Not wanting to wear my garmin watch while climbing for many reasons, the least of them being not wanting to damage a $200+ watch, the only solution I found is a heart rate strap on Amazon that stores the data without needing to be connected to a watch or your phone. I haven't purchased it yet, but I still might, but it's $80 and I'm not sure how well it works.(https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-TICKR-Monitor-Memory-Bluetooth/dp/B00O5Y4FXA/ref=lp_3407971_1_13?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1522163479&sr=1-13)
What about one with a chest strap? Would be more accurate per my post above, something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-Workout-Tracker-Monitor-Android/dp/B00O5Y4FXA/ref=sr_1_1?tag=wareable-20&ie=UTF8&qid=1441901184&sr=8-1&keywords=wahoo+tickr+x
Even when running I lightly touch the crossbar so not to drift left or right. I have no sense of balance without visuals. So either I walk/run looking directly at the console or I'd drift out of the treadmil. But one thing that motivates me is to watch Netflix or Twitch while exercising.
On the heart rate, I have these below. Will they work?
https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-TICKR-Monitor-Memory-Bluetooth/dp/B00O5Y4FXA
Ha, I had the same issue. I wanted to close my exercise ring with my jiu jitsu workouts. So, after trying various methods, I bought the Wahoo TICKR X strap (with onboard memory). Before the Wahoo X, I tried a cheap strap and found I couldn't effectively pair it with my phone (or watch) for the whole class. So, I switched to the Wahoo X and let it record my workout on its memory, then connected it to the Wahoo app afterwards.
The wahoo app can write to the Apple health app via your phone, which will auto update to your watch. Boom, problem solved.
https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-TICKR-Monitor-Memory-Bluetooth/dp/B00O5Y4FXA
I really enjoy this setup and have never had a partner notice it under my rashguard.,
Since you're getting a new Peloton Cycle, I'd recommend you get the Wahoo Tickr X hr monitor: amazon
I've got a Watch 4 and it has two issues, one, no HR on the screen, and two, it simply is nowhere near as accurate even in continuous monitoring mode. The most important aspect of the Tickr X is that it uses bluetooth low energy to talk to your phone, but also supports ANT+ for exercise equipment that needs that, so if you ever do some trips to the gym, etc. it will work with all scenarios. A cheaper ANT-only monitor won't be able to send HR data to your iPhone. Why is that important? Because it allows you to use the Peloton app with heart rate while traveling. Garbage hotel gym cycles are nowhere near as nice as a Peloton cycle, but when I'm traveling, I do classes on my phone and just try my best to adjust the bike's resistance the way the class wants, and I get accurate HR in the class history just like if I'd been on my real cycle. A side benefit to the bluetooth connectivity is if you're doing other types of workouts, you can map the Tickr sensor to other functions, like double tap to advance the music playing; I use that when outdoor cycling with my phone in my backpack but still tracking it as a workout. Finally, the Tickr X supports device-free workouts, so you can start a run, etc. outside and not carry your phone, then download after the fact.
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Now for a side gripe. The way the apple ecosystem works with the HR monitors, peloton cycle, watch, etc. is fairly obnoxious in general, but does work if you give everything the right permissions and possibly ability to run in the background. Other apps can push data to Apple Health, but will only close your activity rings if you put your watch on at some point that day. If anything messes up, there is no way to fix the data. For example, if I start a workout in the Wahoo app, but forget to stop it, I'll ultimately record a 12 or 24 hour workout once I go to do the next one and realize what happened. You can't edit down that data other than deleting one minute at a time for 12 hours, so I end up clearing the entire thing, and that workout is now gone. Once the app believes it has pushed the workout to apple health, you can't make it do it again. The Peloton app will push workouts to Apple health, but only for the duration of the class you took; so if you do a few minutes warmup before the real class, even the official minute lead-in, or you are chasing a PR at the end and do your cool down after the class has 'ended', that extra workout data gets missed from Apple health and doesn't contribute to your exercise minutes. For that reason I usually run the Wahoo app as an indoor cycle simultaneously, then between it and the Peloton app I almost always get my workouts recorded properly.
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Good luck!
Upcoming:
Wahoo BlueSC Cadence+Speed Sensor I like this one much better than the individual ones.
If you scroll through the Industrial and Scientific category, some deals on big packs of shop rags.
Good all day:
25% off Light and Motion Urban 900 and 350 lights
Some Gore Bike Wear - Under Men's Fashion, for some reason.
I have been using this one for a couple of months and have liked it. https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-Monitor-Workout-Tracker-Android/dp/B00O5Y4FXA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515724589&sr=8-2&keywords=wahoo+tickr