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silicone smartphone mount for bicycle handlebars

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Old 03-31-17 | 07:10 AM
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silicone smartphone mount for bicycle handlebars

saw a FB video this morning. can't find it on you tube, but did find this video. looks interesting. not sure I would trust it with something so expensive.

Finn - The mount for every smartphone and bike

https://www.amazon.com/Finn-Universa.../dp/B00YFG1U40


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Old 03-31-17 | 07:43 AM
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I did a 125 mile ride recently to my mother-in-law's farm in Wisconsin, much of the ride was on gravel trails. I had purchased a cheapo phone holder from amazon. The principle of the holder was solid, the execution poor. The phone bounced off the holder a couple of times in spite of my efforts to adjust and amend. Finally I stopped at a shop and got some tape and taped it down.

Phone was ok, but worrying about it and fussing with it impacted my enjoyment of the ride. It was a real pita -
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Old 03-31-17 | 07:58 AM
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I use a Vibrelli Bike phone mount and it performs wonderfully.
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Old 03-31-17 | 10:27 AM
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Great phone mount the Vibrelli, I used it on my hybrid. Unfortunately, the maximum handlebar diameter it can accommodate, will not fit the tape padded handlebar of my Randonee.

If anyone has suggestions, I'd appreciate them.
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Old 03-31-17 | 12:56 PM
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The Finn looks like it might be OK. The Vibrelli doesn't look good to me but one person's treasure is another person's junk. I've had BAD experiences with lots of handlebar mounts. I finally got a Quad Lock mount and case. I should have gotten them sooner. Very solid, very easy on and off. Once I lock the phone onto the mount, I have total confidence. No silicone bands to stretch, which is good for me, because I find stretching things to be annoying. My mount goes on with a 3mm allen key and stays put, and I'm very happy with that.

I have a mount-anywhere Quad Lock mount also, and I'm trying to figure out how to mount it on the dashboard of my wife's car. I want the vertical and horizontal angles to be driver-adjustable.
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Old 03-31-17 | 01:58 PM
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Originally Posted by fett2oo5
i use a vibrelli bike phone mount and it performs wonderfully.
+1
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Old 03-31-17 | 04:18 PM
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Nite Ize....Handleband - Universal Smartphone Bar Mount
works with any phone or device of reasonable size. fits any handlebars. mine is 2 years old and going strong.
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Old 03-31-17 | 06:17 PM
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I also have Nite Ize for my Iphone 6 (with lifeproof battery case). I have it on my 2 road bikes and cross bike. I don't think I would trust int on my MTB.
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Old 03-31-17 | 07:17 PM
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Originally Posted by lenny866
I also have Nite Ize for my Iphone 6 (with lifeproof battery case). I have it on my 2 road bikes and cross bike. I don't think I would trust int on my MTB.
I'm curious, what is your concern? Granted, I run the strap across the middle not the end like in their photo, and it has proven to be extremely secure.
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Old 04-01-17 | 08:34 PM
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The battery case is pretty heavy. I am afraid a good jolt could shake it loose. If it were just a regular lifeproof case, I would not think twice about it. I use a different holder on my 29er, just to be safe.
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Old 04-01-17 | 10:26 PM
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I use a mophie case with mine and haven't had any problems, but I understand your caution.
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Old 04-01-17 | 10:38 PM
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I absolutely would NOT trust a $1000 phone to a silicone elastic band!!!

I use a Delta SmartPhone Caddy:



It's rugged and bulletproof and has performed without fail or issue for 4 years and about 4000km of bumpy roads and trails so far.

The bungee cords on the sides are really just for convenience when mounting the phone to get the top and bottom cups tight - it has a friction cam-lock in the back that actually secures the phone so it can't vibrate loose and jump out.

Comes with both handlebar mounts for various size bars, and a stem cap mount, which is what I use.

Cheers
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Last edited by therealjoeblow; 04-01-17 at 10:42 PM.
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Old 04-02-17 | 01:22 AM
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Most of the folks I know locally who have the Quad Lock say they started with other mounts and wish they'd gone straight to the Quad Lock.

I've checked a few inexpensive mounts but most of the secure mounts and those that come with weatherproof containers are designed to fit threadless stems. My bikes have quill stems.

I just start my cycling apps and keep the phone in a small handlebar bag until I need to check the maps or other stuff. When I mount my larger AGU handlebar bag I put the phone in the waterproof map pouch on the top, since it allows operating touch screens too. But I don't pay much attention to the screen while I'm riding. Usually I prefer to find out later how my conditioning is progressing or regressing.
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Old 04-03-17 | 10:20 AM
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Some people say that cycling is not a great time to be playing with a smartphone, and that's a fair point. But having a good mount that makes my phone available reduces the time I spend with the phone. For instance, if a call comes in, I see who it is, and I know right away that I don't have to pick it up. I don't need to see my speed, but if I want to, I can check it safely and quickly. If I need directions, I don't have to stop, pull over, and read my phone. When I'm on a bike path or trail (not in motor traffic), I listen to podcasts, and I like having the onscreen button that rewinds 15 seconds so I can hear something I just missed.
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Old 04-16-17 | 09:16 AM
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I have the Finn holding a relatively large phone and have had it since last year, I do mostly urban cycling so no jumps or whatnot but sidewalk dismounts are relatively frequent and it has had no issue holding my phone solidly in place
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Old 04-16-17 | 07:41 PM
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Originally Posted by therealjoeblow
I absolutely would NOT trust a $1000 phone to a silicone elastic band!!!
Agreed, Quadlock FTW
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Old 04-16-17 | 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by linberl
Nite Ize....Handleband - Universal Smartphone Bar Mount
works with any phone or device of reasonable size. fits any handlebars. mine is 2 years old and going strong.
these work great
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Old 04-18-17 | 10:38 AM
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I'm looking for a decent phone mount and haven't found one yet. I have the Vibrelli and its dropped my phone a couple times, possibly because the phone is in an ottercase and the silicon doesn't grab it quite right. On really rough roads it jars loose. I'd like to find something with some shock absorption.
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Old 04-19-17 | 09:30 AM
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Vibrelli is crap.

Quad Lock is it. You won't regret it. You'll have to replace your case, though. I didn't like that fact, but it is working out well.
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Old 04-20-17 | 10:13 AM
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Ive been thinking about it some more. I wish it was possible to find some different sized silicon straps to hold my phone. here's a set on Ebay: https://goo.gl/AVu7qX , but they are all the same size. They keep calling them universal and they are not. It looks like it would hold my bare iPhone fine, but with an otter case on, the strap I have is too small and is stretched too much. the other problem is the phone holder needs some kind of shock absorption. when I hit really rough pavement the vibration causes the phone to slip out of the mount.

PS. heres something interesting i've been thinking about:
https://www.ebay.com/p/rear-front-sh...p2047675.l2644

if link doesn't work its a miniature shockaborber set for a rc car. they are 4-5 inch long which is a bit bigger than i want. but they are pretty cheap and i've seen them in action, they are quite effective.

Last edited by preferdownhill; 04-20-17 at 10:45 AM.
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Old 04-20-17 | 11:44 AM
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With a Quad Lock, you don't need any shock absorption.
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Old 04-21-17 | 01:32 PM
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Looking at about half the mounts here, I have to wonder why you guys don't just duct tape the phone to the bars with 8-10 wraps. Good mounts that don't run a strap across the screen have been around for a long time.
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Old 04-23-17 | 06:56 PM
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Originally Posted by KD5NRH
Looking at about half the mounts here, I have to wonder why you guys don't just duct tape the phone to the bars with 8-10 wraps. Good mounts that don't run a strap across the screen have been around for a long time.


Please post link to something that works...
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Old 04-23-17 | 07:57 PM
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Originally Posted by preferdownhill
Please post link to something that works...
Cases & Mounts | BioLogic Bicycle Accessories and Bike Gear
https://www.walmart.com/ip/EEEKit-Ad...-5-4/186773243
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Poweradd-...hone/859690635
https://www.walmart.com/ip/TG-Mobile...older/23842202
https://www.walmart.com/ip/N2200-Uni...-GPS/194768235
https://www.velocityclip.com/collect...andlebar-mount

This is the one that I see every time I wander through the bike stuff a WalMart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Schwinn-U...Mount/47369022

This is the one I've been using for a bit over a year with both an iPhone 4S and a Kyocera Hydro Icon, and the only time I've had the phone come out was when I got hit by a truck. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scosche-h...vices/44508451
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Old 04-24-17 | 10:36 AM
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I've used mounts like some of those Walmart mounts. One of them held my digital camera. The mount was made of an insufficiently strong plastic. On a bumpy road, it broke and tossed my camera on the ground, destroying it (the camera, not the ground). The break was at the hinge of the part that gripped the handlebar.

Another cheap mount broke at the joint between the ball joint and the shaft it was attached to. The manufacturer admitted to me that they still had not worked out the quality of the material yet. The breakage led to my very expensive phone falling onto the ground in heavy traffic. A taxi's tire drove right by the phone but didn't hit it. I got lucky, and the damage to my phone was minimal.

Cheap brackets don't seem like such a good value to me when I trust them to protect my expensive gear.
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