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After a good bit of thought and having watched many youtube reviews I have decided not to get a dedicated bike computer and just use my phone instead. I did buy a Quad Lock some time ago but have decided not to use it as I don't want a big plastic nodule permanently stuck to the back of my mobile. So it appears a bike mount with some type of waterproof case is what I need, and was wondering what do people use and what STW would recommend? I have a Sony phone, and would consider soft or hard cases.
Thanks for any advice.
Seth did a video on this the other day
Just buy another case for your phone and attach the quad lock knob to that? Switch cases when going out on bike?
I've got a QuadLock, and keep the case on the phone all the time. It's maybe 3-4mm thicker than any other case, and only for a small section in the middle. It's super secure on the bike too - I think it's brilliant.
Is your case like the one in this link?
https://bikerumor.com/2017/11/16/quad-lock-new-iphone-x-bar/
Nick
+1 for Quad Lock with the thingy stuck to a removable phone cover.
They're ace.APF
Just out of interest why did you decide not to go with a dedicated unit? Crashing with a GPS unit on the bars is worrying enough, let alone an expensive phone which is going to be even more in harms way!
My phone costs less than a GPS!
Fair point, but I still think it will be more susceptible to damage, and the consequences could be worse - at least if you damage your GPS in a crash you should still have a working phone to call for help!
I reckon these are one of the daftest ideas available, but clearly I'm in a minority - leaves an expensive (and large) object exposed to any crash damage or low hanging material; drains your phone battery whilst using it for whatever it is being used for and seems complete overkill when there are dedicated smaller units (a large number cost a lot of cash admittedly).
Saying that though - Although your phone may be rated for water and dust proofing, mud is probably not something that the phone should spend too much time in, so whichever one yu go for, get as much coverage of the device as possible. That way, the phone stays protected from the mank as much as possible.
I went with a second case and a stick on garmin quarter turn mount. Then you can use any of myriad of garmin compatible mounts. I only really use it for Zwift as I do have a garmin. But I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, seems pretty sturdy to me. I bought a rubber band one like Seth reviewed and it wasn’t even up to indoor cycling.
Amazon link
+1 for I wouldn’t really want the phone in harms way though.
I use a 'lifeproof' case for my iPhone, with Quad-lock mount stuck to the back of that. When i need to have my phone 'on-bike' i just swap sase. Takes 2 mins
My riding headphones are bluetooth anyway.
Just buy another case for your phone and attach the quad lock knob to that? Switch cases when going out on bike?
This is what I used to do but with a garmin mount stuck to the back of it.
I've got a MTB with a rigid fork so about as vibey as it can get and I use Quad Lock on an Samsung S10e. Holds firm even on fast, washboardy type surfaces. They're the strongest mounts in my opinion although SP Connects' might not be far off. The Garmin mounts are not suitable for phones. They have less contact area than a Quad Lock and as they only have two plastic locks at which the phone is held on the weight of my old phone, a Sony Z3 compact, broke one when riding over a pot hole. Only reason it didn't hit the ground at high speed is that it was tethered via a charging cable.
Get the Quad Lock universal mount and stick it on the back of a robust case, LifeProof or similar. For an MTB get the plastic mount, it's made from a composite so still very strong, and mount it so the twist lock is over the stem, so in reverse. That way the phone doesn't stick out the front of the bars and, if your stem is long enough, your knees won't touch it either. My stem's about 10cm from memory and the phone looks pretty flush. The downside is if you stand the bike upside down to fix a tyre, or it lands that way in a crash then yes the phone will be a point of contact with the ground and likely to break, but then so too would a Garmin.
The navigation software on a phone can be far better than a Garmin which is one of the reasons I prefer phones there. The one time I actually broke a phone in a crash was when it was in my pocket.
Another point...if you have a phone with optical zoom then I wouldn't suggest mounting it to the bars. My new phone doesn't have this but a lot of phones do nowadays. It's a moving part within your phone and so will be prone to damage from excessive vibrations. These phones should go in a back pocket or check out SP Connects mounting system. They have an anti vibration mount which I looked at. It's pretty good. The mount floats on a sort of flexible, rubberised cushion.
I reckon these are one of the daftest ideas available, but clearly I’m in a minority – leaves an expensive (and large) object exposed to any crash damage or low hanging material; drains your phone battery whilst using it for whatever it is being used for and seems complete overkill when there are dedicated smaller units (a large number cost a lot of cash admittedly).
OTOH, I use an older, cheaper phone specifically for navigation - currently a Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, £50 off eBay. Way cheaper than a Garmin, more reliable given how many posts I see about Garmins going wrong, big touchscreen with full colour OS maps, battery lasts way longer when used sensibly, bonus camera, and is a backup in case anything goes wrong with my main phone which is safely in my bag/pocket*
As ever, YMMV.
*Apart from the other week when I left it in my pocket without a waterproof case and the rain killed it. You can't design out stupid. (But obviously I could have taken the SIM card out and used it in my navigation device if necessary.)
Unsure battery does last longer though - I charge my Garmin watch fortnightly; I charge my daughter's Garmin 520 every 4 weeks...I charge my phone every 2 days and my daughter's is charged daily. Even if used for navigation stuff alone, a dedicated device will last much longer than a mobile phone will (mobile phone's screen the real battery killer for it).
However, you are right, each to their own and what works for one doesn't always mean it works for all.