Thinking of making a bit more of an effort this year a d stuff I’ve been reading talks about x minutes in z2 and y minutes in z3a which .eans very little to me. What should I look for in a hrm?

Is it worth getting one that plays with the laptop? (which is a mac.)

Cheers

Do you record rides via GPS on a smartphone?

If so then you might want to look at an HRM belt with Bluetooth Smart on it. That way it can transmit heart rate to the phone which can then be recorded along your ride via apps like Endomondo.

It depends what you intend using it for or should I say expect from it. Heart rate monitors have now been shown to be a bit of a blunt tool when trying to monitor athletes’ performance improvements over time. This is because your heart rate can vary up or down on any particular day depending on a number of circumstances.

Coaches these days usually prefer power meters for gauging improvements in athlete performance over time and tailor specific training regimes to meet their performance goals. Power meters are horrendously expensive though and as such are usually overkill for the amateur athlete, which I assume you are.

That said, I use my heart rate monitor to try and ensure that I keep within the relevant zone for the type of workout that I may be doing on any particular day. For instance, I tend to regularly do short, repetitive sprint workouts on a spin bike in the gym where I push my heart rate to about 90% max for a very short period and then recover for a bit and then repeat. This is known High Intensity Interval Training and you will find a lot of references on the web if you Google that.

Alternatively, I have also trained for long rides in the Alps where you need to restrict your heart rate below a certain level otherwise you will blow up and stop so I find the HRM useful for that also when training.

I have never bothered to download my HRM to a computer because as I said previously you will probably find that performance data may fluctuate wildly over time and may not give you the smooth upward trend that you may be looking for. As a general training aid it is very useful however and I would advise to buy the most basic i.e. least functions, of a good quality make like Polar that you can.

I also find upper and lower warning bands can be annoying but others may find them useful.

Good advice above, but

short, repetitive sprint workouts

are the type of workout where an HRM is probably least effective, because of the lag in HR response.
I would agree about getting a basic, reliable unit. Almost all of them will come with stopwatch functions to allow you to time intervals.
The thing you really need is a good training book that will help you understand how to use the HRM. Friel’s Training Bible is a popular choice, but other guides are available. Even better, see if you can get some coaching, maybe through a local club?

Cheers guys. I was looking at just using a general improvement 12 plan. Three blocks of four weeks. Guess I need a hrm that I can program with band limits and then time how long I’m in the required band.

I’ve got a Polar RS300X if you are interested. Not using it anymore as I’ve got a Garmin GPS device now.

Great for monitoring your effort levels, and has a number of programmable zones.

£40 if you are interested. Good condition, about a year old

Trainerroad.com for indoor training.

I used it when I was off the bike with a hand injury. It uses the Garmain sensors (or any ANT+ ones) with an ANT+ USB stick to link to the computer and show a training plan/ride/performance live as you go.

As far as training goes I’d look at something like a Garmain Edge 500/510 bundle with HR & Cadence. The Cadence/speed info can give an estimation of power (or at least a number that you can train against) Trainerroad uses a calibration against turbotrainers to get this figure.

The Garmain with live feedback really good and unlike a smartphone designed to go on the bars in all weather.

are the type of workout where an HRM is probably least effective, because of the lag in HR response.

I agree kcr, I only use it as a matter of interest to see where my heartrate is going and how quick my recovery is before the next interval.

I also think HRMs are really useful in time trials as well. Without one the temptation is to push maybe just a little bit too hard. With one you can stay in your ideal zone and maximise your performance.