Questions about Polar s-725

[Mike_Rides_Red]

I have been cycling for about a year and want to get a cycling computer that can track my improvents. Are the polar heartrate monitors/cycle computer easy to view the cycling information from your home computer? Is it hard to find the information you want while your riding because there is soo much info?

 

[rob of the og]

I have been cycling for about a year and want to get a cycling computer that can track my improvents. Are the polar heartrate monitors/cycle computer easy to view the cycling information from your home computer? Is it hard to find the information you want while your riding because there is soo much info?

Really easy when you get it back on the computer, there's tonnes of graphs you can play with to keep you amused for hours The 7 series all download via infrared port, you may have a port built in if you're using a laptop or you can buy one from Polar otherwise. I've also a 5 series one and used the soniclink, which frankly was pretty rubbish - lots of playing with the computer settings while it seemed pretty random as to whether it worked or not.

On the bike there's perhaps some information overload, but you can customise the screen so you flick through loads of readings with just the bottom right button. I can't remember if this is covered in the manual, but if you can't figure out how to do it let me know.

The main display is nice and big and easy to read whatever the light. The HR at the bottom is a little smaller, but is still easy to read and you can set it up to beep at you once you get the target zones set anyway. The top line (scrolls thru pretty much all the other functions) is the least effective, the didgets can be confused in bright or low light.

 

[jon_stewart]

I have been cycling for about a year and want to get a cycling computer that can track my improvents. Are the polar heartrate monitors/cycle computer easy to view the cycling information from your home computer? Is it hard to find the information you want while your riding because there is soo much info?

If you're not wanting to upload and view graphs on your Nokia phone, why not get a 720... same functions and cheaper??

 

[DeanC]

If you're not wanting to upload and view graphs on your Nokia phone, why not get a 720... same functions and cheaper??

Doesn't the 725 have the altitude and total climb functions that the 720 lacks?

Dean

 

[Mike_Rides_Red]

With the polar cycling computers/heartrate monitors the heartrate info is on the bottom part of the screen but what info is on the middle and top of the screen? Can you look at your speed and another cycling function such as cadence at the same time?

 

[rob of the og]

With the polar cycling computers/heartrate monitors the heartrate info is on the bottom part of the screen but what info is on the middle and top of the screen? Can you look at your speed and another cycling function such as cadence at the same time?

yup. The middle line is speed/clock/trip time/lap time

The top line is trip distance/av speed/cadence/power/altitude/calories/etc (including speed/clock/trip time/lap time)

All are interchangable so you can view any combination of the top line with the middle line (and indeed bottom line which is current/%max/average heart rate) As I say above it associates top (and bottom) selection with middle line selection, so that you can set up standard screens to scroll through with one button. Or you can change any of the 3 lines seperately on the fly.

As was said above there's not much difference between 725 and 720i, unless you don't have a pc, in which case downloading to a mobile phone will be handy. 720i has the altitude function.

 

[daviddobedoe]

As a development of this conversation, what success have people had using Macs? What sotware has proved best? What hardware combination. I know that there is alternative software out there and am interested in what works well in the real world.

 

[HandyAndy]

Another new polar monitor is the s625x.I've been checking it out because its got a running pod that you attach to your shoe so it measures your speed, distance etc.Its also got all the cycling functions, but you need to buy the sensors so it works out more expensive, but for triathletes its the bomb!

 

[serottarider-ny]

As a development of this conversation, what success have people had using Macs? What sotware has proved best? What hardware combination. I know that there is alternative software out there and am interested in what works well in the real world.

When I first purchased my s725 I tried using it with VirtualPC. I found out you can't use the Polar the infrared on Macs due to protocols. Polar had done some testing which worked (they sent me the information in an email) but the said they could not support it. If I remember correctly you would have to buy Polar's serial infrared device and a serial to usb device (Polar says their usb infrared device won't work on a Mac).

Unfortunately I didn't see much of anything for Mac software so I traded for an old PC laptop with infrared. That's all I will ever use a PC for.

 

[DeanC]

720i has the altitude function.

Polar doesn't think the 720i has altitude. Check the model comparison page.

Dean

 

[jcjordan]

Polar doesn't think the 720i has altitude. Check the model comparison page.

Dean

My polar 720i has altitude

 

[DeanC]

My polar 720i has altitude

Neat, Polar's own site is wrong then.

Dean

 

[Randybaker99]

Polar doesn't think the 720i has altitude. Check the model comparison page.

Dean

Altitude is covered in the manual of the S720i (go to page 19 in the PDF file):

http://www.polarusa.com/manuals/S720i.pdf

Upon further investigation, I think I found the answer. The comparison chart shows the 725 having "Altitude and Ascent" and under cycling, "Altitude and Temperature". The 720i only has the latter. So the question is what is the ascent feature?

 

[daviddobedoe]

Altitude is covered in the manual of the S720i (go to page 19 in the PDF file):

http://www.polarusa.com/manuals/S720i.pdf

Upon further investigation, I think I found the answer. The comparison chart shows the 725 having "Altitude and Ascent" and under cycling, "Altitude and Temperature". The 720i only has the latter. So the question is what is the ascent feature?

The 720 does do altitude and ascent and temprature, the challenge is learning your way round ;-)

 

[rob of the og]

Altitude is covered in the manual of the S720i (go to page 19 in the PDF file):

http://www.polarusa.com/manuals/S720i.pdf

Upon further investigation, I think I found the answer. The comparison chart shows the 725 having "Altitude and Ascent" and under cycling, "Altitude and Temperature". The 720i only has the latter. So the question is what is the ascent feature?

Ascent is only viewable when you download the data onto a pc. It's just the total vertical distance climbed during a ride.

 

[rule62]

I have the s725 and am loving it. I collect information on a Latitude using its integrated IrDA with no problems, and use the Polar USB IrDA interface on another XP Pro desktop system with no issues.

Only thought so far is that I may actually like the style T31 transmitter better than the new flexible WearLink version. That's not a big deal though, just a bit of personal preference.

Otherwise, I am gathering and using both speed and cadence data. Down the road, like maybe if Santa brings it to me, I could see getting the Power Output sensor as well. The Precision Performance software is pretty easy to use and provides all the information that I would want. The graphs are terrific and have helped me a lot when I come back to the computer and analyze my ride.

Hope this helps.

 

[serottarider-ny]

Down the road, like maybe if Santa brings it to me, I could see getting the Power Output sensor as well.

Don't do it if you need accurate data. I am about to send mine back to the vendor because it is too inaccurate to use as a coaching tool. If you just want a general idea of how much you did that day the Polar is fine.

For example my coach had me do 4 intervals the other day for power testing. 3 of them were done on a very slight grade with brisk winds. #1 and #3 were down the grade with the wind (27-28 mph) and I was putting out some good wattage. #2 (same road, other direction) was into the wind and up the slight grade (about 17-18 mph) with significantly lower wattage! Heart rate was about the same for all if the intervals.

One other thing to consider is that it is very difficult to install. One problem that I had was that it was impossible to install within their spec. I run a 12-27 most of the time due to my high cadence training and the local hills. The chain has to stay between 10-30 mm of the sensor. If you use more than a 32 or so it won't be in that range. In my test above the chain was running in that range.

Just yesterday I was putting out almost 250 watts soft pedaling down a hill and 275 going up a steepr one! It seems that it has problems at higher speeds. I would highly recommend looking into the Power Tap if the purchase is performance driven. The only thing missing there is the altitude but it nice that with an extra $60 sensor you can move it easily between bikes. I also takes data samples more frequently which helps with accuracy also.


I like my s725 for everything else but just a friendly caution on the Power option. Good luck!

 

[lanierb]

Ascent is only viewable when you download the data onto a pc. It's just the total vertical distance climbed during a ride.

Just a quick correction to the above: Ascent is viewable on the s720 during the ride on the top line (cycle through upper line screens using the top right button until you get ascent). So is altitude (same way). So is temperature (it shows up on one of the screens in the lower right, but I don't remember which one -- I think it is the speed screen?) The polar website has a bunch of wrong information with respect to altitude and the s720 so don't believe the site. Read the pdf version of the manual for correct info.

Also, I have the s720 and think it is great for most things. My biggest criticism is that it has so many features that it can be difficult to remember how to use each one -- hence the altitude confusion above! I also have the power sensor and, so far, have had relatively good luck with it. My readings are quite consistent with power computed using other methods. From my own experience I can't see what has caused people so much trouble (and I do have a 52-42-30 triple with 12-27 rear cassette so in theory a difficult combination). My complaint about the polar power is something different. I find the chain tension sensor a bit of a nuisance at lights/stop signs. The magnet inside it sucks the chain down on top of it when you aren't pedaling, which can be a bit of a nuisance when you get going again as the chain is sometimes slightly offline at first (this does not cause any problems while actually riding though).