CicloSport HAC4 Plus Heart Rate Monitor/Altimeter/Computer

Sara said:

Thinking about getting this as a gift for someone. He rides
recreationally, but likes to know how much power he put out and how far
he rides when training inside. Any thoughts about this product or other
comparables? Thanks, Sara

It is a pretty good product and will do a good job of recording time,
distance , heart rate, elevation and cadence. If he is a computer guy,
he will like that it can download the data to his PC. However, it
estimates power from cadence, speed and rate of climb by some unknown
algorithm. It doesn't actually measure power - to measure power on the
bike takes something like a powertap http://tinyurl.com/y2pjg9 which
will cost quite a bit more and require changing the bike around to put
the hub in the wheel. The power that the HAC4 records is not accurate
but may still be interesting to your friend as a qualitative, if not an
accurate quantitative, way to compare workouts.

Quoted message said:

Thinking about getting this as a gift for someone. He rides
recreationally, but likes to know how much power he put out and how far he
rides when training inside. Any thoughts about this product or other
comparables? Thanks, Sara

I've got one, but can't really recommend it. Why?

As another poster mentioned, it's "power" measurement is highly suspect
because it's derived from assumptions made based upon your speed, weight,
and the grade you're climbing. Trouble is, the grade function is terribly
inaccurate, and it doesn't take into account whether you're riding into a
headwind, tailwind or whatever, which can make a huge difference in how much
power you're putting out at a given speed.

The handlebar clamp is frequently an issue, with bumpy roads causing the
computer to fall off the bike. Best way to deal with this is a small string
that can act as a safety net in case the computer comes loose.

The heart monitor is very accurate and reliable; never had any issues there.

For indoor training, it may not be appropriate, since the wireless speed
pickup works off the front wheel (which won't be spinning when the bike's on
a trainer).

The download function (to your PC) is a bit clunky but functional. The unit
records every 20 seconds for up to 64 hours. Unfortunately, there's no way
to choose a shorter interval, so if you're doing sprint work (shorter,
high-power bursts) it might not give meaningful results. The Polar 725 is
much better in this regard, as it can be set to record every 5 seconds.

The GPS-based units like the Garmin 305 are much better in nearly all
respects, although they won't give you a power reading. But it's what I'm
using to replace my HAC-4, and it's a very cool gadget, especially the way
you can play back your ride afterward, including the actual route ridden.
But again, no power option.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

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Quoted message said:

Thinking about getting this as a gift for someone. He rides
recreationally, but likes to know how much power he put out and how far he
rides when training inside. Any thoughts about this product or other
comparables? Thanks, Sara