Too many times, but only with the soft "premium" (yeah right) strap. The hard strap has been excellent. I have just ordered the new HRM-run product, so I'm hoping the new strap design will help. Look around.... there are many reports of the soft strap being unreliable, and yes even if properly maintained.

This x1000. Get a hard strap. Problem solved. Cheers!

Yes, forgot to add I have the "soft" strap. Thanks for the replies... time to get the hard strap.

Are those the legacy hr straps or another after market product?

If it's the legacy hr strap, do they sell those anymore?

Thanks,

twomarks

Mio Link

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/...link-first-look.html

---

Rodney
TrainingPeaks | Altra Running | RAD Roller
http://www.goinglong.ca

I'm not sure what the legacy straps are. But, you can go on Amazon and look up the straps. You can select between the soft strap and regular strap. The regular strap is the hard strap.

I have a hard strap and I get huge spikes in HR especially in the first 5-10 minutes then it goes normal. Annoying to the point I may jump on the anti HR crowd despite using HR in training for 20-years!!!

Use conductive gel. That would probably help since you aren't sweaty enough in those first minutes to be conductive.

To the OP, it looks like your battery is failing.

Agree- Battery

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Paul Duncan Jr - Triathlete/Coach/Loyal Friend - Coaching Site -

I wet my chest directly with water before I start and replaced the battery about 2 months ago.

I have the same problem (high heart rate at start). Really annoying when it begins throwing off your recommended training zones. Grrr.

Anyone know how long the strap transmitter battery lasts? I put a fresh one in about 4 months ago. HRM gets about 4-5x/week usage. About 7-8 hours/week.

Thanks again everyone.

It depends. Are you putting in a $4 energizer (or similar) or one from the 2 pack at the dollar store. I get 6+ months from the stock battery, then before the replacement CR2032 would be dying the soft strap is crapping out for other reasons.

Water on the strap helps a bit, but not nearly as well as a gel. Firstly, tapwater is not a good conductor...not salty enough. Secondly, the water dries up or soaks in pretty fast, leaving you with a dry strap before too long. If it works for you, then it is simply lasting long enough for you to start sweating. HR strap gel is pretty dang cheap. I use the sticky stuff: Tensive. I think it was $6 and that small tube will last years. I never get high (240+) starts anymore unless I'm wearing a loose cycling jersey. Once the strap starts dropping mid-workout, it either means the battery is dead or the transmitter is bonked. The timex strap (with garmin transmitter) didn't help there, but I did get better plots before I started using gel.

So...your best bet is to get the hard strap. It seems to last much longer. If you like the soft strap (because, to me at least, it is more comfy), clip the garmin pod on the timex strap. In any case, get some HR gel. It will definitely help and it definitely works better than water or spit. If you still get bad plots, replace the battery. If you still get bad plots, time for a new strap.

I find spitting on the strap works just as well as the gel

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Paul Duncan Jr - Triathlete/Coach/Loyal Friend - Coaching Site -

I find when I start having hr drops like this washing the strap in the washing machine helps as well.

I've had 3, yes 3, different Garmin HRM straps. Let me preface this by saying that yes I went through battery changes on all of these.

First was the original soft strap (the all black, thin elastic one). That one worked fine for about a month then all the sudden it was constantly pegged at 193bpm even when I wasn't wearing the thing. Replacing the battery had no effect. Called Garmin and they sent me a brand new one with no hassle. But in the meantime...

Second I ordered the hard strap because of all the issues people reported with the soft strap version. Even though Garmin was sending me a new soft strap for free I wanted to avoid the issue all together and bought the hard strap. This one lasted around a month as well before it completely stopped registering any rate at all. Changed battery etc... no help. Never got Garmin to respond to my support request on this one and never got it replaced.

Third the replacement soft strap version that Garmin sent me (from the first paragraph). This one seemed to work well for a bit. The strap was completely redesigned and has what appears to be a conductive weave in the key parts of the strap. I thought this issue was licked. After a couple of months though the thing was incredibly in consistent tracking HR. It was completely unreliable. Reporting heart rates all over the place. Dropping out after a couple miles on a run and then miraculously coming back on as my 910 triggered laps (which has me wondering if the problem is my 910 head unit). I'd go on 8-9 mile runs and at the end it would show I burned 400-500 calories because the HRM kept dropping out. Yes I replaced batteries etc... Makes it impossible to attempt any sort of zone training. Tried this over and over for a few months hoping I could get it working. nope.

So this weekend I took my newest HRM module and plugged it into the old soft strap and viola. It properly and consistently tracked my HR for a full 18 mi run. So we'll see if this new config will work in the future. Maybe my new pro soft strap was bad. I dunno.

I did order electrode gel to try out, Maybe that will help.

I had problems with spiking using the Garmin soft strap for about a year. It would usually start out by saying my HR was 180+ before I was 100 yards from my house. Usually the problem went away once I started sweating more, so I never really let it bother me. Your problem sounds like it might be the battery though. If it keeps up, I would try replacing the battery and hopefully the problem will go away.

On a side note, I have the new premium HR-run strap now (my old HR strap decided to quit working the week of IMTX and the only quick replacement was this strap). I have never had a problem since I started using it. Zero spikes, zero drop outs. Just works. It's only approaching 6 months old now but it hasn't hinted at giving up yet. I would recommend that strap 100x over the standard soft strap.

Wetting never really worked for me but once I got the conductive gel I never have problems anymore...



Joel

You do not say on your post whether you are cleaning the soft strap, but the fact that it went inconsistent after a couple of months would typically indicate a failure to clean. All that salt and stuff builds up in the fabric and causes shorts (this is why the hard strap doesn't have this problem -- no fabric in which salt can build up). First remove the module (it is water proof, but why put it through the unnecessary torture. Then, the washing instructions are on the strap (either hand wash or machine wash, depending on strap) -- do not put in dryer. Garmin recommends every 7 uses, but that seems overkill to me.

This won't solve the OP problem, but for those with high HR spikes at the beginning of runs, I find that it's always technical shirts + static electricity build up. I take a fabric softener sheet and rub the inside and outside of my shirt and the HR strap right before I go to remove the static cling. Voila. no more HR spikes with the straps. Bonus: you can pretty much re-use the fabric softener sheet forever.

I've just gone through my fifth Garmin Premium Soft Strap. Each time, Garmin will send a replacement with instructions on how to "maintain" it. Each time, the strap works perfectly for about three months and then the HR Spikes start coming. That's the tell tell sign that it's going bad. Changed batteries, etc. Not the issue. The strap sensors and/or unit just don't last very long, especially if you're prone to sweating. I have since gone back to my hard strap for daily use and will use the soft strap for racing since it is more lightweight and comfortable.

Although it hasn't been out for a super long time, I really like the Wahoo Tickr. The wrote their own firmware so you don't get those high HR spikes when you have a bad connection. It also seems to pick up my HR pretty well.

---

CEO at TrainerRoad
Co-host of the Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast

Yeah...spikes are not a sign that the battery is dying. I too will try changing the battery, sometimes to no avail.
My troubleshooting/diagnosis/treatment for the straps is:
HR dropouts early in the workout - bad conduction - use gel
HR dropouts late in (or throughout) the workout - bad battery - replace battery
HR dropouts late in the workout /w new battery - bad transmitter pod - new pod (if possible, otherwise all new strap)
HR spikes - static - use different shirt or dryer sheet (dryer sheet works for me with running, but any loose fit cycling jerseys will give static no matter what I try)

I'm the OP: I thoroughly rinse strap after each use and hang dry. Never run it through washing machine though.