Heart Rate Monitors - How To Choose

[ny biker]

Cheers, ladies.

I ordered the unbundled Black / Silver Garmin Edge 500 and the Garmin Micro Mini USB ANT+ Stick. Got both for good prices. Loads of deals around at the moment.

This is the kind of bra I wear. I'd prefer to just stay with what's comfortable if I can versus hunting down a special bra that takes HRMs. I think I'll just have to try it for myself and see.

http://store.nike.com/gb/en_gb/pd/pr.../pgid-10105336

Have you tried the premium Garmin soft strap? That seems to be the one that most people use. It has mixed reviews though.

@Oakleaf: The product that was in the link you sent looked very interesting. I think the next few years will see some really cool products being launched in this space.

Do you already have the Bontrager Duotrap? Does the Garmin ANT+ stick do something that that the Duotrap does not do?

[Dubz]

@ny biker

I have the Bontrager Duotrap S ANT+ / Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor fitted onto my bike already. But I need the Garmin ANT+ stick to pair the HRM chest strap with TrainerRoad, which I'm using for my Cyclops Fluid 2 trainer workouts.

All the gadgets... It can get confusing!

[Dubz]

Have now decided to cancel my Garmin order and get a HRM Chest Strap instead to use with my iPhone 5S and bike apps. I can always get a bike computer later. I'm considering getting the Wahoo Tickr HRM because it's Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible (if I did decide to get a Garmin Edge 500 later).

Just wondering if it's possible to pair my Bontrager Duotrap S ANT+ / Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor and the Wahoo Tickr HRM simultaneously to my iPhone 5S via Bluetooth 4? Or do I need to also buy an ANT+ Adaptor to pair one while I pair the other via Bluetooth?

There are so many apps out there. I just want one that records my route and where I can see my speed / cadence and heart rate. What do other people use?

[ny biker]

Have now decided to cancel my Garmin order and get a HRM Chest Strap instead to use with my iPhone 5S and bike apps. I can always get a bike computer later. I'm considering getting the Wahoo Tickr HRM because it's Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible (if I did decide to get a Garmin Edge 500 later).

Just wondering if it's possible to pair my Bontrager Duotrap S ANT+ / Bluetooth speed and cadence sensor and the Wahoo Tickr HRM simultaneously to my iPhone 5S via Bluetooth 4? Or do I need to also buy an ANT+ Adaptor to pair one while I pair the other via Bluetooth?

There are so many apps out there. I just want one that records my route and where I can see my speed / cadence and heart rate. What do other people use?

I do not use any phone apps, because I don't want to deplete the battery. During bike rides, my priority is saving the phone if it is needed for important things -- calling 911, calling friends to locate them if they've gotten separated from the group, emailing my bike club's listserv for advice when I'm alone and stranded with a broken spoke, etc.

[Crankin]

I'm like NY. I don't use my phone for anything except phone/text when I'm riding, for all of the reasons she stated. I have a Garmin 1000, which could do all of the things you are talking about, but I only use it for distance, cadence, speed, and average, as well as downloading routes from Ride with GPS. I stopped using my HR monitor about 8 years ago. It never worked right, and I was just focusing on that. I've been exercising for 35 years; I know when I am working hard and when I need to back off, so RPE works fine for me. As far as calories burned, my take is that it's all wildly inaccurate, especially for someone who is five foot almost one and weighs between 105 and 109. I guess I sort of subscribe to RocknRoll Girl's theory.

[Dubz]

I've been asking about counting calories on another thread (some of you have kindly responded there too). The topic of HRMs has come up there as well. Thinking about what people have said there - and here - I'm in two minds now whether they're useful for my purposes or not. I think I need to read more and decide for myself. I'm pretty good at estimating my effort as I used to do a lot of running at one point.

For the type of rides I plan on doing, my iPhone 5S battery should be fine. But I appreciate the need to be aware of battery issues etc. I will be keeping that in mind when I ride outside. As I said, I can always get a bike computer later.

[OakLeaf]

Does the Garmin ANT+ stick do something that that the Duotrap does not do?

The ANT+ stick is a connectivity dongle for the receiving device, that's all. AFAIK there are no general purpose computers/tablets/phones that come with ANT+ connectivity. That's the main reason that, now that BTLE (Bluetooth Smart) allows for smaller sensing/sending devices, that a lot of the manufacturers are moving over to Bluetooth, where before, ANT+ had been the standard communication protocol for fitness devices for a long time.