I think it’s time to upgrade my 10 quid Lidl HRM. It’s great for basic monitoring and zone info but I need to be able to log now too. One advantage was that it took watch batteries and I could change them myself. I hear that Polar don’t allow this, which is a bit crap. I also fancy the idea of a Garmin 705 as the ultimate cycle computer toy.

Any ideas/recomendations/gotchas? Oh I use a Mac but if I have to I can run parallels to get access to windows software but I’d rather not if there is native software support.

If you are going to use it whilst using HID or LED lights (say in a 24 hour race) make sure you get a digital HRM as analogue ones will suffer interference from the lights.

Which will discount Polar as they are all analogue.

Seconding the ‘Dont buy Polar’, but only if your after a cycle computer!

I’ve had two watch based HRM’s and they’ve been spot on, used them for swimming running and kayaking and they’ve never dropped a beat [pun intended ;o)], so decided to buy a Polar HRM cycle computer for the road bike and it’s a complete pile of crap! It tells me i’m doing 0 kmph when spinning in the largest gear and 80kmph when stopped at traffice lights!? oh & looses signal when you ride past speed camera’s WTF?

Anyway if your wanting a watch based one go Polar, if your looking for a cycle computer combined look elsewhere…

Ben

What are peoples experiences of the Garmin 705’s HRM features?

This is a ride log from my Garmin 705.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/5074790

Click on player, then full screen. You can choose to see HR, Elevation and Speed.

Its a very good toy, but can be hard to master the route planning (although I plotted then rode the route shown, and it was perfect. Even bleeped when we went on the footpath up Rushup edge (20m from bridleway, and it noticed!)

Love my Edge 705.
Nothing else out there that does so much, so well.

If your not going to use the mapping, then the 305 is more suitable and still has the same cycle computer/HRM features, just lacks the screen size and colour + mapping.

I have a 305 I never use. YOurs for £125 if you want it.
T

newer polars you can replace the battery yourself including the chest strap one – but i don’t use for swimming
i use cs100 you can’t download but liked the idea of having cadence (though the sensor is an extra) and the chest strap can be used with technogym stuff and the newer concept rowers

numpty duplicate