"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - HRM while racing?

How many of you wear your HRM while racing? The reason I ask is that it seems to me, may all be in my head, that when I notice my HR is high I "lose" energy/power. I may be in a high range but if I don't notice I feel fine as soon as I see it though it's as if I lose something. Is this normal?

I would like to keep it on to look at the numbers after the race but there is no way on mine, Polar CS100, to have the HR on and not displayed. Any ideas? TIA!

I rode with it today in a time trial and it helped me keep myself pushing the whole way.. kept it around 187-190

You could always throw a piece of electrical tape over that portion of the display if you don't want to see it during the race. As for what mine is it completely depends on what race it is. I will say that my heart rate stays much higher in mountain bike races than it does in road races though.

I use mine for TT's, but for RR & crits, I usually don't like seeing all the data...and if things are such that I even have time to look at that stuff, then it's doubtful I'm being strained at that point anyways.

maybe im lucky but i dont really find myself wanting to look at my computer during races

I always race by perceived effort. I tend to panic when I see my HR is sky high, which sends it even higher.

I always race by perceived effort. I tend to panic when I see my HR is sky high, which sends it even higher.

Right. I always found that the only thing a HRM does for me on a race or competitive ride is tell me: 'You should have detonated 5 mins. ago, why are you still pedaling?' I don't really see how that info can help me in a mass start ride/race. I understand you'd want to know that info in a TT I suppose, or if you're so talented that you're always off the front in breakaways. Then it might be valuable info. For guys like me it's more like 'don't tell me, I really don't want to know'.

It was actually the strong guys I ride with that told me not to use my HRM. I didn't listen to them at first until I had an epiphany flying up a hill in a break during the Owasco Stage Race, when I was in a 5 man break feeling pretty good until I looked down and saw my HR, at which point I started breathing heavier and panicked. Turned the damn thing off and felt a lot better, and haven't looked back since.

I check mine out in races , but it doesn't matter what the numbers are.. you're either with the leaders or you're not. I like having it on though if I'm chasing a group up a climb, or am up front on a climb to make sure I'm not going too close to my 'red' zone.

I always race by perceived effort. I tend to panic when I see my HR is sky high, which sends it even higher.


Same and also why I dont use a power meter altough it might be a tad useful in training.


Years ago when I was racing all the time I would wear it and set my max HR really low like 180. Hoped others would hear the beep beep beep and start thinking about their HR. Dont think it ever worked and got quite annoying.... j/k by the way

My display has an option to show HR or not, I plan to record races in the lap memory but not display anything other than Speed and Cadence in a race situation. (Delphi user)

Electrical tape works wonders. Some of the best data you can get on your ability is going to be races.

Same and also why I dont use a power meter altough it might be a tad useful in training.

a tad??

I generally don't find opportunities to look at the HRM when I'm racing crits or RR. In a TT I've used it to help me pace. Even then I didn't find it too useful. My LTHR is about 172. Sometimes I'd be slightly above that and feeling dandy, and at times be at about 165 and suffering like crazy.

I'm dying to get a power tap so I can pace by power in the TT. Much more effective I think.

I always race by perceived effort. I tend to panic when I see my HR is sky high, which sends it even higher.

yep.

a tad??

Becuse either im feeling good and can push or im not. Even if I know that its possible to hit X power for an hour it really depends on my body and mind if I can do that every day.


Again its just a number... Not saying I wouldnt like to have a power meter cause im a tech weenie but in a sport where the first one to cross the line wins regardless of power output its just a fun gaget (got more pressing issues to worry about than how much watts I can crank). I would use it to see if I could LOWER my wattage for "x" distance over time by improving technique more so than seeing how I rank against other cyclist though.... again fun device and wouldnt mind buying one.

I use the HR with the Powertap. I don't look at it, other than in a TT (and even then I'm more inclined to look at watts).

But its good to have the HR data to correlate with Power and perceived effort after the race.

I
I'm dying to get a power tap so I can pace by power in the TT. Much more effective I think.

Problem with a PT for a TT is as of now there's no way to use it with a disc. And the disc would make more difference in a TT than the value of pacing by PT (note I'm not considering the fitness beneift of training with a PT). You could however, put a PT on a set of 808's, which would be your most aero option.

Problem with a PT for a TT is as of now there's no way to use it with a disc. And the disc would make more difference in a TT than the value of pacing by PT (note I'm not considering the fitness beneift of training with a PT). You could however, put a PT on a set of 808's, which would be your most aero option.

Good point. I think it's likely they'll put out a disc version soon. We have a few hilly TT's here where I could use something like a 404 or 808.

I look at it just for fun. Not really all that useful. During last weekend crit lowest it went is to 92% of my max, usually was around 97%. I should have exploded, but I didn't.