Training & Nutrition - Cateye HB-100 heart rate monitor and computer

Any one ever use one of these? I can get one at my LBS for 45usd. I've been debating on weather I really need the monitor. I want to race cat V this season and I've always followed old school training programs that I believe emphasize distance over interval training. I still do intervals but based on times in a pymarid format and not on heart rate etc... Anyway will a monitor make me a better rider? Will it take the fun out of it? What are the pluses and minuses. Thanks

I have a HB-100. Good monitor. Does what it's supposed to. As far as whether you need one or not, I can't answer that. There are plenty of reference posts here on what a HRM will do for you. BTW, I've had my CB-100 for about 8 yrs. Cateye make good products.

what i have learned from using my monitor is that i am better able to ensure that my hard days are hard enough and my easy days are easy enough.

it helps me train for and plan my recovery. after all, racing isn't about who goes the fastest, it becomes who can actively recover fastest during a race. everyone is tired, and some can actively recover while sitting in before attacking again.

i also never/rarely want to exceed my AT <the point where my body fails to keep up with the lactic acid build up> so it helps me there.

i use a basic polar monitor. nothing fancy. i don't want to graph my workout. just want to make sure my perceived effort matches my actual effort <not so i feel i am a machine or the engine for my bike>

there are hard group rides that i don't look at my HRM because the numbers don't mean much when you are trying to hang on a wheel. if you obeyed your values, you'd be spit out the back before the 1/2 way mark.

I used that for a few years until I broke the pickup on my fork. Works well but no target zones. Also, I seem to remeber that the chest strap monitor fell appart towards the end. But for that price it is a disposable piece of equipment.

BTW the bike functions were as good as any basic trip computer.

I ended up buying it and really like it so far. I used the simple method to determin Max heart rate by subtracting my age by ?somenumber? I forgot 210 or something. So now I am focusing on 70% so I am trying to average at 140bpm. I can see now how valuable a tool this will be for racing. I kind of see it like a tachometer. like RiPHRaPH said it's not about who is the fastest. It's interesting it seems on any givin race day if your feeling good or at least normal and excluding any bad decisions or flats etc.. then you almost know exactly what your capable of doing and so is your competition. So it all boils down to who has the better training base.

I ended up buying it and really like it so far. I used the simple method to determin Max heart rate by subtracting my age by ?somenumber? I forgot 210 or something. So now I am focusing on 70% so I am trying to average at 140bpm. I can see now how valuable a tool this will be for racing. I kind of see it like a tachometer. like RiPHRaPH said it's not about who is the fastest. It's interesting it seems on any givin race day if your feeling good or at least normal and excluding any bad decisions or flats etc.. then you almost know exactly what your capable of doing and so is your competition. So it all boils down to who has the better training base.

The somenumber is 222 less your age, i.e a30 year old will have a max of 222-30 =192. a 57 year old will have 222-57 = 165. I'm in the upper age group---57--- and have used a monitor for around 8 years. All the monitor is , is an indicator of how fit you are, how hard you are working, or you have just died. I have an upper limit of 165, but cannot sustain that for very long, But I can go all day at 140/145. That is 140 on the flat, but putting in effort uphill, I will get to 155 comfortably, and for that final push go to 160., Then as I want to come down again, I will get to 140 and stay at that.

Problem is, I know when I am at 150, or 160 or even on occasions(And yes I do still get to it) 175, due to how knackered I am. What it also tells me, is that I am not working hard enough, because I am only Registering 130, so I can push my training to just a little bit higher. This is where the real benefit to me comes in, as I am a lazy little whatsit, but the HRM does tell me if I am slacking.

I no longer use the extra functions that some monitors provide, all I want is my current heart rate, but I have found it invaluable to enable me to pace myself up against the younger riders on longer rides. And on top of that, it still surprises me that old gits can still ride bikes, still outdo "Some" of the youngsters, and although they may not have the speed, they can still climb the 10th hill of the morning, without being too far behind.