Wahoo TICKER?

[classtimesailer]

Is anyone using the Wahoo Ticker heart rate monitor strap and their iPhone to collect the data while the iPhone is in their jersey pocket? My iPhone 4 would record a 130 mile ride for STRAVA while it sat in my jersey pocket. Now I have a 5s and would like it to also record HR. I know the ANT technology would not allow a phone to collect data from a HR strap while the phone was in a back side pocket. The Wahoo guy says the new Bluetooth model is designed to overcome that shortcoming but I would like to hear that it works out there on the road.

[Chris]

Just got mine this week. Works well so far with STRAVA. You can actually run both your Garmin and Strava at the same time with the same monitor. So far I have just used the iPhone function for runs but have had no transmission or recording problems. I do think it may drain the battery a little quicker using the Bluetooth function too. But I also listen to podcasts while I run, so it could be using all 3.

[Chris]

So...I just did a hot lap around the neighborhood. Before I took off and started recording, the heart rate would go to zero once I put it behind my back. I did start recording it and it looked like it stayed functioning. I did one lap of the neighborhood and either I just really had a consistent heart rate or something was weird. Give me a couple of days to get in a ride (or maybe someone else will chime in) and I will post my results here.

[Chris]

Ok, not impressed with the readings while in the back pocket. When I hold the phone above the back pocket, even while I am riding, I can see that the heart rate is registering. When I put it in the pocket and then pull it out a few minutes later, the heart rate has dropped off and it takes a minute to acquire. I did a one hour easy ride today. The heart rate readings between the Garmin (which will read in the back pocket, btw) and the STRAVA are similar but the Garmin looks much more believable. Because it was an easy ride, the Garmin read 99 avg with 128 max while the STRAVA read 95 avg with 128 max. The graph on the STRAVA is a straight line for the most part where the Garmin is much more variable.

There's the experience from one ride. I will be out for a longer more variable ride either tomorrow or Wednesday and can further report back after that.

[classtimesailer]

Thanks Chris.

[Chris]

Update to the update. Tonight was the Tuesday Nighter so a lot more variability in speed and intensity. I turned the STRAVA on and put it in my pocket and never looked at it again. Ran the Garmin too. I was more surprised by the results tonight. The graph still lacks the variability at times compared to the Garmin, but the results were very similar. Garmin readings were 131 avg heart rate, 179 max heart rate, 18.6 avg speed, 38.5 max speed for a 32.25 mile ride in 1:43. STRAVA recorded 130 avg heart rate, 42.1 max speed, 32.3 miles in 1:45. So, despite the way it looks on the graph and the lack of an apparent reading in the back pocket, it seems that the recording is pretty consistent with the Garmin at least. I stand corrected from yesterday. I guess it works well after all.

[Charles M]

Just finished day three using it stand alone as a recorder for running and cross training (jump boxes, TRX etc...) Also used the double tap feature to put set markets in place and dumped the data...

This thing works VERY well off bike / stand alone. Will use it this week end on bike with power and a head unit.