Is a heart rate monitor necessary for training?

[mjsbike]

Do you use one? Why? When? How often? Which model? Has power based training surpassed hr based training?

[homegrown]

You are probably gonna get a million different responses, so ultimately it is up to you to decide. Personally, I use a power tap and HR (mostly because my PT drops my HR alot.) I use a Sigma PC14, I think the most important functions are Avg HR, Max HR, Laps for intervals, stop watch, etc. I use it pretty much all the time, but I'm not a slave to it. The majority of the time I use percieved exertion, but I like to see at the end of a ride what my stats are. I'm a big proponent of power based training too, although for longer riders I think power becomes less relavant. For shorter intervals its good because there's a lag time where your HR needs to catch up to the effort. All in all, anything that measures effort is useful, at least until you can learn how your body feels in each zone and then use PE.

[lmucycling]

HRM's are probably the single best way to help you out with training. because they are readily available and cheap (compared to a powertap wheel or SRM cranks, anway) it makes them a feasible part of your cycling budget. HRMs show how hard YOU are working, they dont give you some irrelevant # (like trying to compare your watts to Jan Ulrich... please) HRMs let you pinpoint how hard you work on a given workout - low HR on recovery days, high intervals on hill repeat days, red zone on race days, and stuff like that. moreover, they help you recover smart, too. taking your resting heart rate and using something like the 'polar fitness test' can give a really good way to track recovery and progress. and probably the most useful function for me is the software that came with my Polar s720. i can download my workouts and log info into the digital training diary. you can look at the HR zone breakdowns per week and look at total miles, time, elevation, etc. so youve heard my song and dance... hope it helped.

[John979]

HRM's are probably the single best way to help you out with training. because they are readily available and cheap (compared to a powertap wheel or SRM cranks, anway) it makes them a feasible part of your cycling budget. HRMs show how hard YOU are working, they dont give you some irrelevant # (like trying to compare your watts to Jan Ulrich... please) HRMs let you pinpoint how hard you work on a given workout - low HR on recovery days, high intervals on hill repeat days, red zone on race days, and stuff like that. moreover, they help you recover smart, too. taking your resting heart rate and using something like the 'polar fitness test' can give a really good way to track recovery and progress. and probably the most useful function for me is the software that came with my Polar s720. i can download my workouts and log info into the digital training diary. you can look at the HR zone breakdowns per week and look at total miles, time, elevation, etc. so youve heard my song and dance... hope it helped.

You are incredibly wrong regarding your analysis. HRMs do not show you how hard you are working -- HRMs only show how fast your heart is beating, which is affected by many factors including heat, hydration, medications, effort duration, emotional stress and rest.

A watt (actually a joule) is the only measure of how hard you are working, and the number is not irrelevant. 300 Watts is 300 Watts, no matter how hot, windy, or hilly it is, or what your heart rate is – though it may “feel” easier or harder, depending on various conditions. A measure of watts is the single most relevant data point for a cyclist.

Tracking wattage is the only way to determine inter and intra season improvement; heart rate measurements cannot provide such information, neither can speed. The importance is not comparing yourself to Jan Ullrich or anyone else. You use power data to compare yourself from week-to-week and from year-to-year.

Regarding software, Polar software is OK, but there is far better. Cycling Peaks Software has a superior interface and provides algorithmic methods to track workout intensity based upon kilojoules, duration and your current functional threshold power. You even get a truly accurate measurement of calories burned during a workout.

I agree that Power Meters are expensive; however, given you already own a Polar S720, the power option at $300 is not prohibitive and my experience with the Polar PM is pretty good -- when properly setup they compare very well to a Power Tap Pro. For $300 you can also shave a couple of grams off your bike weight, the choice is yours.

Keep in mind that a power meter alone will not make you more powerful; its only a tool to maximize your training efforts and physical potential. In addition to what I mention above, power meters can do the following:

1) Pinpoint strengths and weaknesses.

2) Test position and aerodynamics.

3) Perfectly pace efforts.

[AED]

I think it's useful to use HRM during TT on flat landscape.
Of course it helps only mentaly - you can see if you are going smoothly and quite hard all the time or not.

[Mumi]

SRM'S are soooo expensive
i want to buy one,but i still couldnt find any above 400$...
Even Second hand

[John979]

I think it's useful to use HRM during TT on flat landscape.
Of course it helps only mentaly - you can see if you are going smoothly and quite hard all the time or not.

Power meters are even better: 1) HR lags effort 2) HR drifts over time. When pacing by heart rate and PE, riders tend to 1) go too hard early on 2) go too easy late, effectively presenting a downward sloping power effort over time.

[Bruiser]

HRM are the go when you can't afford a power meter.

Training by power and measuring performance by power is more accurate, but in terms of training it's most important that you have a constant measure for training. When you can afford to spend, then you should buy a more accurate power meter.

HRM are fine for the rider who's just started training and needs to learn how their body performs. It won't measure your performance but it will roughly measure your lactate threshold and max HR.

Power meters also measure your max sustainable output, but a speed measurement on a constant road can give you a good idea as to what your body is acheiving.

[John979]

HRM are the go when you can't afford a power meter.

Training by power and measuring performance by power is more accurate, but in terms of training it's most important that you have a constant measure for training. When you can afford to spend, then you should buy a more accurate power meter.

HRM are fine for the rider who's just started training and needs to learn how their body performs. It won't measure your performance but it will roughly measure your lactate threshold and max HR.

Power meters also measure your max sustainable output, but a speed measurement on a constant road can give you a good idea as to what your body is acheiving.

Very good analysis!

[keithster]

personally I'm looking at getting a Hac 4 by cyclosport, they cost $350 Canadian and they have virtual wattage, heart rate and all of the other functions of a cycle computer, for the price it seems like a good deal, but I don't know too much about it. the virtual wattage may not be as accurate as a power tap, but the unit sounds like it offers as good a value as the polar and is very competitive with the polar and other heart rate monitors.

[John979]

The virtual power is only accurate on a climb.

[keithster]

most of the computers that I'm thinking of upgrading to don't have watage, this computer is competitively priced and has the feature, the computer might be plenty accurate for me.