Garmin Edge Heart Rate Zones, What Do They Mean ?

[jimboalee]

As you can see from my ignorance, I don't use a HRM.

I go be 'feelie', as in, how my legs hurt.

I ride the same 10% hill every day. Over the months since Xmas, the hill has got easier ( or faster ) and a 100km DIY has become a lot easier.

In my language, there is only one HR zone worth worrying about. Flatline. This means there is something terribly wrong and the reason why everything has gone dark grey coloured.

Other than this, if my legs burn and they feel achey for a couple of days, and the next week's ascent of the 10% is faster or easier, I'm improving.

 

[Rob3rt]

I got hold of the Edge 500 manual in pdf, need to read it and see if it will allow me to program the relevant HR interval training etc before I buy one! Also need to figure out if the speed sensor is prioritised over the gps speed and hence the edge using this sensor instead of gps for your speed data or if its used to correct for gps blips etc.

 

[amaferanga]

I got hold of the Edge 500 manual in pdf, need to read it and see if it will allow me to program the relevant HR interval training etc before I buy one! Also need to figure out if the speed sensor is prioritised over the gps speed and hence the edge using this sensor instead of gps for your speed data or if its used to correct for gps blips etc.

If the GSC-10 speed/cadence sensor is present then your Edge will use that for speed over GPS derived speed. If you do get the Edge 500 and speed/cadence sensor be sure to manually set the wheel size and do not have it set to auto calculate.

I have a Forerunner 310xt that I use for cycling (though it can be used for running) and its pretty similar in function to the Edge 500. I'd definitely recommend one as a training aid, but if you want to navigate as well then the Edge 705 is a much better option IMO.

 

[gb155]

If the GSC-10 speed/cadence sensor is present then your Edge will use that for speed over GPS derived speed. If you do get the Edge 500 and speed/cadence sensor be sure to manually set the wheel size and do not have it set to auto calculate.

I have a Forerunner 310xt that I use for cycling (though it can be used for running) and its pretty similar in function to the Edge 500. I'd definitely recommend one as a training aid, but if you want to navigate as well then the Edge 705 is a much better option IMO.

and if you want speed from just the Satalite but still want cadence just leave the wheel magnate off the wheel

 

[Rob3rt]

Based partly on the feedback here I decided to spring for it and I bought an Edge 500 yesterday, 1st commute with it today, compared to my old wired computer wheel magent based, distance exact match, average speeds pretty close (using only gps on the edge today, I do have the Hr and Cadence/Speed sensor but was too pre-occupied to fit them to my bike last night).

Just having a mosey at the data in training centre right now

edit: hah, at the blip where i did a U-turn to collect my wooly hat which was blown from my head, knew i should have put my helmet on, even if it doesnt save me in an accident at least it keeps my hat from blowing off This is going to be fun! MHR Test this week is what I'm thinking!

 

[gb155]

Based partly on the feedback here I decided to spring for it and I bought an Edge 500 yesterday, 1st commute with it today, compared to my old wired computer wheel magent based, distance exact match, average speeds pretty close (using only gps on the edge today, I do have the Hr and Cadence/Speed sensor but was too pre-occupied to fit them to my bike last night).

Just having a mosey at the data in training centre right now

edit: hah, at the blip where i did a U-turn to collect my wooly hat which was blown from my head, knew i should have put my helmet on, even if it doesnt save me in an accident at least it keeps my hat from blowing off This is going to be fun! MHR Test this week is what I'm thinking!

Well done

training centre is good for geekyness

Garmin Connect is better for viewing the route in google earth and giving a decent overview without total geekeyness

 

[Rob3rt]

I will probly use Training Peaks or something once I learn what I'm doing because apparently some 3rd party software allows more fiddling with the data. But if you install google earth you can view the route on google earth through training centre.

View > View in Google Earth > .....select the history file on drop down......



I'd like to be able to record all data with autopause off so I dont lose data, then eliminate the stop points to get my moving average for working out my pace over say 10 miles with stops removed. How can I do this?

I could use auto pause on the device, but then I'd lose data I may want for other purposes.


Got a good deal on it, price match in Evans got price down to like £195 inc the cadence sensor and HRM, price based on next day delivery from the site they price matched.

Must buy Joe Friels Cyclists training bible now to tell me how to use my data, hah

 

[amaferanga]

Training Peaks is a bit pointless unless you are also using a power meter. Have you tried Sportracks? Its not laways the most user friendly software, but it is free and there are loads of plugins for it that allow you to much more with your data than you can with GTC and GC.

As for getting your moving average - GC gives you this anyway. I use a Garmin 310xt (quite similar to the Edge 500) without autopause so I get an average speed that includes stops and a moving average that excludes them.

When you have a speed/cadence sensor your Edge will use it for speed over GPS even when GPS is enabled (contrary to the popular misconception). One word of warning for when you start using it (I've posted this somewhere before, hope it wasn't on this thread ): set the wheel size to custom. Do not use the auto calibrate function.

 

[Rob3rt]

Training Peaks is a bit pointless unless you are also using a power meter. Have you tried Sportracks? Its not laways the most user friendly software, but it is free and there are loads of plugins for it that allow you to much more with your data than you can with GTC and GC.

As for getting your moving average - GC gives you this anyway. I use a Garmin 310xt (quite similar to the Edge 500) without autopause so I get an average speed that includes stops and a moving average that excludes them.

When you have a speed/cadence sensor your Edge will use it for speed over GPS even when GPS is enabled (contrary to the popular misconception). One word of warning for when you start using it (I've posted this somewhere before, hope it wasn't on this thread ): set the wheel size to custom. Do not use the auto calibrate function.

I'll be setting up my cadence sensor tonight i think, I'll do a rollout test like I did with my old computer for my wheel size.

Thanks for the suggested software I look it up, I havent decided, nor researched the best software for me yet, I just know of Training peaks supporting the Edge. The problem with the moving average from Garmin is that it doesnt appear to let me threshold it myself, i.e if I autopause I can threshold at say 3 mph, or 8mph or 12mph, whatever I feel is representative of my route, but Garmin Connect just gives a value for moving average, what does it set as the pause speed?. I have no idea the cut off point they have used.

 

[zacklaws]

As suggested, training peaks is more suited for use with a power meter, I have it myself and it is good but there is a lot of its functions that I cannot utilise as I do not have a power meter.

And as suggested, use Sporttracks, I've been using it for a couple of years now and it more than does what I need along with the plugins, for example training Load.

Do not worry about using the Garmin with autopause turned on, GTC, cannot work out how long you was stopped for, but sporttracks can, and will tell you when you was stopped, also in GTC you can set speed zones up, so just set one up to show you as stopped ie 0mph to 1mph. As for setting the cutoff to something like 3mph, what can happen is, if you have some severe hills to climb, then you will loose all that info as you crawl up a hill, or even if your stuck in traffic crawling, even set at 10mph will loose you a lot of info. I did my first ride this weekend with autopause turned off, and overall it screwed most of the info up, and I then had to try and work out for how long was I stopped, as Sporttracks could not even work it out. I even thought of editing the stopped parts out, but that is a major task on its own.

>>>I could use auto pause on the device, but then I'd lose data I may want for other purposes.<<<<

The only info you would loose, is how long you were stopped for, but as mentioned, sporttracks will tell you that.

As for the Garmin using the sensor over GPS first, My Edge 305 is the other way round, as stated in the manual and the sensor comes into use if I loose GPS signal or its a weak signal, and also I have to turn GPS off when I use my indoor trainer, otherwise it does not record from the sensor, as it presumes by receiving the GPS signal that I am stationary. But maybe the 500 works the other way round.

 

[Rob3rt]

I set up all the other sensors, uploaded some data etc, all seems to be working okay, the courses feature is very good (made coure on map my ride), got me to my collegues home with no wrong turns at all, 20 mins faster than he can get there himself. Im very impressed with this feature.

One odd thing though, even though my cadence speed sensor is present and wheel size is set up accuratelly (Ive done a rollout on it), im not getting equal distance and speed readings vs my old lidl computer(which runs on the front wheel, also set up using a rollout test), it can be up to 0.3 mile out over 7.5-8 miles.

Also my garmin claims I hit 41mph (on a flat route), which isnt the case (my lidl computer would have registered a new high speed if I was going this fast), then when I upload the data top speed on the trace is 34mph which is a strange discrepancy. Even odder this peak doesnt correspond to the highest cadence peak, which makes no sence whatsoever since I ride fixed! If it was running on gps, id accept this as a blip, but with the speed sensor present what could be causing such gripes? Interference?

With distance calculation, does distance come from rear wheel or gps when the cadence/speed sensor is present? I know the speed comes from sensor instead of gps when present.

 

[amaferanga]

I set up all the other sensors, uploaded some data etc, all seems to be working okay, the courses feature is very good (made coure on map my ride), got me to my collegues home with no wrong turns at all, 20 mins faster than he can get there himself. Im very impressed with this feature.

One odd thing though, even though my cadence speed sensor is present and wheel size is set up accuratelly (Ive done a rollout on it), im not getting equal distance and speed readings vs my old lidl computer(which runs on the front wheel, also set up using a rollout test), it can be up to 0.3 mile out over 7.5-8 miles.

Are you using the same setting for your Garmin and Lidl computer? Did you do the roll out test sat on the bike?

Also my garmin claims I hit 41mph (on a flat route), which isnt the case (my lidl computer would have registered a new high speed if I was going this fast), then when I upload the data top speed on the trace is 34mph which is a strange discrepancy. Even odder this peak doesnt correspond to the highest cadence peak, which makes no sence whatsoever since I ride fixed! If it was running on gps, id accept this as a blip, but with the speed sensor present what could be causing such gripes? Interference?

Where are you looking at the data? If its Garmin Connect then it smooths the data so that could explain the difference. The max speed not corresponding to max cadence is a strange one though. Is there any chance your cadence sensor could be missing occasional crank rotations? If you are having trouble getting the magnet close enough to the sensor then you could get hold of some rare earth magnets (for pennies from ebay) - much more powerful and more discrete than the Garmin crank magnet.

With distance calculation, does distance come from rear wheel or gps when the cadence/speed sensor is present? I know the speed comes from sensor instead of gps when present.

I think it depends on the analysis software. I asked this on the Garmin forums and didn't really get a clear answer even from the Garmin techs.

 

[Rob3rt]

Are you using the same setting for your Garmin and Lidl computer? Did you do the roll out test sat on the bike?

The Lidl computer is set to a roll-out based on the front wheel, the Garmin set to a rollout based on the back wheel, not set to the same size as the front and back are different sizes since I took the front wheel from my other bike. For rollout I was not sat on the bike but applying some weight.

Where are you looking at the data? If its Garmin Connect then it smooths the data so that could explain the difference. The max speed not corresponding to max cadence is a strange one though. Is there any chance your cadence sensor could be missing occasional crank rotations? If you are having trouble getting the magnet close enough to the sensor then you could get hold of some rare earth magnets (for pennies from ebay) - much more powerful and more discrete than the Garmin crank magnet.

Im looking at it in Garmin Connect, the highest speed peak is 34mph, not corresponding to the 41mph claimed. I know I didnt hit 41mph! 34mph is believable, but not so when its not matched to cadence. The cadence sensor appears to trigger fine :S

I think it depends on the analysis software. I asked this on the Garmin forums and didn't really get a clear answer even from the Garmin techs.

What about on the Garmin itself? i.e. when doing a quick look see, rather than full analysis.

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