Well if you don't plan on "exercising" enough to break a sweat and plan on walking up hills bigger than a driveway more than likely you will never need a HR monitor. People that are casual riders and walkers hardly ever get into anyou might not aerobic zone let alone anaerobic zone so as to push their HR close to MAX. But you might notice a lot of runners and club riders tend to ride with HR monitors. It is simply a way to measure improvements and effort from one year, month or year. I don't think people riding folders, beach cruisers and pedal forward bikes would have much use for a HR monitor. I don't wear one when riding my utility bike and I didn't wear one with my Cafe bike.