Cycling Fitness / Training Advice

Decathlon do one for £24.99.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hrm-belt-heart-rate-monitor-belt-ant-bluetooth/_/R-p-346657

I haven't checked this iteration, but the previous one they did was identical to the Wahoo branded one.

ANT+ is shit though, am glad it's going to die.

I NEVER remember Decathlon when buying stuff. Thanks.

Then again, I think I've got the same HRM somewhere else. I bought it when I was doing regular HRV measurements. HRV is a waste of time though so I'm getting rid of the thumb sensor and I just need to find the HR strap.

I'm still using ANT+ I don't really have any issues with it but at the same time if everything moved to BT and it works, I don't really care. So long as whatever head unit I've got will still work with my old Powertap stuff until that dies, I'm ok.

Anyone wanna buy an 808 Powertap wheel before I send it to Oz to live with my old TT bike? :)

£35 for
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/405418411340

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/17628109/

Ta. I wonder if anyone has tried their rechargeable option (above)

So you can charge your phone or Garmin with your heartbeat? Clever idea!

I had the previous gen Decathlon sensor on a Polar strap when Decathlon sold the pod separately but lost it in a house move, so just got the Polar H9 on Amazon for £40 or so which has been more reliable with no dropouts or spikes and battery change does not involve tiny screwdrivers

Why would I buy a (£150) Garmin watch when I could just use a cheap(er) strap?

Garmin Forerunner 45 will be £50 second hand.

I have sweated to death:

• H10
  
• H11
  
• original Tickr (twice)
  
  

Got the Trackr on offer and it's been great so far (3 months no dropouts, long battery life) and having dabbled in Zwift racing for the first time this winter, being able to broadcast multiple BT has been helpful. But mainly not having to keep buying coin cell batteries is the win.

Better than £56 anywhere?

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Garmin-Dual-Heart-Rate-Transmitter_213112.htm

I would have recommended the Garmin because the battery lasts forever but it broke apart
when I took it off the strap this week.

I have that one and use it with a strap because the built in one is a bit slow.

Yep that's exactly what I thought when I recorded alongside my strap monitor. Adequate for most of my needs apart from intervals, in which case power is probably more appropriate due to HR lag anyway 🤷‍♂️

I get wildly diff readings on the watch OHR and chest, mind you I have a lot of wrist hair

Yeah, I don't really care about accuracy. It's just some extra data and I don't mind wearing the HR strap on the turbo. I almost never use HR outside though, but I might change that as more of my bikes aren't powermeter equipped.

why bother?!

It's extra data for not much trouble. It can sometimes be useful to look at HR vs. power when pondering "am I shithouse or getting sick" and, as I mentioned, I might start wearing it outside on bikes with no PMs and that can be used with TR, etc to get a better TSS for rides than RPE estimates.

Yeah having consistent HR for every ride (rather than different power meters) is helpful, especially as you say for long rides on bikes without power which is most of my outdoor riding - the TSS calc in TP is pretty useful and I have uploaded the same ride with and without power as a test, and the hrTSS is pretty close.

That's good to know. I'm doing most of my riding on the Surly these days so I have more 'need' to estimate TSS if I'm going to actually follow a training plan.

I'm kinda backwards to most people though in that I load up my training plan and then remove and/or chop and change as I need to. Most people that do that either quit because they can't do the high volume or move to a lower volume plan and then add stuff back in. I've tried both and tend to prefer loading up the plan and removing workouts if necessary.

I'm still nothing like the load I was doing during Covid though. I crushed the turbo during 2020 :D