Why The Polar Vantage V Should be Your Next Cyclometer

Shop for a Polar Vantage V HERE: https://shrsl.com/2fvbh

Training and tracking your fitness in 2020 is way different than it was when I got that first HR monitor over 30 years ago. I’m reminded of the anecdote about there being more computing power in ONE iPhone than there was in the ENTIRETY of the US space program in the 60’s. And every time I put on the polar Vantage V, which is every day now, I’m reminded of how far technology has come in such a short time.

If you’ve been running or riding as long as I have, then your first heart rate monitor was a Polar. That’s an indisputable fact, because they were ubiquitous - I don’t even REMEMBER any other brands. Because of that, the name Polar, in my mind, has become synonymous with training data, and aside from a coach - the Vantage V is the single most comprehensive training aid I’ve ever used. Full stop. But…it DOES has a bit of an identity crisis goin on. More on that later.

If you’re looking at picking up anything from the Vantage line, then I’m gonna assume that you’re laser focused on numbers, data, and making the most of MOST of every minute of your training and recovery. And this’ll help you do that, at an INSANELY granular level. And...listen, going into the technical weeds isn’t really my thing anymore - if you want a super deep dive then there are other more exhaustive reviews out there. I’m also a single-sport athlete, so the focus for this review will be on how the Vantage V functions as a training aid for cycling, and what it’s like to live with it as an everyday timepiece and smartwatch.

So, as a cyclometer my benchmark is the Wahoo Bolt, which is one of the most intuitive and easy to use computers on the market. It’s simple, it’s monochrome, and it just flat out works. And because it’s all those things, it’s spoiled me from a user experience standpoint. I want to be able to pull something out of the box, download the app, throw out the instructions and rocknroll. And for being as complex and robust as it is, I was able to do basically that with the Vantage. I think all I used the manual for was to figure out which button did what.

My first order of business after that, of course, was connecting to my Strava account because the Vantage tracks Live Segments. That was as easy as opening the app, tapping on General Settings, and flipping the Strava switch. On the bike, I had solid accuracy with live segment activation, but there were a few local segments that would mysteriously drop from tracking for some reason, which i think was tied to the recent changes in Strava premium’s entitlements because it miraculously fixed itself once my subscription and firmware got updated.

And when I got home, uploading the ride to Strava was as easy as holding down the button at 8 oclock for a few seconds, opening the Polar Flow app, then pressing it again to sync. When I compared the ride data to what my Wahoo had collected, every metric was nearly identical from speed to mileage to power to altitude. And as an added bonus, it only used about a quarter as much battery life to record the same ride - so this will definitely be my go-to for extra long days in the saddle.

Now let’s talk about 5 things I really love about the Vantage V. The first is band - oh my goodness. It’s so comfy, and gives you near infinite adjustment. And that’s nice because the second thing I love is the sleep tracking feature, which would be unusable if the band wasn’t this velvety.

The third thing that blew me away was the battery life - I could go about 5 days between charges, and that typically included 6 or so hours of riding. And again - that makes it a go-to choice if I ever decide I need to do something crazy like Everesting.

#4 on my list of favorite things is the built in core, supportive, and cardio workouts. It’s like having a personal trainer and zen master right on your wrist, and for a bike geek like me it made it really easy to cross train in tolerable 20 to 40 minute sessions.

And this may seem silly, but this was my first smartwatch...so the 5th thing I love is that it mirrors the notifications I’ve got set up on my phone, including apps like Slack and Ring. My Wahoo didn’t support those kinds of notifications, and I also don’t wear my wahoo on my wrist….so, it was nice to be able to keep up with those apps without having to carry my phone around the house all day.

And a bonus thing - thing number six - is this: since the Vantage is a full-blown cyclometer, I don’t have to put ANYTHING on my handlebars, which makes for a super-clean, minimal, almost analog-looking cockpit. It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve ridden without a stem or bar mounted head unit, and it’s refreshing to look down and see nothing but the bike.