I recently purchased a new Timex Iroman Heart Rate Monitor. I have never trained with a heart rate monitor before and I am looking forward to using it.
I have not received it yet but I am curious as to feedback on how it functions. Any thoughts or opinions would be great.
Started using mine over the weekend. I’ve been using a Polar 210 for a couple of years and I just never got much out of it. It was too complicated to set up, I could never figure out how to use it effectively for intervals, the timer never worked the way I would have preferred, etc… The Timex on the other hand doesn’t have all of the “bells and whistles” that the Polar does but it is a lot more intuitive and will work with the Speed and Distance Sensor. I actually raced with the Heart Rate Monitor and S&D monitor at a C race over the weekend and was really pleased with the way that it performed and the data that it collected for all of my splits.
litherland
I have one of the Timex Performance Monitors also with the S&D function and the HRM.
My experience has been overwhelmingly positive. (Full disclosure: We sell the Timex watches). I use the thing on almost all training runs. For IMNZ I had a small, stretch fabric pocket sewn on the back of my racing singlet to house the GPS unit for the S&D. It worked great. I could see graphic evidence of my dramatic melt-down on the run right on my own wrist.
I thought the Timex unit was every bit as good as the Polar units I’ve owned.
Don’t push the buttons under water!
what do you mean? I read that it is water resistant but not water proof.
Don’t push the buttons under water!
No kidding! The buttons went crazy on my new Timex HRM watch, and it was probably due to pressing them while in the water (or near the water). It is only water resistant, not waterPROOF. So I sent it back to Timex and it was a month before I finally saw the replacement. Although they did cover it under warranty, I was told turnaround would be more like one week. Needless to say, I was not pleased with the service. At any rate, the “old” Timex S&D watch (no HRM functionality) seems bulletproof–it’s now become my swimming watch.
As for the functionality of the HRM itself, so far I love it. As others have said, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like the Polars might have, but it’s all I need right now. This is coming from someone who’s never used a HRM before this Timex system, so take that FWIW. Good luck.
Andy
They are really good.
JA
I have one of the Timex Performance Monitors also with the S&D function and the HRM.
We have been thinking about that setup so for those of us are not in the know and only have web images to go on; the speed & distance sensor - how exactly does that work? Does the sensor strap to your ankle? What about cycling, does it record data for the cycling leg or only for the run? How big/bulky is the data recorder?
Thanks,
Michael
GPS straps to your arm or you can put it in your jersey. It is bigger than the picture leads you to believe, but not much. I have been using mine for a while - the old style - and really like it. I don’t even notice it on the runs anymore.
I bought the timex system online (trisports)w/o the gps unit to train for the mardi gras marathon last month. Two weeks before the unit just bonked. I called the main timex line and they sent a new watch out that day. They included a prepaid envelop to send the broke unit back. Also, I have used mine underwater for weeks and have yet to have problems. Timex changed GPS manufacturers for the '04 models. I hear that they are smaller.