Training & Nutrition - HRM accuracy

I have a Polar S150 that registered a max HR of 216 while mountain biking yesterday. Somehow I don't think this is possible. The max I hit on my trainer (Spinervals: Uphill Grind & Suffer-O-Rama) working hard averages 173 and the highest previous reading has been 185. I'm 46 so my calculated max should be around 174 and my resting rate is around 60. Could the heavy jarring of trail riding be affecting the monitor? The trail I was on has 7 ~ 50 to 100 yard steep technical climbs but nothing sustained or above my skill or fitness level. The trail has lots of roots and rocks so it is very rough.

216 is probably an anomaly. I get some super high readings like that sometimes just walking around my house....ignore it.

well I hit 233 on my Polar last weekend, not really sure
where in the ride it was, I don't remember either
getting dizzy or having an MI. I would suspect tho, that
it was just as I passed under the high voltage power lines on my route.
I wouldn't worry bout the erratic reading as long as you are not consistantly showing them.

Marty

I have a Polar S150 that registered a max HR of 216 while mountain biking yesterday. Somehow I don't think this is possible. The max I hit on my trainer (Spinervals: Uphill Grind & Suffer-O-Rama) working hard averages 173 and the highest previous reading has been 185. I'm 46 so my calculated max should be around 174 and my resting rate is around 60. Could the heavy jarring of trail riding be affecting the monitor? The trail I was on has 7 ~ 50 to 100 yard steep technical climbs but nothing sustained or above my skill or fitness level. The trail has lots of roots and rocks so it is very rough.

I had similiar problems in the past. Through trial and error I figured out mine was most likely caused by a too loose chest strap. Once I snugged it up so the "pick up" was tight, but comfortable, against my chest the scary high readings stopped immediately and have not reoccured.

I have a Polar S150 that registered a max HR of 216 while mountain biking yesterday. Somehow I don't think this is possible. The max I hit on my trainer (Spinervals: Uphill Grind & Suffer-O-Rama) working hard averages 173 and the highest previous reading has been 185. I'm 46 so my calculated max should be around 174 and my resting rate is around 60. Could the heavy jarring of trail riding be affecting the monitor? The trail I was on has 7 ~ 50 to 100 yard steep technical climbs but nothing sustained or above my skill or fitness level. The trail has lots of roots and rocks so it is very rough.

Did you at any moment during your ride pass other cyclers? The standard product set of the Polar S150 does not include a coded transmitter. This means that you may be picking up a signal from anyone using a HRM. :D

Even with the coded transmitters there's no guarantee. :mad: A friend of mine once had an HRmax of 240! In fact he was riding with someone who had a coded transmitter with exactly the same code. :roflmao:

Cheers,
TT

Have you tried a different monitor to comapre? I hit 205 - 206 regularly when pushing to my MHR and have measured those #'s on two different HRMs. I think it's one of those things that more often than not is specific to the individual.

I have a Polar S150 that registered a max HR of 216 while mountain biking yesterday. Somehow I don't think this is possible.

Its probably interference, you should be able to feel it if you went that hard. Once I got my Polar I had to change training routes because my normal route had to much interference along it, mostly from powerlines.

Often cars passing by will set it off too. Radar detector? Cell phone? I don't know.

I figure your Max should be about 171.

It also may be static electricity from your shirt brushing against the transmitter. I saw a post somewhere indicating that Polar said it could be a problem.

I have a Polar S150 that registered a max HR of 216 while mountain biking yesterday.
My S210 regularly gives whack-o readings like this. So much so that the Max Heart Rate function is useless. It really annoys me... I'd like to know my MHR from the attack on the climb when I had other things to do besides check my HRM. Instead... 233. BULLSH!T!!! Sorry. I had to vent a little.

Almost all of the previous posters reasons are causes for me to. Power lines are the most common. It's much worse if the battery in the transmitter is weak. Or if it's particularly cold out (maybe the battery gets cold, weakening it, or maybe it's because of the associated dry air and increased static electricity). The strap has to be good and snug, and using the transmitter strap jelly helps... if the signal from your heart is weak the HRM seems more susceptible to picking up BS signals.

My HRM once hit 240 when riding past a refinery, my buddy at the time read 00, isnt that weird??