When I started my bike ride tonight my Garmin registered a 242 BPM. This was at the start of the ride. A small hill followed by a downhill. The downhill is where the HR spiked. I also experienced some speed wobble around this time. So I have a two part question. Is it possible to hit a HR of 240. If so could panic (from the speed wobble kicking in) have affected. Or is it likely that something else could have interfered with the HRM?
Did you feel anything in your chest? I think you would know if you hit 242 without even needing to look at a HRM.
I’m sure it was just electrical interference.
You would know if you’d really reach 200+. It’s not unusual for HR monitors to have such spikes at the beginning of a workout: you might want to wet the electrodes, check the battery, or just start the chronometer after a few minutes.
You would’ve needed one serious panic attack about the wobble to hit 240!
My garmin read that i hit 74 mph last weekend on a flat ride. I love my bike, and hit some decent speeds at times, but 74 mph would’ve meant i was a hood ornament on a 74 mph truck! Don’t hang your hat on every data point you get from your toy
I gave up today trying to get my 705 to register HR. I averaged 235 during my ride today. When I got home tonight I changed the batteries in the strap and it read my HR perfectly without even wetting the contacts on the strap. That must have been the problem as it is always very reliabe and accurate.
Thanks Guys
Didn’t feel any chest issues, no dizziness, nausea, sweating. Felt fine. Felt fine all ride.
Must be a glitch or some form of interference. I hope!
It’s the wind getting under the strap on the descent and lifting it off you chest enough to screw up the reading.
My Garmin HRM frequently does the same thing - spikes over 220 for 3-4 minutes right at the start of a workout. Usually on the bike for some reason.
Mine would do that too. Always at the same place in my ride as we were close to parallel electric lines.
Jodi
Wet it down before you start that will keep it from doing that.
My uncoded Polar did that whenever I passed a yard with an invisible dog fence while running. But in your case I’d go with the poor strap contact. Just start sweating and it’ll probably fix itself.
-- Scott
I agree probably interference of some kind. However do you have any history of heart trouble? You could possibly have an atrial fibrillation that would register a heart rate that high. If you had a normal ventricular rate you may not feel the effects for a few minutes, or at all. This is an outside possibility for sure, but if you have any history of heart trouble it’s something to think about. If it begins to happen regularly I would deffo see a doctor.
Fortunately I am married to an MD. This sounds better than it actually is. Unless you are presenting with a condition that could be considered a ‘clear and present danger’ they don’t raise much more than a hair and a half on their eyebrows.
I will try walking in that area and then cycling in other areas to see what the deal is.
I’ll take a few more rides to get some consistency. I have only just started riding, literally about 3 rides so far, so should get some more data
Another thing I notice is that I seem to be maintaning a 140 ish rate, even going uphill but then increasing BPM from the top down. Maybe I am breathing well and controlled on the way up and then panting like a hot dog on the way down. Weird
Light Blue = Altitude
Green line = speed
Red Line = heart rate
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X2
I used to have these readings, then they progressed to racing HR episodes, which was later diagnosed as atrial fibrillation.
I’d do nothing now, just note it in your training diary and be aware if you start feeling something to go with those readings.
I have had a problem of a different sort, after an hour and a half, my heart rate reads crazy low, like 35-75 bpm, I know that my heart rate is quite a bit higher, changed the battery, works like a champ now.
I’d do nothing now, just note it in your training diary and be aware if you start feeling something to go with those readings.
You’ll know if those readings are for real. Feels like your heart is stuck in your throat. My “episodes” usually only last a few seconds. Worst is when you chilling and it jumps from 50 to 210 in a split. You notice it then.
that’s the weird thing, i get zero feelings like that. There was nothing to suggest my heart was racing and i was shocked to see that when i got home.
I am going to set the watch to warn me when it registers a rate over 200 and then i can take my own pulse. tough to hear the watch when you are on a bike though!
Mine always jump to 240 when the batteries are dying. have you swapped them out?
Lots of HRMs have a max reading around 240 (not sure why this is). I’ve seen this a lot at the gym when I’m getting crosstalk from the chest straps of people near me, my watch just pegs at 240. It was probably interference of some kind.
An actual heart rate of 240 would probably be a tachycardia episode, and you’d definitely know about it.