Battle Royal: Mio VS Polar RC3

Technology has never been so prevalent in this sport we love. At one point everyone would ride bikes to get away from numbers and expectations. Then everyone needed to know how fast they are going, then how far they have gone. Now it didn't count unless the GPS map of your ride with heart rate, climb and slope was shared on STRAVA.

With all these additional bells and whistles available, heart rate is something we at the shop take very seriously. If your speed is off, your map doesn't quite nail down the mileage or your watts are slightly inaccurate, it's easy to calibrate or compensate to correct. One's heart rate is a constant. There is no inaccurate heart rate, only inaccurate readings.  Not to mention it is often a matter of staying healthy or pushing one's body too hard. Needless to say, it needs to be dead on.

The Contenders 

Polar RC3 and sensor

Polar has been a long time standard of the store due to its medical grade heart rate. Instead of relying on algorithms from every third recorded thump, Polar records every up, down and valley in between of one's heart rate.

Mio Alpha Sport Watch

Mio is the new kid on the block. It is one of the first to implement an infrared sensor to read heart rate through the wrist. This is a big deal because before this, if an athlete wanted to check their respective lubs and dubs they required a chest strap.

The only controversy of the strapless method that Mio promotes is that it has only been proven accurate at a resting heart rate. Due to the faster pace and sporadic nature of cardio, the more exertion the body is put under, the more inaccurate it becomes.  

The Show Down

We wanted to check for ourselves. So we sent Neal to do his normal work out with a Polar RC3 featuring medical-grade heart rate and a Mio Alpha to see how close they were. The idea being that the Polar is completely correct, and how well does the Mio hold up? The results were impressive.

Clearly the Mio didn't quite match up to Neal's needs. Over 50 bpm off of medical grade readings. If you need to monitor your heart rate while watching a movie or reading I'm sure the Mio will be more than adequate. However, most people interested in heart rate need to know it during physical exertion which just happens to be the weakest point for Mio. If you want to listen to your body, get a product that can really listen. 

Review: Polar Loop, For the 'Rest' of the time

Cheetahs and greyhounds are built very similarly. Both are built for very high speeds. Both also have very long rest times throughout the day. Due to their high metabolism and low body fat that is crucial to their speed, the longevity of their speed is limited at best. Cheetahs have a max speed of 70-75 mph but a max distance of 1,600 feet. The greyhound has a max speed of 43 mph (second only to the cheetah) and a max distance of 820 feet.
Humans are not built like cheetahs or greyhounds, but many people take their riding with very similar procedures. While a rider may average 20-25 mph for 3 hours, they may also be sitting behind a desk for the rest of the day. This is not how our bodies effectively perform and that rider may be stunting his progress and performance.

I'm sure the initial response everyone is having is "I need to rest!" or "I cannot type while on a treadmill!"

Blue Cross Blue Shield states that the average adult should take 10,000 steps a day to ensure an active lifestyle. This can be achieved by parking farther away, using the restroom on a different floor of your office building, taking the stairs, there are many easy options.
The best tool to keep track of your daily activity is the Polar Loop. I know now-a-days everyone can find a pedometer from Big Lots. And there is a lot of high-end wrist-jewelry that will tell you your heart rate, sleep patterns and what you're about to think. Both these devices are not the best options and I'll tell you why.
Pedometers are based on gyroscopes. Missing key information like time of activity and skewing numbers with improper gyroscope readings from shifting weight while sitting. Walking is not measured from one's hip,

Polar Loop's website. You can't get this kind of
info from a pedometer.

it's measured through actual movement.
The abundance of all-day measurement devices on the market today shows that the technology to produce one is not hard to find. However it is hard to do correctly. infrared heart rate is designed to be used while the body is in a resting position only, and gets more inaccurate the more active the wearer is. It can be up to 30bpm off. When dealing with a number that is anywhere from 40-60 bpm to 170-190, 30 bpm is a pretty huge variable.
Also, there is no combination of technical data and algorithms that can effectively tell anyone about personal sleep patterns without including variables so large, they practically make the information void. If sleep studies could be done without the hundred wires stuck all over the patient's body and the node-covered skull cap, don't you think they would offer that option?

The Polar Loop is an activity monitor that does not promise anything except reliable and effective information. It is to take control of your day, in it's entirety. This makes sense for everyone. For the most active athlete, it is imperative to keep their body in effective shape, which means a healthy level of activity. For the not-so-athletic person, it is helpful to ensure they are being healthy without requiring a sport or too much additional effort. It is also the only method of measurement backed by Blue Cross Blue Shield to improve one's level of daily activity.

When you wear a Polar Loop it uses 3D accelerometers to measure 360 degrees of movement. It also uses a dual-coil system to measure actual movement of travel, not just the back and forth rotation of your arm. Basically, it can tell when you sit, stand, when you are walking, when you're jogging and when you're just standing in an elevator.

Level up by adding medical
grade heart rate.

By combining this information with your age, weight, and height it provides an average of calories you have burned, and how active you have been during that day. It also provides amounts of different activities the wearer can do to complete a healthy level of activity. If you want to really dial your numbers in, you can add a bluetooth equipped H7 heart rate strap to equip the Loop with medical-grade heart rate.

Due to it's simple design and display, it is water proof and holds a long battery life.
The Loop charges via USB and also downloads all of your information to the Polar Loop website. It gives you day-to-day productivity and an ever changing list of many different activities to improve your lifestyle such as badminton, jogging, even doing the dishes.

The app is not only
helpful, but colorful!

I preferred the app to log my progress. With a bluetooth connection, the app can let you know how active you've been on a 5 point scale, from resting to running, and when the activity took place. It also has the ability to remind you when you have been inactive for too long with phone-based alarms.
Working in retail, and biking as a life-consuming hobby, I considered myself to have a fairly healthy lifestyle. But it only took a couple of days wearing the Loop to find out that I was not as healthy throughout my day as I thought. It pushed me to change habits so I would be more active and, in turn, had a happier general outlook as well as a better sleep pattern.

It comes with a cut-to-fit locking strap to ensure a comfortable fit that is not cumbersome. There is even a easy measuring tool that comes with the Loop to guarantee the right fit.

While the person looking for extremely detailed information of their activity, usually provided by equipment like a Garmin 910 or Polar RCX5, may find the Loop a bit lacking, such competition is not Polar's goal. They set out to create an easy, automatic method of tracking and improving one's general activity throughout the day. I'd say that's exactly what they achieved.

Our price for a Polar Loop is $99.99 Not bad when you consider it's $40 - $700 for the few hours with a cycling specific computer. With a Loop you are taking control of the other 9 hours in the day!
For more information about the Polar Loop, Click Here! 

Fun in the Sun

The time has come again, and it seems we are always surprised. Florida summers are other-worldly. If you ever wanted to see what an ant feels like under a magnifying glass, go out on a ride, in Florida, this time of year, with no sun protection. But don't let the heat stop you from getting on the bike. To fend off the giant magnifying glass, here are a few steps that will ensure you have fun and stay cool!

Water is Your Friend!
Step one in your quest for outdoor ability is drinking at least double the amount of water you normally take on a ride. So drink and do it often. A good rule of thumb is that if you are thirsty, or thinking you could use a drink, you should have had a drink twenty minutes ago!

The Camelbak Podium Chill bottle is great for keeping your water cool and refreshing. For more info on the Podium, click here

Up the Electrolytes
When you sweat, it's not just water pouring out your body but electrolytes and sodium. Ignore this loss and you might as well not drink any water. Use an electrolyte/sodium-rich mix to make sure you are adequately supporting your body.
A great tool to make sure you are supplying your body with what you need is the EFS Sports Drink. For more info, click here

Don't Push It
Take more brakes and keep an eye out for shade. Remember, the body can only replenish an average of 1/3 the expended vitamins and minerals. Take frequent stops and forget about keeping your legs warmed up. Give your body time to catch up. If you are the kind of person that prefers not to listen to your body and power through situations until it's too late to recover, wear a heart rate monitor. This way you can ignore your body but listen to the watch!
The Polar FT7 is an accurate and affordable heart rate system. For more info, click here

Protect Yourself
Covering your body is becoming more and more a requirement over a preference. The more we learn about skin cancers and keeping your body healthy, sun screen doesn't always do the required work. Sun protective  garments can be the difference between a successful ride, and going home in an ambulance.
Pearl Izumi makes a great line of sun protective gear that breathes, wicks away sweat and protects from the sun. For more info, click here

Change Up your Schedule
Now that the climate has changed, your riding times may need to change as well. Early mornings and later in the night are great times to ride before it gets hot or after it has already cooled down. You may find that changing the time will give you a whole new riding experience!

There's Always the Trainer
If you have tried to get out and just can't seem to beat the heat, you may want to look for a good trainer. It is not as exhilarating as riding your favorite trail, but it is better than ignoring your bike! Plus there are training video programs that could set you up to impress everyone when you do get back on the road. Check out The Sufferfest that puts you right in the thick of actual pro races!
Blackburn's Tech Fluid is a solid trainer that fits just about any style bike! For more info, click here