Creating this thread for open discussion and feedback of gear and accessories related to all iterations of sports requiring a bicycle.
EDIT: Appropriate Memes and Jokes welcome too
Continuing the discussion on Wahoo HRM vs. Polar HMR… if anyone stumbles across this, i hated the OEM strap that came with my Wahoo HRM and bought below:
Its been absolutely amazing, comfortable in training and running, doesn’t move, itch or chafe and can be worn in advance of the HRM being attached.
My Tckr gave up the ghost after about 15 months. Was having connectivity issues for about 2 months before that. Two of my buddies also have issues although I think both still using TCKR. I’ve switched to polar and all good
My first TickrX (gen 1) starting reading erratically after about 15 months. Wahoo replaced it for free with another gen 1 even though it was beyond the warranty. New one has been going strong for 18+ months. First one may have been a strap issue, but I haven’t tried the old sensor with the new strap yet.
Also, I have a Sosche Rhythm (original, not the 24). Other than having to charge it every 6-8 hours it has been flawless over 5+ years of use.
Everyone should move to OHRM!
I like the polar one. Battery life could be better, but its super tini.
I think the new one has better battery.
scosche has also a new version of the excellent rhythm+ (rhythm+ 2) with more battery life…
:man_shugging:
When I first got into cycling a couple of my buddies felt chest straps were too constrictive so I opted for the Sosche Rhythm. It’s been great but an 8-hour battery life could be an issue for some (e.g. full distance triathletes). I found that I don’t mind the chest strap and that the arm band of the Sosche isn’t the best when lifting upper body weights, so I got a TickrX. Other than the one issue above and it occasionally not connecting to my watch (which could legitimately be the watch’s issue) I have been pleased with the TickrX. The Sosche is great, too.
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yeah
I plant to get a sosche 2 next year…
just because now battery last 24 hours…
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+1 for this. Tickr gen 1 started behaving erratically out of warranty, wahoo replaced free of charge with TickrX which has been working fine since with the cheap amazon strap. I also have a Polar OH1 which is my go to and which i absolutely love for activities under 3-4 hours.
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If this is meant to be some “catch all” topic covering any and all gear, that is not what TR intends.
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That function is the purpose of the specific Equipment category, where this basic topic correctly resides.
Within the Equipment category, we want separate topics to discuss specific gear. This helps keep related info and discussion grouped for easy reference vs needing to sift through different topics discussed in a common thread.
As such, I am renaming this thread to be more specific to the topic at hand, Heart Rate Monitors and their straps.
Even if they developed one which was accurate I doubt it would work for me I cant keep anything on my arms/ legs for long before they fall down 
Lol, I also wouldn’t want anything that made me less aero on a TT, it might cost me a thousandth of a second
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all valid points except this one.
OHRM have been tested to be as accurate as chest straps on most cases.
There are some edge cases, specially on off road where there is more vibrations, that could be less accurate…
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I hope they are, I only can go with what I’ve seen on my watches. mine have tended to show 165bpm max when the strap shows 180+bpm. Lol I just looked at my road ride yesterday, the watch says 140bpm, the strap (a new TickR) says 184bpm (which is on par with what the previous straps would have said). Its a bit closer indoors the day before (probably as you say due to the vibrations), the watch says 171bpm and the strap 178bpm
Watches OHRM are garbage!
they work fine for day to day, not exercise… The problem with them is the location. Wrist is not a great location for OHRM.
Non watch OHRM are worn on the forearm or biseps.
I wear mine on fore arm. Has never fallen off. (Polar)
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Glad to hear they work better away from the wrist 
My Biceps are tiny (I cant find an embarrassed smiley) that and the movement means that things barely stay put for me. My mate wears his on his thighs but I tend to lose things there too eventually (or at least they move down the thigh) even though my thighs are relatively decent size.
I’ve been happy with Garmin soft and dual HRMs. Its $20-30 less than Polar, and Polar’s own studies give it high marks. The HRV data has been quite good, as it powers Garmin’s submaximal estimates of FTP which have been very close to my field tests and WKO modeled estimates.
Speaking of HRV, what (ideally free) apps are people using to track HRV. If using an exiting strap or OHRM (instead of continuous monitoring via something like a Whoop, Oura Ring, etc), when do you take your measurement?
I look at Apple Health from time to time, Watch is recording and you can force a reading by using Breathe app on watch (now in Mindfulness app after Sept 2021 update).
Also have used HRV4Training but never observed strong enough correlation to be useful for advising on training. My HRV range is somewhat limited, I guessed that was due to age which appears to be true based on the data in this article Resting Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability (HRV): What’s the Difference? — Part 3 | by Marco Altini | Medium
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morning or night according to Marco Altini:
There is an incredible amount of information on the HRV4Training blog:
Anyone try the tickr fit? Wonder how the accuracy compares to a chest strap. Also, looks like it might fall off easily.
Yup. Works decent but the strap broke after 2 months. Proprietary charger so you have to keep track of where the usb thingy is and losing it means you cant charge.