Mountain Biking - Mountain biking and cell phones (specifically razr & slvr)

Im not sure if this is the right section but im pretty sure mountain bikers bail alot more than road cyclists. Im looking for a new phone and i really like the slvr and razr from motorola but im not sure if they can handle being in the back of my camelpack when i bail. Right now i have my 2 year old beefy phone that has stood up to hundreds of falls being in that position. Can any of the new phones handle that same kind of abuse?

Have you thought about a hard case.. such as an old gift box or sunglass case?

I roll with a razor and took a pretty hard slam last week. I landed right on it (in my pack) First thing I thought was, I bet I just snuffed my phone, but it was ok in its foam lined hard case. I have destroyed expensive digital watches in the past from vibration (I ride a rigid fork hard tail a lot of the time).
I bought a hinged aluminum case that’s aprox 4.25"x3.12"x1" and lined it with sample pieces of foam from that space mattress company. So far so good except it wont receive calls from inside the shell.

my freind beats the crap out of his blade (its springs imitation of a razor)

i have not come across someone that abuses their razor so i cant talk about that one.

eh, I've seen MANY broken razrs in the past few months. I wouldn't go for one...

I ride with one, fallen on it with it in my pocket, and its fine.

I thought it was delecate at first, but i havent found that to be the case 6 months later.

I just got a razr and am not super impressed with it's durability. I dropped it from a few feet up and it stopped working. Took out the battery, put it back in a few times and it started working again. This past week, it just started shutting off for no reason. Charged it one time and it said there was an invalid battery. Again, removed and replaced the battery. It's worked fine for a few days straight, so hopefully it's a done deal. The battery cover still doesn't fit all that well, though. Love the phone, but I'd consider a hard case, maybe the smallest Pelican case and put it in your camelback.

I've had a Razr for several months and taken a few tumbles with it in my pack, square on the back. So far, not a single scratch. The phone rocks. If I ride with someone, I leave it in the car. When alone, I've taken to to wrapping it in something or putting it in an old rigid glasses case. Works just fine.

Alot of my friends have Nextels phones...I'm not sure which model it is, but they're built like freakin tanks. I'll probably get one of those as soon as I can get out of Verizon's contract.

EDIT: This parts a little off topic, but does anyone know what that sight is that lets you put your phone contract up for trade for someone else's (or something like that)

I wouldn't recommend either the razr nor the slvr in terms of durability. I work at a Motorola Repair Centre, and it's definitely one of the more fragile phones out there. For cosmetic/aesthetic purposes, I can see why you would be inclined to purchase those phones (they're slim, light, and have a great LCD), but they're definitely one of the more fragile phones out there by Motorola.

I'm unsure of which service provider you're on (or hoping to go on), if you're in the Rogers Network area, you may want to look into something along the lines of the E1 Rokr, or the V551. If you're hoping to go onto another service provider other than Rogers, then I wouldn't be able to help you with further advice since I don't know which models they carry. Good luck!

i've had a razr since december... it can take mild abuse but as soon as I drop it on the floor, even in its included soft case... the screen goes blank and it basically crashes. i have to take out the battery and stick it back in.

otherwise, i always use the belt clip and soft case with it when i'm biking, in case i'm injured seriously enough to not be able to get to my backpack... (hopefully won't happen) but it might leave a belt-clip sized bruise on my hip when i fall on it...

but scratch-wise... the thing has an anodized coating like the ipod mini, and the lcd on the lid is actually made of glass... and i have basically no scratches on it - i slide it across the floor (which usually has sand on it) to show people it doesn't scratch.

it can take mild abuse but as soon as I drop it on the floor, even in its included soft case... the screen goes blank and it basically crashes. i have to take out the battery and stick it back in.


Mine does the same thing. However, other than that overall I just don't like the phone. If there is any wind or background noise at all I can't even hear on the thing. There is just one little sweet spot that you can put the ear speaker that actually lets you hear. On top of that if the phone is in my pocket I can very rarely even hear it ring. Overall it has to be my least favorite phone I have owned in my 14 years of owning cell phones. I just don't think it is worth the money.

Oh yeah, forget being able to see the display when you are in bright sunlight.

Oh yeah, does the phone cause anyone else's speakers (computer, alarm clock, etc) to make static noises every few minutes?

This is the beauty of GSM. I think my SIM chip out of my Razr and slip it into one of my old beater phones like an old Nokia or Siemens. Even if I trash one of those phones all I have to do is take the SIM chip out and put it back into my good phone.

Oh yeah, does the phone cause anyone else's speakers (computer, alarm clock, etc) to make static noises every few minutes?

Ohh yeahh , it makes this noise with the computer and the television and the Xbox too ... I hate it I am scared when it happen.. MAybe everything will explode !!

There are two static noises you may experience: (1) the static noise built within the v3 - it's an inteference from within the speaker kit and elastomer which causes a buzzing noise in the earpiece. It's more prominent in some v3s over others, but unfortunately it's an innate problem of the phone. The most common response I get from customers is that it sounds like a "tea kettle" going off in the background, and (2) static noise produced in other speakers (computer speakers, car speakers, etc) is a feedback noise in your v3 retrieving its network connection, which occurs every 5-10 minutes. Very normal. And it gets particularly loud when you receive or make any incoming connections (whether it be text messages or phone calls).

SLVR here, it's been bashed around pretty good and still tickin'

My biggest gripes about my razr is that it is hard to dial and very hard to read in daylight. The ringer always turns off when I put it in my pocket. I Like the sound quality and the size. It has taken several hits so far.

Mine does the same thing. However, other than that overall I just don't like the phone. If there is any wind or background noise at all I can't even hear on the thing. There is just one little sweet spot that you can put the ear speaker that actually lets you hear. On top of that if the phone is in my pocket I can very rarely even hear it ring. Overall it has to be my least favorite phone I have owned in my 14 years of owning cell phones. I just don't think it is worth the money.

Oh yeah, forget being able to see the display when you are in bright sunlight.

Oh yeah, does the phone cause anyone else's speakers (computer, alarm clock, etc) to make static noises every few minutes?

Yeah but its flat. That negates all those minor negative points (minor to me atleast) i dislike (no issue with static though).

If they made a phone with no features at all, but it was flat....i'd buy it for that reason alone.

the razr and slvr are garbage if you are looking for that 'iron horse' phone. get a nice hard aluminum case if you are planning on dropping this. both those phones have a high probability of messing up after even the smallest of drops. I speak from experience.

you know those free nokia phones that cingular gives out. no camera, no bluetooth, $30 with no contract. i bought one of those and take it with me when im cycling, kayaking, climbing, snowboarding, etc etc. they are standard issue for my ski patrol team too.

My wife and I both have some Razr phones we bought back in February. I am not impressed with them. My wife doesn't care and she is always super careful with hers and I try to be too. I've dropped mine a couple of times and now when somebody is talking to me, they are constantly cutting out and what not. It is also VERY hard to hear anybody on the phone. The speaker simply isn't loud enough. I noticed this the day I bought the thing. My old Samsung phone would blow your eardrums out. Also, I have also noticed the crazy noises it makes when close to your computer speakers or car stereo. I always know when somebody is calling me before the phone even rings. I DO like that the phone is nice and slim and I don't notice it in my pocket like I did with other phones. When I have a chance to upgrade phones, I think I'll get something that can take a beating and something that I can HEAR. Matt

KC10 - I agree, my slvr internal speaker is wimpy too. I work in a control room with dozens of computer systems and most of them have speakers. My phone is not the only one that does the little "deet-deet deetly-deet" thing as you can hear these sounds going off all around the room whenever anyone leaves their cell phone close to a set of speakers.

Just buy a normal flip phone if you are worried about it breaking. Razrs and a waste of money. Phones are meant to push buttons and then you can talk to someone.

best case you can buy for your phone, waterproof and smashproof: http://www.pelican.com/case_category.php?CaseSize=%&New=%

While I have some complaints about my Razor and have read the other rags. It is still the best cell phone I have owned. I like the sound quality if that counts for anything, and the voice dial is better than my Samsung by a long shot....this could come in handy if you are lying in a ditch paralysed!!

Its flat.

I don't have a cell phone.........I hate em'.....:D

Go $30 cell phones, who cares if they break? :D

http://www.otterbox.com

All you need is the Nokia 3220b....rugged, and made for outdoors. Not to mention is way more reliable than anything Motorola can muster...

There are folding cell phones?

Okay, since this is still going, I'll add my 2 cents. I've had a razr for well over a year now. I've not landed on it while at a trail but I've dropped it quite a few times, on pavement even.

The first time was the scariest as it was realitively new and one of those situations where I hit it about 3-4 times as it was falling with the last time sending flying towards the ground. Next thing that happens, it hits the ground and appears to shatter. After picking up the pieces, I discover the battery cover came off, battery popped out, and there were a couple of scratches on the bottom of the phone. I reassembled everything and no problems.

When I got the phone the "sales person" told me not to use my shoulder to hold phone against my ear otherwise it'd break- what a moron!

Anyway, the only problem I've had with it from mountain biking is when I forgot to take it out of my pocket after riding and the shorts went immediately into the wash. I tried to let it dry out overnight but that wasn't long enough. I lost the up key on the circle and the menu key, otherwise I got a clean phone outta the deal. ;)

So my opinion, they're much more durable than people give them credit for. Of course, as far as robustness, the Nextel type phones are bullet proof. Of course, you're giving up any sort of style for a large well encased hunk of a phone.

I my mp3 and cell phone have hit the pavement quite a few times. They are tough little bougers.

I wouldn't get a Razr I am not at all impressed with its durability. My freind snapped one in half just dropping it about 2 feet.

Razors suck. Every single person I know whose had one (6 or 7 people appx) has had it break somehow at some point and had to be replaced. Those phones are a joke.

All the NON-FLIP phones that Nokia makes are bomb-proof. Here is my current one, small and reliable, and cost about $50 6 months ago:

http://www.nokiausa.com/images/phn/3120-center-top-zoom.jpg

http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/3120/

Again, I work at a Motorola Repair Centre in Canada. Yes, we see every single model come in for repairs for various problems (whether it be innate defects within the phone or physical damage done to it), and V3's are without question the most frequent unit we get in for repairs. They're not durable. They're not meant to be durable. Oh, and if you crack the internal LCD display, you're looking at $200 CAD just to fix that.

Again, I work at a Motorola Repair Centre in Canada. Yes, we see every single model come in for repairs for various problems (whether it be innate defects within the phone or physical damage done to it), and V3's are without question the most frequent unit we get in for repairs. They're not durable. They're not meant to be durable. Oh, and if you crack the internal LCD display, you're looking at $200 CAD just to fix that.


Ouch, one of my biking buddy's cracked his razr's internal screen:eek:

I do know that Motorola has two versions of the V3 Razr (not counting variants like the V3i, C, or otherwise)...the newer variant is actually a cheaper phone, meant for mainstream marketing. Easy way to tell which one you have, look at the slot under the motorola logo near the "outer LCD"...if it's quite curved, it's a 1st gen, if it's pretty straight, it's a 2nd gen.

There is not much info in the mod community about how durable the 2nd gen is, but it is running a newer version of firmware, and some other nice things to offset the cosmetic changes they did. Mostly they cheapeed the build...I think they went to generic metal for the body instead of titanium, etc.