After years of using the ever reliable Rhythm+ 1.0, I went for the 2.0 version for two reasons – my 1.0’s band was fraying really badly and the aging 1.0’s battery life was not cutting it for rides longer than 8 hours. This will be a really quick review that can be summed up in a line: The 2.0 is very much like the 1.0 but better in two ways.
The Good
- Battery life boost. Twenty four hours. A 3x increase from 1.0’s eight hour span means I can get through the longest rides for the foreseeable future. I highly doubt I will be riding more than 24 hours in a single ride.
- Strap. The strap is no longer velcro based which means it is less likely to fray. It also means that wearing the band works slightly differently. Instead of 1.0’s velcro tightening mechanism, you now adjust the length prior and stretch it up your arm whenever you need to use it.
- All the good stuff from 1.0 remains. 2.0 is very accurate and has great connectivity. I see no difference from 1.0 because 1.0 was already such a strong performer.
The Bad
- All the bad stuff from 1.0 unfortunately remains. Universal button can get unresponsive some times. Charging the unit resolves the issue. And of, course a propriety charger is still required.
The Rhythm+ series is still my go to heart rate monitor. I have not used a chest strap for years. Highly recommended of course. I bought this off Amazon.
