Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I first purchased the CS200 and tried it for 3 weeks and upgraded to the CS400 [...].
So this review is somewhat a comparison of the two.
The biggest difference is that the CS400 records information every 5 seconds such as speed, cadence, HR, and altitude. While the CS200 only stores the trip information, max/min/avg speed, max/min/avg cadence ...
For HR monitoring the CS400's every 5 second recordation (this can be adjusted to every second, or to longer intervals) allows me to see visually how long I lasted at peak output as well as a visual graph of escalating HR in comparison to speed and cadence. The CS400 has 5 HR zones. The CS200, on the other hand, records the amount of time in 3 zones (above target zone, target zone, below target zone).
The CS200 only stores its limited amount of information for the last 7 rides. The CS400 stores up to 99 rides worth of information or 14 hours of information when recording every 5 seconds. I commute to and from work and often ride at lunch, so I was having to be sure to upload the information every 2 days or lose the data. With the CS400 i do not have to upload except every 14 hours of riding ( for me thats every other week or so).
The polar personal trainer 5 software that comes with the CS400 is far superior to the webtrainer that comes with the CS200. There are visual graphs, excellent calendering, and the information stays resident on the local computer instead of polar's servers (which makes the whole process slower).
Additionally, I found the IR method of transfering information from the cyclometer to the computer much better than the sonic system used by the CS200. After trial and error I found the "sweetspot" of angle and distance and settings to get the sonic system working - but I would say it was only successful 75% of the time, and then I would have to retry. (the sonic system passes information only in 1 direction cyclometer to computer, so if the computer misses the start of the transmission you have to restart). The CS400's IR method is 2-way so if the Computer misses the start of the transmission it sends a restart command to the cyclometer.
Installation of both products on the bicycle was exactly the same. In fact I left the sensors that came with the CS200 on my bike when I upgraded and only replaced the cyclometer.
There are many other differences, most did not matter at all to me.
I would note that I have not found the altimeter of the CS400 to be very accurate, for instance if you ride a loop you will find your start and stop points to have different altitudes even though it is the same spot. But it does allow you to see relatively that you were climbing or descending and track the correlative speed HR and cadence related to the ascent/descent.
I installed the Polar IR USB module and the polar personal trainer 5 on both XP and Vista computers with no problems.
So. In summary I found both products worked as advertised. But I found the features of the CS400 worth the extra expense.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Polar CS400 Cycling Heart Rate Monitor
Your titanium bike frame seems to have upgraded your competitive cycling attitude. The next step is increasing your training efficiency with the Polar CS400 Cycling Heart Rate Monitor. The CS400 measures incline and decline steepness in percentages and grades so you can realize that that seemingly Everest-sized hill at the end of your ride is actually just as big as the ones toward the beginning. Set limits on your heart rate so you know when you're pushing your limits and when you've recovered enough for the next interval. The CS400 measures current, average, and max speed, and you can prepare a detailed training program with the included Polar ProTrainer 5 software (for Windows). *Included bike mount, multifunctional handle bar / stem installation.Product Features
Housing Material:
Altimeter: yes
Altimeter Max Height:
Route Elevation Profile:
Barometer: no
Heart Rate Monitor: yes, Polar OwnZone guides you through individual excersise zone
Target Heart Rate Zone:
Training Program:
Fitness Test:
Chronograph: yes, automatic lap recording for up to 99 laps
Odometer:
Thermometer: yes
Digital Compass: no
Declination Type:
Adjustable Declination: no
Low Battery Indicator: yes
Computer Compatible: yes, transfer exercise data from unit to polarpersonaltrainer.com via Polar WebLink and Polar ProTrainer 5 software compatible
Water-Resistant: no, splash-proof
Backlight: yes
Alarms: 1 time with snooze, 3 HR-based target zones with visual and audible alarma
Alarm Type:
Battery Type:
Battery Life:
Face Size:
Strap Material:
Date Indicator:
Weekday Indicator:
Weight:
Recommended Use: training, cycling
Manufacturer Warranty: 2 years
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