Review of Polar CS100 Cycling Computer Heart Rate Monitor

Polar CS100 Cycling Computer Heart Rate Monitor
By: Polar Average Rating: 2.0 Total Reviews: 7
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Didn't work...

On: 2008-07-04

Bought it for a Trek 4500 mountain bike. The heart rate monitor worked with no problems. But the speed sensor would not work on my bike. The manual said it might not and it certainly didnt.

Not up to Polar standards

On: 2008-06-15

I am not happy with this product. The cycling functions are OK but not really intuitive. The heart rate monitor consistently gives erratic readings that are often WAY above my max heart rate. I often see heart rates as high as 220; I know from years of using a monitor that my max is around 185-190. As a result, summary data such as maximum heart rate and time in "own zone" is useless. I also agree with one of the other reviewers regarding the buttons; theyre too stiff. My main regret is not returning my CS100 prior to the return expiration date...

Disappointed

On: 2008-03-30

I am one of those who likes to see all the little facts and figures to show progress of my workouts. I purchased a POLAR product because I have had good luck with this brand in the past. However, this model (CS100) is one I cannot recommend. If you chuck down $100+ for a bike computer, you would expect it to work properly. I doubled and triple checked the installation (very straight forward) and everything is correct. I think the engineers need to go back to the drawing board.
Pluses:
* Very Easy Installation
* Fairly solid construction & design
* Instruction manual is well written

Minus:
* Looses speed signal often
* Rarely registers any speed below 8 mph.
* Online Customer Support/Warranty support not great.

Good Cyclo-Computer

On: 2008-03-10

I dont think the negative reviews of this are fair. I have never seen the problems the others have described. It took about 10 minutes to install, and worked the first time out, with one small adjustment to move the speed sensor closer to the spokes. The HR monitor, as expected with Polar, works perfectly. The computer functions are not "Apple like" intuitive, but after about 5 minutes you should be able to use most of the functionality. The only complaint I have is that the setting function (time, bike, date, etc) only seem to go forward, so it is a pain to set the time to something like 7:49. It does far more than most riders will really need, computing calories burned based on entry of the persons weight, average speed, lap feature to divide a ride, total mileage, etc. I am very happy with mine and glad I made the choice. I do wish they included the rubber o-rings the manual mentions as options (probably more paint friendly) to using the zip ties.

It is a good gadget for RUNNERS too!

On: 2008-02-06

(This review is for the "POLAR CS100 Cycling Computer with Heart Monitor" mostly from a runners perspective. I apologize for the very long write up, but I wish somebody else would have done this for me before I purchased this item.)

I have had this unit for about 7 months now.

I was basically looking for a heart rate monitor WITH a stopwatch feature that can store information by lap. And this little computer does exactly that. My biggest reasons for purchasing the Polar CS100 (over the other available wristwatch-type models) were:
1. The two main lines of display show data in huge, bold digits (the total display window is about 28mm x 28mm and there are two large lines of display, plus other information in much smaller fonts).
2. Measures and records sufficient information for runners.
3. Buttons are easy to operate (although very stiff), after you have familiarized yourself with the User Manual. There are three red buttons on the lower part of the face of the unit. At first, I found these buttons a little too hard to press with the surface part of my fingers, so I now use the side-edge of my thumb nail - very easy. (But you wont able to press any of them with gloves on!) Also, there are no buttons on either sides of the unit, so you wont accidentally press them when you adjust your clothes, or reach into your pocket, etc.
4. A good value (about a $100-$130 on Amazon or eBay) when compared to other wrist-type heart rate monitors with the lap-recording feature.
5. The Polar CS100 is much smaller (and lighter) than the Forerunner 301, or even the newer 305 model, but the display is much easier to read than either of the other two. Although the Polar CS100 does not have a pace function for runners (minute/mile or minute/km), the pace information on the GPS driven Forerunners can many times give you incorrect readings.

I have modified this bicycle computer to be worn on the wrist as follows:
1. Use a 1 inch wide and 1 foot long elastic strap (from a sewing/textile store).
2. Get a 1 inch wide and about 4 inches long Velcro strip (both the male and female sides).
3. Sew the round plastic bike mount (called the Polar Bike Mount in the User Manual) onto the elastic strap (around the middle of the foot long elastic). Place the bike mount length-wise on the elastic strap and sew inside the circle at the 12 oclock and 6 oclock positions.
4. Measure, try on, overlap, and cut the elastic to the correct length (both ends) to fit your wrist properly.
5. Cut and sew the Velcro strips onto the ends of the elastic strap.
6. Install the Cycling Computer into the Polar Bike Mount (position, press, and twist).

(The whole procedure took me about 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon, but you may even be able to improve on both the method and time of sewing.)

Other observations and suggestions:
For some reason, I found it difficult wearing the Polar Coded Transmitter (i.e., the chest strap) on my chest. It is supposed to be worn around your ribcage just below the nipple level, or so (as shown in the User Manual). For me this was very uncomfortable and constricting, and I was also getting only intermittent readings (i.e., no readings at times, especially if I moved my arms around too much, like during warm-up). I slid the strap around so that the Polar logo ended up on the side of my ribcage, and then on my back side, etc., but it still didnt feel okay or worked right for me. It didnt matter how I turned, shifted, or moved the chest strap, the problem persisted (maybe it is due to the shape of my own ribcage or my chest was not sweaty enough - who knows). Plus, the chest strap would also slide down on my ribcage at times, unless I made the strap even tighter.

Then I decided to place the chest strap around my abdominal area. After a very short experimentation, it has ended up sitting around my waist. I now get just as steady or consistent (or lousy) heart rate readings as on my chest before, but I find this position surprisingly comfortable. Also, at start up, it is very easy to bring my wrist near the Polar logo at the front to quickly activate the heart rate monitor. Now I dont even notice wearing the strap when running/jogging!

While running, it will not measure running distance or pace (for that youll have to install it on a bicycle). But on routes, where you know the exact distance(s), you can just press the middle button to register the laps. The cycling computer will then store some information you have recorded during the exercise session. (Youll have to input your personal data first when you are initially setting up the unit. At the same time, you would also set the current date and time features, and other personal settings, etc. - not too hard if you follow the User Manual.)

It also has two separate countdown timers (you can specify a time in minutes and seconds, up to a maximum of 99 minutes). These can be used, for example, to remind you to take a drink of water at certain intervals during the exercise.

You can even turn on or off SEPARATELY the Activity Sounds (the beeps the unit makes when something happens) and/or the Key Sounds (the beeps the unit makes when you press a button)!

As far as the amount of data recorded, the File menu (which you would review after completion of your exercise session), can show the following information (you would scroll through the screens with the repeated pressings of the right button):
a) The date and time when the recorded exercise started.
b) The duration (i.e., elapsed time) of the whole exercise.
c) The average and maximum heart rate for the duration of the whole exercise.
d) Heart rate limits (in beats per minute or percent of MHR) during the exercise (if limits were set).
e) In/above/below you were in your target heart rate zone.
f) Expended kilo-calories during the exercise.
g) The total distance ridden (only available if unit was installed on a bicycle).
h) Average and maximum speed (only available if unit was installed on a bicycle).
i) Average and maximum cadence (optional Polar Cadence Sensor is required).
j) Ride time (i.e., excluding rest periods) (only available if unit was installed on a bicycle).
k) Best Lap time and the identifying number of that lap.
l) And for EACH lap: lap and split times (i.e., split time is the cumulative time from the very start of the exercise to the end of that lap); average and maximum heart rate for the lap; and speed, cadence (both the average value and at the moment the lap was recorded), and lap/split distance information for the lap (again, the speed, cadence and distance are only available if the unit is installed on a bicycle and with the optional Polar Cadence Sensor).

PROBLEMS with the Polar CS100 cycling computer:
1. The Heart Rate Monitor function is not very reliable. It doesnt matter whether you place the transmitting belt around your chest or waist, it will often give you incorrect readings. I have used this unit many, many times so far and have experienced the following problems at about 90% of the time:
The reading stays at zero, or stuck at a very low number (like 80), or at an unrealistically high number (like 200) at sometime during the beginning or middle of the exercise session. And this bad reading can stay on for anywhere from a few seconds to up to 5 minutes! (This will really mess up your average heart beats per lap!) Then it flips back to "normal" and the readings appear very accurate. This is an extremely SERIOUS PROBLEM for a gadget whose main function is to measure your heart rate. (Note, making the chest strap tighter AND sweating heavily AND ensuring that the chest strap stays on the same spot of your skin for the whole time, may improve the measurement accuracy.) For me, without a properly functioning heart rate monitor, an INEXPENSIVE TIMEX MARATHON WATCH would have served the purpose!
2. When you decide to exercise without wearing the chest belt (just using the cycling computer/watch only), the lower part of the screen continuously displays a heart rate reading of 0.0 (it doesnt matter to which screen mode you scroll). Useless information! It would be much more practical if the computer could recognize that you are not wearing a chest belt (or could be a User specified setting), so that other useful information could be displayed at the same time in that position of the screen. For example, Elapsed Time on the top half of the screen AND Current Time on the lower half of the screen, etc. What a waste of a beautiful display! (Note, you can get the Current Time while exercising if you scroll to a different screen. On that screen, however, if you are not wearing the chest belt, youll see the Current Time on the top half of the screen and 0.0 on the bottom half.)
3. While exercising, each time you want to record a lap, you press the middle button once. In the elapsed-time display mode, after you pressed the middle button, momentarily the top half of the screen displays the time (in large font) for the lap you just finished, and in the bottom right corner the lap number (in small font) you just completed is also displayed for about 4-5 seconds. Then the time reverts back to total elapsed time with no number showing in the lap counter position of the screen. It would be really helpful if the Current Lap Number would continue to be displayed, reminding you of what lap you are on currently. Am I doing Lap #8 or #9 right now? Unfortunately, you cannot get this information with the Polar CS100.

For the features and ease of use of what you are getting, I believe this little gadget is a good value (if ALL the features worked well). Note: if you do install all the required parts on a bicycle, the actual cycling computer itself can still be easily removed from the bike by a simple twist of the hand and then also used for your running/jogging sessions. Here, it would be really practical to have two Polar Bike Mounts (this additional part costs about $10): one installed permanently on your bicycle handlebar and another one that you sew onto the elastic wrist strap.

Flawed

On: 2008-01-20

This is my second Polar.
I have a cheap entry level model on my mountain bike, which works flawleslly.
This model isnt good.
- The buttons are extra stiff, and with full gloves are really hard to operate during cycling.
- The first batery had to be replaced after a week, although fully charged, otherwise the unit didnt work!... so I had to waste time on that.
- the thing takes ages to give a good and stable heart reading.
- it looses reading when it feels like it, in mid practice, whenever.
- non of this happens with their cheapo model I have.
- to sum up - junk.
- oh, and it has a very anoying beep, confirming everything it does.

defective

On: 2007-10-07

I have had a polar fitness watch for two years now that I have been very satisfied with. When my husband gave me this cycling computer for my birthday I was completely surprised and ecstatic. I immediately ran outside to install it. After 1.5 hours of trying to get a speed reading to appear we determined that the unit was broken. Based on reviews on other sites it is most likely the battery in the sensor is dead. Either way, too much of my life was wasted on this product. When there are many better ones out there. That being said, I did give it two stars because I dont have any reason to believe that every unit shipped is defective and if you get a working one its probably ok.

defective

On: 2007-10-06

I have had a polar fitness watch for two years now that I have been very satisfied with. When my husband gave me this cycling computer for my birthday I was completely surprised and ecstatic. I immediately ran outside to install it. After 1.5 hours of trying to get a speed reading to appear we determined that the unit was broken. Based on reviews on other sites it is most likely the battery in the sensor is dead. Either way, too much of my life was wasted on this product. When there are many better ones out there. That being said, I did give it two stars because I dont have any reason to believe that every unit shipped is defective and if you get a working one its probably ok.

A very good cycling fitness and training computer, with caveats.

On: 2007-05-12

I have had my Polar CS100 for 1 1/2 years and find it to be easy to use, easy to read, and trouble free. It easily mounts to the handlebars or stem using your choice of O-rings or plastic wire ties, both included. The speed sensor also attaches to a front fork with O-rings or wire ties. The heart rate chest strap is comfortable and light weight. I especially like the wealth of information available on the screen, including speed, odometer, heartrate in beats per minute or percentage of max heart rate, exercise time spent between user settable upper or lower heartrate limits, calories burned, 2 stopwatches, and much, much more. It has so many features I suggest you go to the Polar website to check them all. I find the scrolling feature very usefull, keeping me constantly updated to all readings throughout my cycling session. It also beeps to let me know if I am above/below my heartrate limits, when stopwatch times are met, etc. This feature can be turned off if not to your liking. Now for the caveats: 1. The battery in the computer is user changeable, but not so for the batteries in the speed sensor and the chest strap. When they die after about 2500 cycling hours (according to the manufacturer), those units must be replaced, at my expense. Other brand chest straps can be used, I have a Sigma Sport chest strap that works well with this computer and has a user cheangeable battery, to boot! As far as I know, the fork mounted speed sensor must be replaced with a like item. 2. High tension elecrical lines can cause interference, as with all brands of wireless computers. If you must ride where these lines border the road, expect some interference. I have found that the standard transmission lines dont cause a problem, only those mounted high on the metal "scaffold" type support cause me occassional interference. 3. There is a website- polarpersonaltrainer.com, that allows me to track my readings and monitor my progress, but it is quirky and often hard to pull up. This is part of my consideration for the rating I have given, as I consider the site as part of the total fitness "system" of this cycling computer. 4. This computer is only really practical for cycling. If you participate in other types of fitness (jogging, swimming, etc) a wrist unit would be more practical. Polar makes several wrist units. Finally, BEWARE: I have seen the CS100 advertised at substantially lower prices. After carefull checking, I found this to be the CS100b, which does not come with the chest strap. If you have a chest strap (even a different brand), the CS100b might be for you. Otherwise, the CS100 and CS100b are identical. ALSO: I do not have the optional cadence transmitter but may get one as pedalling cadence is an important factor for serious cycling fitness. I believe this also has the non-replaceable battery. But do I really want another added expense when the battery dies? THE NON REPLACEABLE BATTERIES REALLY BUG ME!