Should have added on the original post. On climb #2 I did note a HR reading of 189. I was mostly wondering if the cramping thing would cause your HR to really shoot up? Well aware of the possibility of cross talk with other computers and outside interference.

And yes, the efforts on this ride are prone to have your tongue come close to getting tangled in the spokes. Climb #2 has a 21% section and and end of climb #3 is steeper. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, who built these roads and for what purpose. This is the 9th year of this ride. Last year was the only year all starters finished.

So the reading is most likely some kind of interference but not out of the realm of possibility.