fmt_biker

Hi:

I'm switching to a 'phablet' (sorry I hate that term too) either a Nexus 6 or Galaxy Note. None of my existing seat back bags can carry a phone this big, and I've been wanting to carry a 2nd tube anyway. I don't wear cycle jerseys for the most part, so carrying it on my body is not an option. What's everybody's favorite larger seat bag? I had one larger one made by Performance but found it was poorly made and swayed around too much.

LGHT

Have you looked at the frame bags that mount up front by the headset?

https://www.bikebagshop.com/bike-frame-bags-e-329.html



I have a small under seat bag and found that although it's great I just need more space if I'm going to pack tubes, c02, tools, phone, etc for longer rides. I also don't like stuff on my back so I was looking into something like that that would also allow me to mount my phone in eyes view.

jsigone

iduno if I'd want a $600 device taking the road abuse on the saddle bag. Maybe a small handlebar bag with some padding.

Podagrower

I've got the Topeak Aero wedge in large on my bike, medium on the wife's bike. The medium with either of those phones in it is going to be pretty full. They've been on various bikes for 2 seasons now, and don't show any wear.

On a completely unrelated note. My wife has the Note 4 and I have the Nexus 6, the Note is good, and if you need a stylus, there is no better device, but she covets my phone, and if she knew how to swap the sim cards I suspect I would wake up one morning to find my phone was no longer mine. I've had the Nexus 5 and 6 and am ruined by their "vanillaness"

dagray

I use a Geiger Rig 710 hydration pack when riding and the back pocket on that would fit your phone perfectly

Pamestique 

Check out a large BENTO BAG...

I have a Galaxy S5, fits well - I can also stow bars and keys...

TNi Bento Box - Bicycle Bento Box

Note I always place my phone in a baggie with a cleaning cloth wrapped around it to prevent wear...

fmt_biker

Thanks for the suggestions. I like the frame bag idea!

TrojanHorse

Those Bento Bags are typically not big enough for a MANLY PHONE! So people with old manly eyes can see the screen. Ha ha.

I had a Note 2 for 2 years, recently replaced it with a Nexus 6 and it goes in a ziploc bag in my center jersey pocket. Woo hoo! Love that thing. However, the width is a problem for frame sized bags.

Timberxx

Check out Jandd. Their stuff is top notch, the sale items are a good deal. They have frame packs and large wedges. I'm partial to handlebar bags.

RomansFiveEight

There are some pretty heavy duty cases out there that could easily survive a crash or even being flung from the bike at speeds. I knew a guy who dropped his iPhone in an "OtterBox" hard case. On the interstate. From his motorcycle. At 75mph. Thanks to the "Find my iPhone" app he found his phone; which a heavily scuffed OtterBox case but the phone inside unscathed!

TrojanHorse

The only drawback to an otterbox on an an already large phone is the resulting size is gargantuan.

RomansFiveEight

Fair enough.

One alternative is a bike specific mount and case. That's my plan. A bike 'mount' for my phone, which includes a heavy duty, waterproof case. I prefer my phone without a case, but I could mount it inside a heavier duty bike case when need be. Otherwise it'll go case-less in a Jersey pocket and become iPieces if I fall off. Of course, there are disadvantages to THAT; too. Namely, having this massive thing on your handlebars; and OP might already have a bike computer.

TrojanHorse

I typically go with one of the very slim cases and a screen protector, and into a ziploc it goes. If I crash and land on my back and it... well, I'll be very sad.

Do you have an iPhone 6 plus? Just bend it around the handlebars. sorry, couldn't resist. That's about the size of a nexus 6. They're almost more suited to use as a spoiler on a civic.

None of these large-screened phones have very admirable battery life if you have the screen on (i.e., as a bike computer). Whenever I forget my garmin and need to use strava on my phone, I just turn it on and put it in the back pocket - no info display. If I only had a phone and wanted a display while riding, I'd probably go get a cheap cateye or something and still use the phone for data collection. I think that would be pretty cost effective and still protect the phone to a suitable extent.

If you just want to put the phone in a bag and out of site, that JANDD large bag looks like it would work. Stem Bag Zippered Large w/MudFlap I have a smaller bento bag and I manage to hit my knees on it when i'm out of the saddle, so i'm not sure if an even larger one would be worse.

sstorkel

I've been riding with my iPhone 6, and before than an iPhone 5, in my saddle bag for ages without a problem. I use a thin case, so the back of the phone can't be scratched or dented by my multi-tool, and put the phone on top of all the other junk with the screen oriented up so that it can't be scratched. Suspended beneath the saddle, I'm not sure how the phone could get damaged unless you have a really bad crash. I've been knocked over by cars twice and my body took more of a beating than the phone did...

RomansFiveEight

No I have the "regular" iPhone 6. I'm not big on the phablet craze, personally.

P.S., consumer reports actually did some testing and measured the force it took to bend the iPhone 6 plus. And the force it took to bend/break other phablets. Turns out a couple others bend, most of them 'snapped' with less force than it took to bend the iPhone 6 (I have a theory that the bending was such a big deal because it was unexpected. If someone sat on and snapped their Nexus (the Nexus broke with the least amount of force IIRC), they'd just realize they were being a bonehead for putting their phone in a back pocket and sitting on it. Seriously. Who thinks that's a good idea?), and if I remember right only one other phone could take as much or more (I think it was the Samsung, naturally) force in order to bend. (And of course, Samsung, not to be outdone, also bends instead of snaps into pieces).

I've done some experimenting and with the iPhone at full brightness using GPS apps and it lasts for a couple of hours, which is enough for me at this stage. I'm brand new at this and probably not going to be out-riding my iPhone battery. I'm on the fence on whether I want to really splurge on a cycle computer; or get the Wahoo REFLEKT+ screen, and a HYPER Juice external battery pack (They are one of the few brands who reviewers are able to say actually live up to their battery life claims. Including models that'll expand battery life by 3, 5, or even 10x). For less than the price of a bike computer; I can have all-day iPhone+Wahoo Reflekt+ support. But it's still up in the air (for me) whether splurging a couple hundred more on a bike computer is worth it. (Especially because with, say a higher end Garmin, turn by turn and a color screen become available. I'd have to mount the phone to get navigation)

But to begin with, I'm not concerned with the iPhones battery life until I really start building endurance.

fmt_biker

So I went out to buy the thing (OP here ..) and found that jeez ... when you actually hold a Nexus 6, or note, ... the size is larger than I figured by looking at pix. I'm now on the fence if I want to go that big afterall. Plus they were sold out of the higher memory model of the N6 anyways. I don't want to turn this into a phone discussion, but I might just go back to semi-big and get a S5 active. I currently use a Nexus 4, and it's been fine ... it's just like a previous poster said ... my 40 something year old eyes are having a harder time seeing the thing. I've even pondered the idea of carrying a burner $10 phone with a $20 card in it and leave the smartphone at home, of course that means no/very difficult texting an basically no camera.

Bag wise, I like the idea of a frame bag no matter what phone I get ... I can switch it between my six bikes, and segregate the food/phone from the tools/tubes. I don't need handlebar mount ... I'm perfectly happy with the Garmin collecting data.

TrojanHorse

I was thinking more along the lines of a $30 bike computer just so you have speed & distance or even cadence, depending on what you want. Your phone can do as much data collection as you want from a bag. You can also get turn by turn navigation over a blue tooth headset if you like. Obviously there are tons of options. I was going to get my wife a RFLKT for her iPhone but decided to just get her a garmin 800... it was on sale. And now I don't have a nicer computer than her, not that she's outwardly sensitive to that sort of thing. Maybe.

I know, it's glorious, isn't it! I had to order mine direct from Motorola to get 64gb (and because vzw isn't offering it, the bums) I don't know how fussy you are about your phone but it may be an unpleasant shock going from AOSP vanilla android to Samsung's iteration of TouchWiz. I ripped touchwiz out of my Note 2 and put a custom rom on it because I hated it so much. YMMV, I'm fussier than most.

As for the size, it's surprising how fast you get used to it. The Droid Turbo (vzw only) might be up your alley too. It's 5.2" and has a monster battery. Moto X is now available in 64gb as well, but you might have to buy it from motorola to get it, so no subsidy.

Good luck with whichever direction you go, both of you. Or keep an eye out for a Garmin 500 on sale. I think I saw some for about $150 recently, which is a great deal.

jaxgtr

I just put my phone in a sandwich baggie and put in one of my jersey pockets.

TrojanHorse

OK, this is sort of relevant in the bike computer vs phone computer discussion, but Excel Sports in Colorado has Garmin Edge 500 bike computers on sale for $159

Garmin Edge 500 GPS Computer - Computers & GPS Head Units - Excel Sports

I'm sure that isn't the kit with the HR monitor and the speed / cadence sensor but those can be added.

jaxgtr

That is a great price...even if you have to pick up the cadence monitor separate. The HR strap I believe always come stock with the them.