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Android & iPhone?

Old 08-13-12, 05:03 PM
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Android & iPhone?

Ok so currently I have an iPhone 4 and have been looking at sensors and mounts that let me use the phone as if it were a bike computer. But seeing as my contract is coming to an end soon I will be looking to get a new phone. I've been attracted towards getting the Samsung Galaxy S3 due to its large screen and inovations but haven't been able to find much in the way of bike sensors to accompany the phone on my rides. So unless iPhone step up their game and release a bigger phone and a nicer OS i'll be moving to Android. Does anyone know of any sensors, mounts and decent cycling/mountain biking apps for Android, more specifically to fit the S3?
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Old 08-21-12, 05:57 AM
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i use a galaxy s2 and love it. as far as the s3... since it just came out its gonna take some time for mounts and everything else to catch up with it. i would put in handle bar bag or make your own mount till one comes on the market
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Old 08-21-12, 06:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Phobia87
I've been attracted towards getting the Samsung Galaxy S3 due to its large screen and inovations but haven't been able to find much in the way of bike sensors to accompany the phone on my rides.
How many sensors do you need?

Check out Wahoo fitness for a bluetooth cadence and wheel speed transmitter.

Some phones can use ANT+ transmitters.

Last edited by njkayaker; 08-21-12 at 07:14 AM.
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Old 08-22-12, 10:38 AM
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Its speed and cadence I was thinking of, but maybe i'm wanting to over gizmotize everything and the apps would be enough. Another thing that bugs me a little is that the android cycling apps don't look as good as the iphone ones. Any suggestions on apps to check out?
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Old 08-26-12, 04:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Phobia87
Its speed and cadence I was thinking of, but maybe i'm wanting to over gizmotize everything and the apps would be enough. Another thing that bugs me a little is that the android cycling apps don't look as good as the iphone ones. Any suggestions on apps to check out?
There are also blue tooth heart monitors too. Power might be hard (could be ANT+ only at the moment).

This site might be useful for information about apps.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/
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Old 08-26-12, 04:52 PM
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I took my S3 out today for the first time. I was only out for an hour and 15 minutes but I left WiFi hunt on, I had the GPS on and was running My Tracks and I listened to music. I lost 11% battery like which was better than expected.
There are multiple holders that claim to hold the S3 well but I'm waiting for somebody to tell me they've discovered to ultimate holder before I make the leap.
I'm a casual cyclist but an avid backpacker. I haven't given much thought to cadence or heart monitors but I've downloaded many GPS apps and all of them give you speed and and elevation and chart them. They all give accumulated ascent as well. These and an odometer are all I require.
Like I was saying, I'm just a casual (I'm serious about my casual tho) bike rider. I have a great national recreation trail right by me so I can't stand to leave the house without a camera. I'm hoping like heck this S3 will make-do for music, (very not crowded trail in remote area...paved and striped) camera, video, trip computer and GPS.
I think I'm just going to toss $16 out to Amazon and pick a mount to experiment with.
BTW, I've been using a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx for many rides now.
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Old 09-20-12, 09:25 PM
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Here is my ultimate holder setup.

Get a hybrid case around $5-$10

Get an Arkon Mobile Clamp

Get a Camera mount.

that is the setup I use for my S2 (I will get picture tomorrow)

Here is a case for your S3 $7 shipped
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rugged-Hybri...item564cab9ac8

I won't use any other case if I can help it. I have "tested" this case and it really works. Was taking pictures of a wasp nest in my gas tank cap cover. normally bee's ignore you as long as you don't frak with them. NOT THE CASE for wasps. at about 12 inches 5 or 6 of the 11 wasps broke off as a little squadron to investigate and teach me the error of my ways.

when I felt the wind from their winds I whipped my arm away and away went the phone 15 feet through the air into the street. Not a scratch. LOVE these cases (and they look good too)

For the mount. THIS is expensive but I have found nothing else I will trust short of building it myself.

arkon has this https://www.arkon.com/accessories/sma...era-stand.html

its about $25 shipped IIRC yeah its expensive but its NICE. stock it won't fit the S2/S3 in that hybrid case. look on the back at the spring REMOVE the spring. it will now open further. get one of those fabric elastic scrunchie band things for your hair. use that around the outside to compress the clip (I will take pictures tomorrow) EXTREMELY secure. I don't care how you ride it aint moving.

the one flaw is the ball joint losses tightness (a pity considering the price they command for it) I just slap a bit of electrical tape before popping it on.

and lastly is the mount. ditch the tripod (you could tape it to the handle bars like I did till my proper mount comes in)

two options

you can get these around $4 a pop (I did not look deep I got 2 for $6)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bicycle-Bike...item4154f0b7fb

Or something nicer

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Bicycle...item3f1c82e4b3

for just a couple dollars more (it splits in 2 so you can mount either a flash light or split off the extra and its a camera mount)

I have 2 of the plastic ones coming in the mail and one of the blue aluminum ones I scored for $9

that is how I would suggest mounting your S3 that IS how I am mounting my S2
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Old 09-20-12, 09:27 PM
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BTW I would be forever in your debt if anyone can find a clamp like the arkon one on ebay for cheaper. I LOVE the clamp but it irkes me paying $25 for it especially when I KNOW its 50cents in chinese plastic.
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Old 02-20-13, 01:16 PM
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I have the TMobile S2 and there are next to no case options for a bike. Can you post a pic of your setup please?

Originally Posted by nerys
Here is my ultimate holder setup.

Get a hybrid case around $5-$10

Get an Arkon Mobile Clamp

Get a Camera mount.

that is the setup I use for my S2 (I will get picture tomorrow)

Here is a case for your S3 $7 shipped
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rugged-Hybri...item564cab9ac8

I won't use any other case if I can help it. I have "tested" this case and it really works. Was taking pictures of a wasp nest in my gas tank cap cover. normally bee's ignore you as long as you don't frak with them. NOT THE CASE for wasps. at about 12 inches 5 or 6 of the 11 wasps broke off as a little squadron to investigate and teach me the error of my ways.

when I felt the wind from their winds I whipped my arm away and away went the phone 15 feet through the air into the street. Not a scratch. LOVE these cases (and they look good too)

For the mount. THIS is expensive but I have found nothing else I will trust short of building it myself.

arkon has this https://www.arkon.com/accessories/sma...era-stand.html

its about $25 shipped IIRC yeah its expensive but its NICE. stock it won't fit the S2/S3 in that hybrid case. look on the back at the spring REMOVE the spring. it will now open further. get one of those fabric elastic scrunchie band things for your hair. use that around the outside to compress the clip (I will take pictures tomorrow) EXTREMELY secure. I don't care how you ride it aint moving.

the one flaw is the ball joint losses tightness (a pity considering the price they command for it) I just slap a bit of electrical tape before popping it on.

and lastly is the mount. ditch the tripod (you could tape it to the handle bars like I did till my proper mount comes in)

two options

you can get these around $4 a pop (I did not look deep I got 2 for $6)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bicycle-Bike...item4154f0b7fb

Or something nicer

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bike-Bicycle...item3f1c82e4b3

for just a couple dollars more (it splits in 2 so you can mount either a flash light or split off the extra and its a camera mount)

I have 2 of the plastic ones coming in the mail and one of the blue aluminum ones I scored for $9

that is how I would suggest mounting your S3 that IS how I am mounting my S2
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Old 02-26-13, 05:32 PM
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I have an S3 and I picked up an OtterBox Defender Series on Amazon to mount on my bike for about $25. It comes with a belt clip built in and I used 2 zip ties to mount it onto the stem. Super tough case that fits the phone perfectly while allowing full access to all control buttons on the phone. Its pretty easy to un-click the phone from the case when needed.

I use the phone to run Endomondo Pro for tracking heart rate, route, average speed, elevation and riding time plus mapping where I ride to and auto archives this for future review. I also run Rhapsody for music when riding alone. I have a CatEye mounted on the handlebar for speed and cadence. The only 2 issues I've run into are when playing music, the CatEye will stop working and on chip sealed roads (very common here in Southern Oregon), there is a little rattle under the case. I moved the CatEye a little to hopefully stop the interference but have yet to test it and I just need to add a little piece of inner tube under the case to stop the vibration.

Overall I think its a pretty good setup and has all the gizmo's I could imagine I would ever need or want when riding. Now I just need to find a low cost way to supply enough power for a 7 day ride this summer with no power supply for the week to recharge.
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Old 03-10-13, 11:08 AM
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As much as I'd love all the sensors and gps to go into the phone's app; you end up having to make your entire choice of phones revolve around those sensor requirements to get close. So after some thought, I decided that for me, it was more important to have the phone&map parts on the phone, and the speed/cadence/hr & track recording on a separate device. So I have a Note II, and a Garmin Edge 500; they look like this on the bike:



The mount for the Note II is a R-A-M deal built for the Note II in an otterbox defender case. I have the same cradles in my truck and at my desk so it feels nice and seamless.

Power wise, they'll both run all day on their battery, so I don't feed them power underway. If I were doing an overnight, I could charge them off the 7ah 12v rechargeable battery that I run my lights off of.
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