Wahoo Fitness Tickr X Heart Rate Monitor Review
Traditionally, heart rate straps have always come up with a product. Be it a Polar lookout, or any GPS device that sits on your bike or wrist. The HR strap would link with that product, and, as tech improved over time, that product alone. (Riding with a Polar in the 1990s information technology wasn't uncommon to confuse the device if riding with someone else using one.)
Thanks to phone apps that can record your data this has all inverse and the Wahoo Tickr is sold as a stand up-alone production. Used with the Wahoo app tin give you the majority of ride data you'll need through use of your phone'southward GPS. Then if you practice with your phone and only want some basic info there is no need to purchase another device - A good affordable introduction in to fitness tracking
Download the Wahoo app, sign up and enter your details (historic period, superlative, gender and weight) and off yous go. You tin also enter your FTP if known, and your maximum and resting heart rates. From in that location it will calculate your training zones (come across beneath for more) to help decipher a grooming session and track your progress. The app volition of form connect to your favourite fitness tracking app (Strava, Training Peaks, Komoot, RideWithGPS and many more than) to upload and store your details later a conditioning.
For riders with other devices the Tickr will connect seamlessly if our experience is anything to go by. With both Bluetooth and ANT+ there'southward nothing it won't talk to. Other Wahoo devices are a given, we as well used it with an old Garmin 520, a Garmin Forerunner watch and Zwift. All of them linked quickly to the Tickr. It volition hold three simultaneous connections to different devices pregnant you can ride on a virtual platform while likewise capturing it on a GPS device - should you demand to. The device has a claimed reach of 10ft.
The Tickr comes in ii parts, the elastic strap, which includes the sensors, and the pod which holds the battery and all electronics. Information technology'due south this part that transmits info to external devices. The pod sits in the middle of your breast and attaches on either side to the strap with a popper, the metallic in which makes the connection past which the sensors communicate with the pod.
The fit of the strap is superb. Gone are the days of an viii-inch harder plastic front section sitting across your chest (think back to the former Garmin or Polar straps) with the ultra slim sensors at present moulded to the dorsum of the elastic. These bend and twist in any direction giving a perfect fit effectually your rib cage. I foroet information technology was there after a while. The strap never slipped out of position or sat off of my chest . Even when running it stayed perfectly in place and didn't need to be uncomfortably tight to hold its position.
Wahoo Tickr Accuracy
Any eye rate monitor is only every bit skillful every bit the data it gives. While the Tickr never dropped a signal while I used it, it did apartment line a few times. It took a while for me to notice this as information technology ordinarily flatlined at a Hour that was nearly right for the attempt I was putting in. Bank check out the heart rate trace below. I hovered the cursor at the flatline section which I noticed equally it was clearly too low for the endeavor I was putting in. It displayed an HR of 116 for only over ii minutes, never varying from that during that catamenia. You can run across another flatline just before it of most a minute-and-a-half and a few very small ones just before that.
When I noticed it on the ride I popped the pod off i popper then put it back in to try and reset information technology, but the 60 minutes number on my Garmin 520 stayed at 116. Although it was a hot twenty-four hour period, around 32 degrees, the strap felt dry to the bear on. I poured some water from my canteen on to my chest and before long later on it started reading as I'd expect. Just that could accept been a coincidence. Going back to look at the data from a previous ride I noticed the same apartment spots occurring.
At this phase I checked in with Wahoo who sent an Element ROAM over for me to try it with, but the issue remained so a replacement strap was sent. Not a great start for a test product, but Wahoo were quick to replace it and assured us that this would be a warranty issue then no need to worry as a paying customer. The ii traces below taken from Strava show two much more realistic HR traces from 2 separate rides with the strap. Problem solved and I was happy the Tickr was performing how it should.
There is no definitive or industry standard measure of how accurate an HR strap's information is, although Wahoo say they test the Tickr against a number of known eye rate devices. It'southward something y'all tin also measure yourself. Put the strap on, find your pulse in your wrist or neck and start counting. You lot can check this against the cherry-red LED light (see beneath) or the HR displayed on your app or external device. It is clearly much more accurate than the wrist based infrared lights (photoplethysmography) method, so I used the strap whenever out exercising with my running sentinel.
Wahoo Tickr LED lights
The Tickr comes with two LED lights on the pinnacle of the pod not visible beneath, but both conspicuously visible equally soon as y'all put it on. This gives instant feedback of it's status. When clipped together the bluish LED will wink slowly to tell you it's awake and looking to pair with a device. 4 quick flashes of the blue LED means a connection has been made. Quick flashes of the blue LED ways it's paired to a device while the carmine LED with flash with your heart rate. Both turn off afterward 30 seconds to relieve battery life, and then that red wink is just in that location to tell y'all it's picked up your eye rate, information technology'due south not something to keep checking if you're exercising without a meridian, ie on a turbo.
Wahoo training zones
The Wahoo app volition auto-calculate both power and HR training zones, using the parameters below. The power thresholds do seem slightly contradictory when swapping between six seven and eight zones. For instance, using my FTP of 228 (no laughing at the back please) the 6 zone formula gives my lactacte threshold zone a range of 202 - 234w, just switch to the eight zone parameters and steady country is listed as 202 - 234w with threshold intervals at 235 - 267w. Worth remembering that these are guides, and y'all'll either need a chip of experimentation to work out what'southward best for you, or input from a coach.
Wahoo Tickr Specifications
The Tickr weighs in at 48 grams and is powered by a CR2032 coin battery (common in many watches and power metres). This should requite it around 500hrs of battery life and is easily replaced when appropriate. As with most devices, open the back by inserting a coin in to the slot and turn. The strap is handwashable while the pod is h2o resistant to 5 ft. The elastic strap is adaptable from 23 to 48 inches
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Source: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/reviews/general-fitness-training-aids/wahoo-tickr-heart-rate-strap