On-the-go stats

[Scotty55]

Hi

I am currently enduring self-isolation after my younger son contracted COVID at school. He has no symptoms and the rest of us have been tested and are clear.

As I can’t go cycling just now, I’ve been using my other son’s exercise bike. It’s not a patch on the real thing - my normal daily commute is about 18km and I do that in just under an hour. On the exercise bike, I cover the distance in less than half that time. I also don’t feel like I’ve had a decent workout on it either.

However, what I do like is that it measures my heart rate and calories burned, which got me thinking about a FitBit or similar to do the same when I’m back out there. Anyone got any experience of using something like this for cycling? I’m not interested in a subscription to anything, just a device which will give me the stats I’m interested in.

 

[vickster]

Wrist based HRM aren’t great for cycling, get a chest strap plus a Garmin or Wahoo.

and you don’t go anywhere on the exercise bike whatever the display might say whack up the resistance for a better workout (but make sure saddle height correct so your knees don’t suffer).
And the calories are a very rough guesstimate at best

 

[Scotty55]

and you don’t go anywhere on the exercise bike whatever the display might say

I’m not going anywhere until the self-isolation ends....

 

[vickster]

I’m not going anywhere until the self-isolation ends....

It was that you said you went 18km on the static bike...when you really spent 30 minutes exercising in one spot

 

[Scotty55]

I bow to your superior pedantry. And that’s a complement, coming from me

 

[newts]

I'd second wahoo hrm, mine's 5 years old & worn on most rides indoors & out. You can record on the Wahoo app & auto upload to strava etc. As previously suggested calorie counters are best guess, but if done on the same device will give you a marker of effort across your rides to compare.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I once did 100km on a stationary bike

 

[si_c]

I have a Garmin Forerunner 35 watch which is great, good GPS tracking and monitors HR speed etc, as well as all day HR and sleep. Cost is reasonable too.

Despite what @vickster says the wrist based HRM is very good albeit not quite as fast to pick up changes as a chest strap, but for me it's good enough most of the time.