loose/dry contacts can result in weird readings
Something else I notice with it is that the radio connection back to the computer can get lost if I am hunched down low or if I am standing on the pedals. The mounting bracket for the computer has a 2nd little bracket attached by a wire which I assume is the aerial. At the moment that is held on so that the wire is not at all straight. Does it work better if I try to straighten the wire out? The instructions say that the transmitter is at 110 kHz i.e. the 3 km waveband. I don't quite get how such a short aerial can receive such a long wave.0 -
Well if you've not tested your actual max then it's pretty pointless using one. You won't know your levels.
My hrm easily transmits 6 feet or more.
It's probably more likely that the belt isn't making good contact in those extreme positions.0 -
You can get free apps that you can use to check your RHR and then compare that with the read out on the device. As others have said, poor connectivity, flat battery in the belt etc can affect the reading.
To get a guide of your max HR. You can use a 10 minute test: http://www.timetrialtraining.co.uk/S6MaxHeartRateTests.htm0 -
You just need to wet the pads slightly before you put the HR monitor on, and it should work right away, rather than wait until you build up a sweat.
Yes, it is a chest strap type. And I have also observed that it doesn't seem to work until I work up a sweat. I was a bit surprised how far I have to get before it was damp enough round my chest to work.is it a chest strap one?
make sure it's tight enough, also wet the pads before putting it on, loose/dry contacts can result in weird readings0
