Monthly Archives: November 2010

Polar Heart Rate Monitor Review

Take care of your heart!

Heart Rate MonitorI like this heart rate monitor a lot. I own the Polar F6 model and have had it for a couple of years now.

For anyone out there who doesn’t know the importance of training with a heart rate monitor…PLEASE do yourself a huge favor…buy one, figure out your zones and use it. Years ago when I first started training for a marathon I had no idea that heart rate monitors were that important. Each day I would just try to run farther and faster than the previous day. Eventually I injured myself and had to quit training for about 6 months…that gave me plenty of time to learn the importance of training correctly and with a heart rate monitor.

I bought the F6 for around $100. The chest strap was a little annoying at first but you will get used to it. With the polar you have to make sure to get the contact pads (electrode areas) on the chest strap wet. The directions say to moisten but that makes it sound like it barely needs to be wet. I make sure it is good and wet to ensure accurate numbers right from the beginning.

The set up of the watch is fairly simple where you can input male/female, weight and heart rate data. This will allow the watch to determine your heart rate zones and give a guesstimate on your calories burned.

There are a few screens and data you can look at while exercising although I really only pay attention to the stopwatch and current heart rate. The summary at the end of your training is nice as well as it gives you your total time, calories burned, average heart rate and max HR. The watch will also keep a training diary.

If you are new to heart rate training and all you need is a heart rate monitor, Polar is a great option. There are other companies with heart rate/GPS options out there but they are more expensive. Polar is expanding their product line to include GPS for outdoor running and cycling but I haven’t been exposed to any of these other products. I will review Garmin’s HR/GPS watch in the future because i do have the Garmin 405.

The Bottom Line ~

Ultimately I have been pleased with this purchase. I have used it a ton, especially before I bought my GPS watch, and then my wife used it until she bought her GPS watch. Now I basically only use it for indoor training while on the treadmill and the bike trainer.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.

Bell Wireless Cyclocomputer Review

You paid what!

Bell cyclocomputerI’ll be honest right up front, I am a little embarrassed to be reviewing this product…mostly because the more time I spend being a cyclist (and I say that loosely) the more snobbish I get. But what the hell, it serves it’s purpose and was very cheap.

As winter hits here in the Mountain West, I put the helmet away and pull out the trainer…my kids tell me that I should still wear my helmet and that I’m not a very good example to them. Anyways, my trainer doesn’t have all the expensive attachments like the power meter and speedometer which means I have to either move my Specialized bike computer to my rear wheel, or buy a cheap bike computer to put on my rear wheel. Obviously, I chose the latter which means I have 2 computers on my bike now, which is admittedly lame.

CyclocomputerThe Bell Wireless Cyclocomputer is easy enough to set up but because it is cheap there are a couple of issues. The zip ties that come with the computer are really cheap. I threw them away and used some that I bought from Home Depot. When setting up the sensor you should also be cautious to not tighten the magnet too hard otherwise the plastic piece will break. Another issue is that the computer has to be fairly close to the sensor. Because I have placed the sensor on the rear wheel, I have to place the computer on the top tube instead of the handle bars so that the computer can get the signals from the sensor.

Another major issue I have with this computer is that you can’t turn the face of the computer. If I did want to place the computer on my front wheel I would have a big problem because the computer is built to only go on the handle bars. Because I have my aero bars attached to my bike, the only place for a bike computer would be on the stem, but with this computer, it would have to face sideways.

So, there are issues with set up, but it is cheap and works fine once you get it running. It accurately provides your riding time, odometer, trip meter, maximum speed, average speed and even the temperature. It also has a calorie counter but you can’t rely on the accuracy because it has no idea what your heart rate is. I just pay attention to the current speed and average speed.

I found this computer at Target for I believe $25. I saw it at Sports Authority for almost double the price.

The Bottom Line ~

Ultimately, if you want a bike computer, can install it on your handlebars and don’t have a lot of money, this could be a great option for you. BUT, I should really just move my Specialized sensor to the rear wheel.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.

OverDrive Bike Trainer Review

It lasted one season!

Indoor trainerThe Overdrive bike trainer was one of the first pieces of equipment I bought. I had signed up for the California 70.3 and with the race being in late March, that meant winter training. I live in the Salt Lake City area where the winters are cold and snow on the roads don’t make for great training outdoors. I was still new to road biking and didn’t have a lot of money so I went out looking for a bargain bike trainer.

I was quickly amazed at how much trainers cost. I had heard about Computrainers and that would have been great but my budget (and wife) limited my buying power to the cheaper end. I found the OverDrive Bike Trainer on ebay. The posting was about as generic as you get and the company that makes the product is no where to be found on the web. It looked like a risk but I was able to get one for around $75.

I was completely ignorant about how trainers work and it took me more time than it should have to set it up and when I finally figured out that if I change the skewer, the whole thing works a lot better. Thankfully the product did come with a skewer.

The OverDrive is a magnetic trainer which means that it is very loud. I would have to turn my TV to it’s loudest setting and also turn on the surround sound and blast it as well. It was still difficult to hear the TV above the sound of the trainer. The loudness of the trainer ruled out any early morning or late night training sessions, especially with the kids trying to sleep. I live in a house with no shared walls with neighbors, but if you live in a house with shared walls or an apartment, your neighbors will probably not like you very much.

Indoor trainerIn order to have some tension, rather than the wheel just spinning, you would have to tighten the roller quite a bit. This actually ended up wearing the wheel more than it should have. Behind the trainer there was a trail of black rubber dust on the carpet. I actually blew a tube once, although admittedly I probably should have bought a trainer tire. I would have to typically remain in the higher gears to get a good workout because the resistance wasn’t quite there.

By the end of the winter season the trainer had been beaten up due to it’s inferior quality. I believe there is a disc magnet inside and on my trainer I believe it had snapped in half. The trainer still worked but the resistance was a little less and it was even louder. The skewer had actually started to fall apart as well. The quick release lever would fall right off the skewer and lay on the floor so I would have to put some electrical tape around it to keep it in place. This made it difficult when the weather was nice on the weekends because I would have to change out the skewer any time I wanted to ride outside.

Bike trainerIn the end…you get what you pay for. My OverDrive lasted just long enough for me to get through winter training in great shape. If you are willing to take that risk, don’t have enough money for a decent trainer and are new to road cycling, you may want to buy this product…BUT from my experience it wont last more than one winter season. I have mentioned that I track everything and I road this trainer for a total of 97 hours and 50 minutes…and I am thankful I don’t have to ride it again because I have now replaced it with a great trainer (the loudness of the OverDrive made it easier for my wife to agree to allow me to purchase my new trainer).

The Bottom Line ~

The Pros: It lasted long enough for me to train during the winter and end up in great shape, and it is CHEAP.
The Cons: It will only last one season, it is loud.
If you do look to buy this product, DON’T try a better trainer because you will realize how great the good trainers are and how crappy the cheap ones are…that being said DO TRY a better trainer because that way you wont be spending $70-100 on a trainer that may or may not last one season.

Do you have an experience or comment about this product?
Please help fellow athletes by leaving a comment.

Accelerade Review

Sports performance drinks are a bit of a mystery.  There are so many options and so many claims that at times we forget that the common denominator is really just water and electrolytes.  Some brands add more, some add less. At the end of the day, however, the key is hydration.

Accelerade was the first true “performance drink” I tried outside of Gatorade.  I must admit that after the sweet fruit punch taste of Gatorade, Accelerade was more than a shock to my system.  It’s chunky consistency and orange-juice like taste made it difficult to swallow and stomach.  I figured that like protein bars, because it was good for you it had to taste bad.  So I just kept drinking the stuff.

Accelerade Drink Mix

Drink At Your Own Risk

One key note about Accelerade is that it contains a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein formula.  Translation:  They add whey protein to the drink.  Protein is tougher for your stomach to digest and for some people can cause an upset stomach – especially while being active.  It isn’t altogether a bad idea, because you need protein during long endurance events and especially for recovery.   But if you are going to use protein for recovery, I think you should save it for recovery.

Accelerade has a lot of statistics on how it extends endurance, speeds recovery, reduces muscle damage and enhances rehydration.  You can check out all their claims at their website.

The Bottom Line:

I didn’t really notice any such difference during, after or on my next race.  I think the claims are exaggerated at best and with the chunky consistency and bad orange flavor there are much better options for hydration.  I won’t be spending my money on another container of Accelerade and will probably be throwing away what I have left.  Just because it’s an endurance drink doesn’t mean it has to taste bad.

Also, if you leave this drink in your water bottle too long – it creates one of the most nasty, funky smells imaginable (once again, I speak from experience.)

Cycleops Bike Thong Review

Yes . . .It’s that time of year . . . Trainer Season.  As much as this season sucks it’s a necessary evil.  For those of us who live in climates that experience cold temperatures and snow – the trainer is the only way to go.  As much as time stands still and you suffer and suffer, there are at least some accessories that can make your experience more enjoyable.

The most obnoxious thing (and most deadly to your bike) is sweat.  That’s correct – your tasty juices can literally corrode your bike in a short time.  In order to protect your investment you can do one of three things:

1.  Get a Cheap Trainer Bike
2. Use Towels
3. Buy a Bike Thong

Now lets be honest.  If you’ve spent some money getting the bike of your dreams (or 1/2 your dreams . . . or even 1/4 your dreams) you probably don’t have a lot of cash for another bike.  On top of that, you want to train on the bike you will be riding.

Towels can be a good option, but they have their limitations.  First they typically only cover certain parts of your bike.  For example, you can drape it over the headset or on the neck of the bike but not both.  Secondly, if the towel falls, it can get eaten up into your drivetrain.  This is an absolute pain and I speak from experience – it isn’t pleasant or easy to get out of your bike.

The final option (and the best in my opinion) is the Bike Thong.  No before you start thinking of dirty, adult novelties I’m talking about a thong for your bike.  This great invention securely protects your bike’s precious parts from your sweaty body.

It attaches solidly to the bars and runs the length of the top tube.  You can sweat to your hearts content, but this little guy has got your bike covered and protected.

Additionally, the handy pocket at the top is perfect for holding your television remote and/or ipod, since  there is no where to put it – especially if you spin with your shirt off – a habit that causes a lot of sweat drippage and no convenient jersey pockets.

Though not the most essential item – this makes what is sure to be a long winter . . . a little bit better.  I would definitely recommend a bike thong to every serious athlete using a trainer . . . it’s worth your money.  I have used this Cycleops Bike Thong for an entire winter training season and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

I highly recommend this item.