I just bought a Polar S150, and even though I knew it was the cheapest of the cheap, I was still disappointed. The buttons are hard to push while seated, and impossible while running. The menus are the same way: difficult to understand while seated, impossible while running or cycling. Also the watch stacks up a good inch and a half on the handlebar.
After being disappointed with Polar, and being on a budget, I doubt I will buy another from the same company (this one I am going to return).Can anyone recommend a simple HRM that works well for running, or a speedometer/HRM that works well for cycling?
if the buttons are really that impossible to press, send it back. The Polar buttons aren’t the best in the world on any of their watches but they shouldn’t even be close to “impossible.” The S150 is a nice monitor with the only real drawback being the yellowish LCD. Yeah, it ends up sitting high on the handlebar but any wired watch bodied HR monitor will be like that. Wireless sits lower but has more quirks no matter what brand you buy. There are a couple of good other brands out there though.
I have a 710, and it sucks. The bike speed pickup is iffy at best, and at Caliman, it didn’t pick up diddly. My HR went to 228 for about fifteen minutes and refused to get right, which really f—ed up my monitoring.
Often the d@mned thing will show me at half or one-fourth of my actual HR, and often I notice that my HR is below target, so I push… and it doesn’t change and doesn’t change, and suddenly it jumps up into zone 4…
have the 810 and I’m satisfied with the performance. buttons could be better and I’m jelous for the new 720s with the metal frame.
about the 228HR…have that happening every once in a while when I ride by a powerline. It gets right back on track though and the data is easy to filter once on the computer. I know this doesn’t help much during your ride, but at least you can save data for analyzing the results after the race.
Did you ride parallel to power lines? If not, did you use an uncoded stip. It’s possible that uncoded ones pick up data from other riders. Maybe you’re batteries are getting old.
I have the S120 (which is the same as the S150 except for the bike functions) and have had no problems with it. I don’t really consider $95 cheap though.
I obviously don’t mount the watch on the bike but I wear it on the inside of my wrist so the buttons are easy to get at. There are no problems on the swim, bike or run for me. I haven’t had any problems with buttons either. Maybe this is an isolated incident. Call Polar and tell them your problems, they will help you.
Hope you can get things ironed out, Polar is a good company with good products.
I have a polar 720 and it DOESN’T suck, I actually think it is the best HRM I have ever owned (and I’ve owned a bunch).
I must have gotten one of the few Polar products that actually work as intended. The only time I have trouble with the HR display is if the strap is too loose or I forget to wet it before I start my work out. The speed sensor works fine for me even mounted on the rear wheel since I upped the transmitter power in the sensor. When I get drops in the data, I know its time to change the battery. You might want to increase the transmitter power and change the battery. Both are easy to do and since you need to open the transmitter case to do either, you might as well do both.
I have a 120 and it is the best HRM I have ever had. I like it and it’s even easy to use for me. If it dosn’t work right send it back ! I do use gel on the chest strap when I use it for running . I don’t like spiting on myself. I get that enough from others !
I have the 720i and have been using it with the speed and cadence sensors. It was all working great but when I was able to get a power meter I went with Powertap. While I don’t have a problem with the Powertap power, speed and cadence readings, the Polar hrm pick up is much better. I hardly ever lost readings on the Polar but the Powertap seems much more sensitive to interference.
The Polar uses a coded strap while the Powertap does not, so this might explain some of the difference.
Have you ever you used a different hrm with different results?
You are probably riding through an area of high interference. This is probably causing the problem with the wireless Polar cadence and speed pick ups. I never had a problem with the Polar speed and cadence pick up.
A wireless cycling computer might just not work for you in the area that you are riding.
Has anyone had problems mounting the speed sensor on their fork? I can’t seem to get it right. I’ve got a Reynolds Ouzo Aero Pro fork so maybe the shape of the fork is the problem. Any ideas?
Sounds like we’re split on Polar. I’ve come to the conclusion that Polar sucks, myself. I’ve got the S120. Sometimes it works ok, sometimes it doesn’t. I had the same experience with the last Polar I owned. I know many others who have similar issues. I won’t buy another one. Navigation is horrible and the display is cluttered and confusing. I just think there’s got to be something better out there.
the polars have never been extremely user-friendly, especially the more advanced models like the s-series. and they are bulky and the buttons are not set-up to handle like a bike computer. they’re set-up like a watch (pretty much like any timex ironman). also signal interference with wireless systems is something that you’ll have a problem with whatever brand you buy. i will tell you that all my friends who wanted to save cash and bought nike or timex HRMs regretted their decision. their watches didn’t last more than a year and became irreparable.
i still haven’t come across a brand that just works as well (although not perfect) and lasts as long. i used my old Polar for 4 years (only changing the watch battery, not the transmitter belt) before it fell off my bike and got run over by the car behind me!
You should look at adjusting it to make sure it is picking it up. It’s no that hard to get. The little light lights up when it is detecting the magnet. Only for the first few seconds, but it does allow you to determine if it sensing the magnet.
You can also increase the power of the speed transmitter by unscrewing it and changing a jumper. This info is available in many places, if you are using it on the back wheel this is mandatory.
It’s also been shown that the watch pickup is specific to location. The transmitter transmits in an arc and if your reciver isn’t in it, you are not going to pick it up.
Make sure you are mounting it whithin the arc. I have never had any luck wearing it on my arm.
As for the heart rate jumping around, I would not be surprised to hear either 1. You need to have the strap battery changed or 2. You have it set to display average heart rate.
The power setting on the transmitter should help with bike pickup.
I’ve only had the unit a short time, so I hope the batteries aren’t dying. Of course you never know how long it was on the shelf!
If it won’t work on your wrist, then what’s the point in all the functions? (rhetorical) I use it for tris, so leaving it behind when I dismount isn’t an acceptable option.
I don’t have it set for average HR.
I suppose one has to be grateful for what one has. Back in the late 70s, I participated in some testing at a sports lab (one of the very few that existed then) and I remember thinking how awesome it would be if there could be a device to measure HR while you work out. Now I’ve got one, and it isn’t perfect, but it really does a lot, so I b!tch. What an ingrate!!
“If it won’t work on your wrist, then what’s the point in all the functions? (rhetorical) I use it for tris, so leaving it behind when I dismount isn’t an acceptable option.”
That’s a very good question. I don’t know the answer to it. I have never figured a good way to mount and dismount the thing in transition and certainly not in motion. I recently got the power meter and that bike mount is veen more difficult to get on.
Now they have the s-625 which will read the bike functions and also has a fitsense type footpod speedometer. This sounds like a great idea for a tri. Monitoring the last two parts of the race. But you still have the same problem of how to get it on and off the bike.