Heart Rate Forums

[Wakeyr]

Hi All

I have just started cycling for the first time and finding it difficult to get an answer to a question I have tried to answer for the last four weeks.

I am looking to purchase a heart rate monitor but want to know which ones will allow me to download the data so I can view my heart rate at every point of the training session on a laptop, preferably in MS Excel.

When viewing products online none of the descriptions are detailed enough to say.

Any help would be great.
Thanks
Rich

 

[HLaB]

Have you got a Garmin/ ant+/bluetooth computer. If so any compatible strap will give you what you want.

Or a smart phone with a blue tooth strap and the appropriate app will also give you the data.

 

[Wakeyr]

Have you got a Garmin/ ant+/bluetooth computer. If so any compatible strap will give you what you want.

Excellent. Thanks for the quick response.

 

[Crackle]

Not necessarily in excel but there are many programs which you can use. Some to look at include Strava, Endomondo, mapmyride and if you have or do go down the Garmin route, Garmin's own Connect program.

The key bit, as per HLAB, is to decide what you are going to use to record the activity you are doing and then match the HR strap to that. For instance if you decide to record on your phone you'll probably need a bluetooth compatible HR strap, if you go down a GPS device route, most will have ant+ so your HR strap will need Ant+ and that's before we get into Smart watches and fitbit type devices.

What you'll commonly get from these things is a trace, such as below

You'll be able to drill down into this for any point on your ride and you'll also get an average and max HR.

 

[Wakeyr]

Thanks Crackle much appreciated