Polar, a brand synonymous with heart rate monitors, has unveiled it’s most tech packed watch yet, the new RCX5.

Designed to make it easier to chart your speed and level of workout whether on the bike or taking part in a range of other sports, the RCX5 packs the biggest and clearest screen yet seen on a Polar watch, with a tough aluminium frame making it durable for the odd tumble.

Some of the features, and we’re only going to scratch the surface here, include ZoneOptimizer which adjusts your personal heart rate for every ride based on your current condition taking into account factors such as tiredness, hydration and fatigue.

“The RCX5 keeps up with you in the water, on the saddle, on your run, and online”, said Joona Laukka, Cycling, Running & Multisport Segment Manager for Polar Electro Oy. “A true multisport product, it features Sport Profiles which give you sport-specific training data and automatically recognize compatible sensors when you switch sport profiles. What’s more, everything is packed into a slim functional design with sporty looks.”

The G5 GPS unit has an 18-hour battery life and can be worn on an armband or stowed safely inside your hydration pack. A newly designed Wearlink Hybrid chest strap takes advantage of W.I.N.D. technology which eliminates electrical power line and transformer interference that can wreak havoc with the data on most heart rate monitors, especially when running or cycling.

The Training Load feature can now be seen as a graph, showing your cumulative training load in color coding. The easy-to-understand graph tells you when you will have recovered enough for your next session and accurately predicts how your cumulative training load will develop based on your training plan. This will prevent you from over training and enable you to tailor your training sessions accordingly.

The RCX5 will be available in two colors, the smart black and the striking red, and in four different product sets with different sensors. The basic set includes the RCX5 training computer, the WearLink®+ Hybrid transmitter, the DataLink data transfer unit, and a Getting Started Guide.

The RCX5 is available now and costs £297.50 with an optional cadence sensor costing £45.75. Find out more at www.polaruk.co.uk