Siu Blue Wind

Moved to Electronics, Lighting and Gadgets from Road.

dr_lha

I used the bike2power iPhone mount for my iPhone 5. I got a Wahoo RFLKT so I don't do the handlebar mounted phone thing anymore, but they do make one for the iPhone 6 plus:

iPhone 6 Plus Smart Mount

The one I had was extremely sturdy, mostly waterproof (I did a 75 mile ride in solid rain, very heavy at times, and there was a little moisture between the screen and screen cover), and attaches to the bike using both a clip and a thumbscrew, so won't fall off.

scorpion18z

I am in agreement with the comment above and it answers digaz request for information most effectively of most other's posted.

Gus90

Consider battery life, your iPhone is never going to last half as long as a dedicated bike computer such as a Garmin for example. I know this from experience. I'd rather pocket my phone and have it charged for emergencies. But when I was using it as a do all device, I used an iPhone 4s case from Biologic. It was waterproof and well cushioned. Not a fan of their iPhone 6 or 6 plus solutions now though.

Or perhaps taking it all with you with this...



Just kidding.

Granturismonut

I have a iPhone 6 plus and I use a Rokform stem mount and a Rokform universal mount. The lanyard adds an additional layer of protection.

BobbyMo

I have the Topeak stem mount for two bicycles, and use them with iPhone 4S & iPhone 5. They are rugged and work great. I use them to run Stava or Endomondo; as well as listen to music or sports radio. I keep the display on all the time as I often need the map riding in NYC and following pre-planned routes. (Not pulling it out of my pocket just when lost; but most of my routes are to take me places that I have never been to/never seen before.) Also running it with cadence, speed & heartrate sensors. I use a large external battery to keep the phone charged and the display running all of the time. (Definitely not mounting it to my handlebars, so I can 'look cool' - what a puzzling thought for a bicycling enthusiast website!)

As for the iPhone-6plus, I am waiting for Topeak to come out with a case for this phone that works with their mounts. Not interested in spending another $70 plus for a different mount such as the Quadlock. I want to get the 6plus for the size of the screen. My eyes are not what they used to be. Having to stop to change my shaded for my glasses, just so I can read the screen, is not ideal.

RomansFiveEight

Just a thought on 'breakability'. Unless you ride without your phone (in which case, I envy you. I am far to codependant on mine), then what's the difference between it being on the handlebars, or in your pocket? (And murphy's law says you'll fall on your phone side).

A friend of mine had his iPhone 4 come out of his vest pocket on his motorcycle going 75 mph. Went flying into the median. Miraculously, it was appearing under 'find my iPhone'. He tracked it down. Not. A. Scratch. Naturally, it slid on the grass. But, for crying out loud. I dropped MY iPhone 4 6 feet down into a hardwood floor and shattered the stupid thing. Some people have all the luck.

I'm actually planning to mount my old iPhone 5. But I'll still have my 6 in my pocket.

I mounted my phone on the handlebars of my motorcycle. But then, it also was powered by the bikes electrical system. Even my iPhone 6 has a poor battery life when the GPS is in use. Consider (because I am too) how you might mount an auxillary battery pak or some other power source to the bike. There are battery paks out there that'll run the phone for a couple of hours before depleting and then turning it over to your phones battery.

Justsomedude

I just picked up the Delta Cycle Smartphone Caddy for my iPhone 6 plus.
It comes with a handlebar mount and a stem mount.

Holds the phone GREAT.
Feels very secure and it is easy to get it in and out of the holder.

The ziplock bag they give you with it is slightly too small for the 6 plus with my minimalist case on it.
I just cut a slit in the back of the bag as it really doesn't have to SEAL on the phone to be effective.

The downside of this holder is that for practical usage you have to leave the holder mounted when you aren't using it.
The holder attaches to the mounts with a screw/nut.
I am going to try to replace that with a wing nut or star wheel so i can easily remove it without tools.

I got it so I can monitor speed/cadence (Wahoo RPM sensor) at least for a while.
I think when I get a better feel for my cadence I might go back to carrying it in a pocket. We'll see.

With an easy on/off I can use it on two different bikes.
Stem mount on one and handlebar on the other.

I mounted the handlebar mount backwards so the phone hangs above the stem instead of out in front of the bike.

YonathanZ

You could try the Finn (getfinn.com). Works great with my iPhone 5. Very sturdy. It's a simple piece of very elastic and durable silicone. Give it a try, and in their video ad they show a Galaxy Note mounted with it, so it should work.

Bag302

I use this cheap case from Amazon and mount the holster to the stem with zip ties. Light and efficient. I've been using this setup since the iphone 4. It is rock solid.
Robot Check

1 Miyata Biker

I've read about the smartphones getting too hot from the sun when mounted on handlebars and shutting down. Has anyone experienced this with their smartphone mounted on the handlebars? There doesn't seem to be any particular brand that doesn't have this "overheating/shutdown" problem from what I've seen/heard.

YonathanZ

I don't see how a mount will cause a smartphone to overheat. If it's hot then it doesn't matter what mount you use. Just don't use one that's water proof (nylon).

1 Miyata Biker

The sun heats up pretty much anything it contacts. This would include any smartphone mounted on the handlebars where it could be read. If the sun is out, which it hopefully is on most rides, the face of the smartphone would possibly get hit directly by the sun and eventually heat up enough internally that it may shut down to protect its components. I doubt any type of mounting device would have any effect on the phone because there's not much there except underneath the smartphone. The entire screen of the smartphone would be taking the full brunt of the sun's power. I would imagine a glass screen would likely magnify the heat that would travel to the inside of the phone. Of course this would involve the positioning of the smartphone on the handlebars at any particular time. I've seen this mentioned in some reviews of different mounting brackets for smartphones.

Diablito

I have my Galaxy Note 4 with a tech21 case and a slipgrip mount. Works great. I use wahoo app, wahoo blue sc speed and cadence sensors and my Ant+ heart rate monitor while streaming techno to my Plantronics Backbeat go2 earbuds and having a small floating screen of Google maps leading me to my destination. The note is Dope. I wish I had a camera to take a pic. I have the mount on a aero bar computer mount which has the phone flush with my bars. Everyone says it's a great idea when the see it. Sounds big but really isnt.

1 Miyata Biker

Has anyone experienced or heard of problems with the sun continuously hitting the screen surface of a smartphone mounted on a bike and getting it warm enough that the phone will shut down because of internal heat? I've seen some postings in other forums pertaining to this happening, and wondered if it happened often or was rare, and if it harms the phone.

Wilfred Laurier

How slow do you people ride?

Most of the sunlight will reflect off, and air moving over the phone should help cool it down.

Diablito

What happens to me is a message comes up saying the battery is hot, so I just put the low power setting and turn the screen off. Everything still runs fine in the background. With low power the screen runs in black and white so it runs alot cooler.

1 Miyata Biker

The sun reflects off of water too, but our local 15,000 acre lake's moving water heats up to a "bathtub" water temperature of 80 plus degrees. I've since read that internal temperatures of 90 plus degrees in a cell phone have an adverse affect on the battery over a years time that will reduce the capacity about 35%. I guess each person has to make the call about using their phones mounted on their bike when the sun is shining. When I'm on a 3 or 4 hour bike ride, I rarely am seeking shelter from the sun. There are a few bike trails that go through a wooded area, but that only gets you out of the direct sun for a few minutes, unless you stop for a break in the shade. Most of my miles are on the road berm.

SpiderDad

I have an iphone 5 not a 6, but hopefully this will help. I have a Lifeproof Fre case which is waterproof and apparently shockproof too. I've tested the waterproofing and it's great.... I'm hoping to not ever need the shockproof part. I mount it on a Lifeproof Bike Mount The case clips into the mount in a second and is very secure. I've had no issues with slipping or anything of the sort. The case isn't too big, so it fits in my pocket when not on my bike. I have the display on constantly and it does drain the battery. So I bought this It will charge up my iphone twice before it runs out of juice. I went on a 5 hour ride on the weekend, and it worked great. I went out with a full charge on my phone and the battery, I plugged the battery in halfway through and when I got back, my phone was fully charged. I could probably ride for 10+ hours with this setup. I can put the battery in my saddle bag, and just run the cable under my top tube.

I searched a lot before I came up with this setup. I wanted only one device, and as I always have my phone when I ride, I decided against a garmin. I use cyclemeter with a Wahoo Blue SC for speed and cadence. I had to have waterproof as I commute all year round in crap weather. I wanted a no hassle attachment to my bike, and didn't want to have to swap cases depending on whether I was riding or not. I definitely did not want to stop mid ride, to put on a ziploc or any other kind of baggie to make any other case waterproof.

I am very happy with this setup. Hope this helps.

BongoBennie

This is my setup, iPhone is there for music along with my amazing Harmon Kardon Bluetooth speaker as my rides are all on a path and out of traffic....... My question is how much difference, mainly in its own safety, between 6 and 6+..... Btw my mounts are rokform which are awesome and in my cars too.

sierrabob

When my bike fell over last week, the Garmin went spinning off its mount onto the pavement. I picked it up. Not a single scratch. This would not have happened with a phone. Eventually, the bike will go down, folks.

BeastBikes

Definitely. Had that been your phone it probably would have gotten cracked and destroyed.

Seattle Forrest

My phone (an $80 LG Tribute smart phone) took a ~5 foot fall in my garden onto a tile walkway. The case broke open and the battery fell out, but all of that went back together without a hitch. Little bit of scratch and dent on the phone, nothing very serious.

Personally I don't understand why people spend $600+ on a phone, even if it's through a monthly contract to make up for a phone "subsidy." But if I had that much wrapped up in a phone, it would definitely be a factor in how I chose to use it...

John_V 

Battery life when using any phone for a bike computer is pretty much a moot point if it lasts throughout your ride. I use an iPhone 5c with a Whaoo RFLKT+ and HR and speed/cadence sensors connected. I can do a century without recharging the battery and still have enough battery life left to make more phone calls than I need to. Since I recharge my phone every night, whether I ride or not, I always have a 100% charge in the mornings for my ride. Phones and battery life have come a long way over the years since they were first used for cyclometers and this was actually a problem.

You also stand a better chance of not damaging your phone if it's on a good handlebar or stem mount than you do if it's in your jersey pocket. In most falls, riders land on their sides or their back. The chances of you landing on your phone or the phone getting thrown out of your jersey pocket are greater than when secured on the handlebars or stem, since these areas seldom make contact with the ground.

retlod

Quad Lock mount on the stem. $10 Spigen case with the QL bracket stuck to the back. Snap phone in and go. Paired with Wahoo cadence sensor. Works great.