Never had a Polar HRM before...

Sando said:

Hi all

I am getting more and more interested in cycling and improving my fitness. All you guys (and gals) obviously are into Polar HRMs. I'm wondering if it is worth while buying one?

I would most likely buy a 'lower end' model as i wouldn't want to spend too much money.

What can i expect from it?
Will i see dramatic improment?
Is it like having a personal coach?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks, Sando.

Actually, most of us aren't, and personally speaking, I wouldn't even want one as a gift. To me and many others, an HRM is a progress limiter.
I'm fortunate in that my local gym has many indoor trainers with power indicators.
When I'm training in the gym, I cover up the HRM because I don't want to know (and perhaps worry about) what my HR is. If I fall off the bike, then I know I've overdone it. However, other things are likely to give up the ghost before your heart.
Having said this, an HRM is useful for establishing just how quick your HR returns to normal. Therefore, I take a peek at the HRM on completion of each interval to see how rapidly my HR drops. This rate should improve with improving fitness. 😉 TYSON