In my store, we carry Cardiosport and Reebok (I think they are owned by the same company) and we very rarely have any problems with them.

They don't have as many features as some of the Polar's, but you can switch out the batteries yourself if you ever need to, and they will give you all the features you will probably ever need, including max and average HR.

By the way, I have used a Cardisport for several years, and besides changing the batteries, have had no problems with it.

Hope this helps!

I've been happy with my Timex 100 lap HRM. Works well on the bars while riding. Only time I get signal loss is when battery in the chest strap is getting olde, but it's VERY easy to change.

I second that..the Timex has been good for me

I just changed the watch & chest strap Batteries after a year and a half of heavy use. Its easy to read and set up. I have it mounted on the cross bar at the tip of the aerobar.

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"on your Left"

We don't sell Polar but I do use one, one of the simpler models. I have had very good luck with it. I think the more complex units that combine cyclometer/HRM into one might have more opportunities for trouble. I did have a really cool Cateye unit that downloaded into my PC and made some interesting graphs. That worked very well. We are going to sell Timex soon so I will try one of those. For Polar we recommend buying from Creative Health Products in Plymouth, Michigan. Their a mail order/web retailer with a little store front but they sell THOUSANDS of HRMs and their pricing is excellent. I'm looking forward to trying the Timex unit.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I too have been happy with the Timex 100 lap. It records average HR per lap and Avg HR in zone but does not have a Max HR feature you are looking for.

One problem I have had with it is that it has twice completely reset itself loosing everything including the time. I have heard of others having the same problem. Both instances were about a year ago and its been fine since. I know one woman who is quite small who returned hers because the chest strap wasn't flexible enough to fit her comfortably.

The main reason I chose the Timex was cost. Costco here sells them for CDN$99 (about US$60).

the resetting means it needs to have the battery changed in the watch.

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"on your Left"

I have one too. Works great and didn't cost too much.

The Sports Instrument ones for 2003 look really good. They have a cool new look, but I think the electronics are the same. What's nice about SI is that their strap is very flexible unlike the stiff strap that you get with the Polar S-series HRMs so it conforms a little better and you don't have to worry about it drying out rather easily. Note that Mr. Dan raves about his bike-only HRM by SI (the SI90?). The interface is a little weird on the SI (can't remember exactly what it is) watches, but like anything, read the instructions... The construction is probably the nicest you'll find with a metal case on the front and very solid rubber buttons unlike the plastic ones on the S-series that stick and have a really bad feel.

If you're looking for an S-710 replacement....

The Postal team just signed on to use the high-end Ciclosport HRMs... The HAC4 Plus has a lot of the same stuff as the S-710 except it uses wired cadence and a wired speed sensor (wireless if you don't opt for cadence) so it's a much more reliable design. You also get altimeter, temperature, and more data than you need, but the interface does not look that intimidating. The software "looks" like it's a lot more useful than the Polar stuff and the downloading process is wired. You also get power data using some generic formula that doesn't require actual measurement. This means it isn't accurate, but it does give you some useful feedback. The one weird thing about the Ciclosport is that the "watch" requires installing a separate strap on the "computer" part so it's not quite as easy to get it on and off for a bike-to-run.... I've never used one, but I'll probably get one sooner or later when my S-510 drives me crazy enough....

Kelvin