Originally Posted by
Hermes
Both my wife and I have experienced odd high HR readings that were bogus. What I do is take my pulse either at the wrist or in the neck. I use a 5 second time and multiply by 12. I used to do this when running and I did not have any HR monitor. If your HR is really 180, you will know when you take your pulse. That is going to be 3 beat per second. You can tell that easily without a timer.
I would assume it is a glitch but easily verifiable.
Thing is, what we feel as our pulse is ventricular beats. "Bogus" would be equipment issues which can show numbers which had nothing to do with one's heart. Worrisome would be electrical activity which did not result in a ventricular beat such as A-fib, which can be dangerous. I never checked my wrist pulse when I have had ventricular tachycardia, so I don't know if that results in a noticeable pulse. That was also picked up by my HRM as it is also electrical activity and also dangerous. I've had vTach both when wired into a ECG and when viewing heart activity graphically on my phone. I've never had Afib but have ridden with friends during their Afib episodes.