Gear of the week

The latest kit, ridden and rated by our experts

Garmin HRM - FIT £139.99

Garmin's HRM-FIT is a women-specific 13in heart rate monitor featuring a neverbefore-seen backless chest strap with buckles that clip onto the front side of a sports bra's elastic chest band. It aims to solve the issue of 'hot spots' and chafing that can occur when wearing a regular heart rate monitor with a sports bra.

Overall it was simple to put on and connect before heading out the door. It's Bluetooth and ANT+ enabled, meaning you can connect it to a variety of smart devices.

I did have some minor trouble getting the two electrode pads to lay flat on either side of the centred sensor. The fix was a matter of pressing the strap down to be flush with my skin and then securing the buckles one by one. I was immediately impressed with how secure the buckles felt.

After I began my ride I promptly forgot I was wearing the HRM-FIT, which should tell you all you need to know about how comfortable it is. It was lovely to not feel the itchiness of a sweaty HRM strap across my back as I moved from an aero position to the bar extensions and back.

There was no detectable movement on my chest during my three-hour outdoor ride and true to its promise, I suffered no chafing despite the chilly, dry conditions outside. I had a similar experience indoors on the trainer.

On both rides, the readings appeared accurate based on my rate of perceived exertion (RPE), terrain and prescribed interval.

However, it's not perfect. The buckles make it quite bulky and the centre buckle, where the actual heart rate sensor is located, collected a good amount of sweat during the ride due to its plastic cover.

Kristen Jenny www.garmin.com