Sy Reene

Vast majority of posts I come across for dealing with a smartphone, talk about putting in waterproof baggy for jersey pocket, special wallets that hold the phone plus other accessories, etc.. Just wondering what the conventional wisdom is for just not mounting the smartphone in a handlebar-attached case to do your bike computer duty. If you're going to carry it anyway, why have a separate unit for bike computer duties/gps etc?

dtrain

I'm not sure why no one has asked this before.

dtrain

Okay - just kidding. But this does come up often. Some people use their phone just as you suggest. Battery life tends to be the biggest reason that many/most others do not.

Elvo

Because you can use a Wahoo RFLKT+ and save some of your battery to call 911 when you get hit during your century?

utahp8ntballer

It's also half as much money to replace my garmin as opposed to an Iphone when I hit a bump and it pops out.

Sy Reene

I looked at the RFLKT+, but that is taking data from from your phone anyway isn't it? So it's just an additional item that seems redundant? And can it show maps and such (and of course incoming texts and missed calls)? I just bought for battery for emergency purposes one of these in case there's an issue on that front.. seemed small enough anyway - about the size of a lipstick, eg.:

Sy Reene

There are mounts that are pretty durable, waterproof and locked down, fyi.

redtires

Right....battery life is the biggest issue when it comes to the iPhone. And, I'm assuming because you used it in your title, your using an iPhone. For very long rides, the battery just doesn't have much longevity. FWIW, if anyone reads this and is looking to get a phone that will handle such duties, I just picked up a Droid Turbo (of course, you have to be a Verizon customer) which has a 3900mAh battery. That means that I can quite literally run an app like Strava for 12+ hours. I don't, but I could is the point.

Sy Reene

I've missed those threads.. sorry. Only been on BF for a month or two. But isn't a bike case with built in external battery a smaller and more elegant option than phone plus separate unit?
For example, you could do this:
https://www.amazon.com/BikeConsole-We...rds=B00FSK2UPU

dtrain

Yeah, go for it. I think that solution works great for a lot of people (looks like great reviews). I personally prefer a smaller, simpler display (Edge 500) and tucking my phone out of sight and out of mind for a few hours.

greenlight149

Yep battery life is what made me get a garmin. Even though the iPhone will last a while, I still don't want to run into a scenario where I need to make a call and have no battery, and it's not water proof, and to get a sturdy waterproof case will cost 80 or so. And then there's the cost to replace in the unfortunate event that it gets damaged, much cheaper to get a new Garmin in most cases. The screen can be hard to read in full sun light too...Anyways there's more reasons than not to not use my iPhone as a bike computer

LuckySailor

Hmmm. Been using my iPhone 5S for a bike computer for a year and a half for sure. I have a waterproof Otter box. I glued with super glue onto the the back of the Otter box, a mount that I had from the Wahoo phone case. Made a slight adjustment that entailed grinding some material away on the back of the Otter box. It attaches to my handlebar and works far better than the Wahoo case. (Sorry Wahoo). The screen that they use on their case didn't work as well as the Otter box screen, so texting was s l o w, and answering the phone was difficult. Battery life isn't really a problem-although you are right about the shortened battery life. I have a SON28 dynamo and I just plug in when I see the battery life is getting down past 20%. This set up works very well for me.

Contemplated, still actually, about getting a Garmin. I don't want another piece of technology. Contemplated getting a RFLKT from Wahoo. Still don't want another new piece of technology. Upcoming cross country tour. Wife says I should get a GoPro. I don't want another new piece of technology to learn about. A Hero4 is going to set me back a grand……..camera, extra battery or 2, mini data cards, 13 friggin % taxes. Who am I to argue when my wife has just given me permission to spend a thousand bucks! LOL. no thanks.

rms13

Makes me wonder about all these threads about people losing their bike computers on rides

LGHT

Exactly why I keep mine in a saddle bag and ride with my used 705 on top. FYI an almost new 705 costs me less than $100 and does everything 90% of the people who ride need including HR/Cadence.

greenlight149

dude, get a sj4000 online, or from hobbyking, its basically the same thing as a go pro but only cost 80 bucks. comes with the water proof case and mounts....if i drop it or something i wont feel as bad as if i had a go pro. spend the rest of the money on bike stuff.

Ben I.

I had a bike accident yesterday and my Garmin was still in its mount when I got back up. Most of that is because it is built to be mounted to the bars whereas phone mounts often use elastic bands or some sort of system that wraps around the edges of the phone which isn't always the greatest way.

That aside, battery life is also the main reason I went with a dedicated bike computer. I don't want to have to always worry about my battery dying on a ride when I need to make a call in case of an emergency. It depends on the person though, if you only go on shorter rides then you should be fine with just a phone.

achoo

Good luck with that.

bikepro

An iPhone is fine as a bike computer, but you will need an auxiliary battery of some type. Also, it is very important that the iPhone be in a waterproof case. If not, the lightest shower can shut it down -- possibly for good. I learned the hard way.

achoo

Only 90%?

What DOESN'T a 705 do?

achoo

And even then, how shock-proof is it?

My 705 has survived falling off its mount twice (my own damn fault both times), and getting hit by a car once. (Yeah, I was on the bike at the time - my lawyer won't let me talk about that...)

It also mostly survived falling off the bike a third time (again my own fault). The only damage was the cover over the LCD screen (the glass part with the Garmin logo) was lost as it skittered over the pavement for about 50 feet.

It's also been through God-only-knows how many torrential downpours.

And it still works just fine thankyouverymuch.

I want to see any iPhone survive half that.

Oh, yeah, and the battery had no problem holding up for a double century.

Again, I want to see any iPhone survive half that.

Nevermind the iPhone GPS is horrible.

bt

I'm trying to figure out how to place calls using my Garmin.

small world

achoo

Let us know when you figure that out.

Camilo

I like my Garmin (an ancient Forerunner 305) because it's actually designed and easy to use for the purpose and is much smaller with all the advantages that a good compact device has.

I'd bet my Moto X would work fine too, but it's not as robust and cheap as the Garmin. and is much larger. The Garmin's got a simple snap-in, snap-out mount and I have one on each of my bikes. 1/2 second to have it perfectly secure, and it's always weather proof. (I've tried and tried to ruin it - dropping, rain, freezing, etc. etc. and the buttons all still work and the battery still lasts 10+ hours.)

Besides, I like tucking my Moto into my back pocket relatively away from harm, and running my headphone cord down to it. If it were on the handlebar, the cord would be flopping around in the wind and I'd have to disconnect every time I dismounted.... and you can bet I'd forget and either ruin the cord, or pull the bike over with it.

timmbo

Battery life is a complete joke. Even worse is when temps are 45 or less, then the phone dies very quickly!!!!

Stewie32

I've been using my iPhone 5S as my bike computer for over a year now in temperatures from -20C to +30C. I agree with the battery life comments and I use a Mophie case that doubles battery life and provides extra storage. My main issue is poor cell coverage so I lose a lot of battery life while in my office. My 25 km round trip commute takes about 20% of regular battery.

I use a delta smartphone caddy on my handlebars and have had no security issues, even when my bike and I found ourselves suddenly horizontal (I didn't fall off as I was still in full contact with the bike!). The handlebar mount comes with a waterproof bag that you can still use the touchscreen with but I have found that regular ziplock bags work just as well and I just stuff a few in my bike bag!