mobile_simon

Hi, how have you guys gone about mounting smallish tablets on your bars?

I use a phablet that is 7"x3.75", wondered if it would fit inside the Ortlieb Ultimate 6 handlebar bag window?

For now I have a DIY stem mount but wouldn't mind having something more durable.



Thanks

fietsbob

Pick A or B .. play with your gadgets and not ride the bike , or Ride the bike and leave your toys in a pocket.

how about a handlebar bag? here's one https://www.ortlieb.com/_prod.php?lan...biketoy=handle

wphamilton

Geeze that's no answer Bob. The "pick A or B" one that is. There's nothing wrong with gadgets on bikes.

I was just going to lurk because I only have a DIY phone mount like his, and maybe someone will chime in with good suggestions.

fietsbob

I ride a bike on tour to see where I am , not play with the E gadgets .


but I dont understand the reading facebook rather than watching where you are going , while you are there.

How about this? Translating the spec sheets, for y'all
the 6 proE unplugs the USB patch as you remove the bag , from the bar bag mount [also different for the electrical input],

the material they used in the cover on the bag lid , is touch screen transmission friendly .

a feature of the step, down from there ultimate pro
https://www.ortlieb.com/_prod.php?lan...biketoy=handle
which is minus the electrical quick disconnect.

you can stow it in that handlebar bag and if you have a hub dynamo and the AC to USB converter even charge it a bit while you ride ,

Plus you could put your actual camera in there too ..

yote223

I get on my bike to get away from electronics. IF I take my phone along, it's usually turned off.

mobile_simon

I thought everyone was navigating with Google Maps now-a-days. I sent Ortlieb an e-mail for clearer information on the smartphone compartment.

Dahon.Steve

I don't think it should be a problem mounting a table but can it take the abuse. The handlebar is quite hard on digital toys and my GPS takes a beating over the years. However, my GPS is solid state and doesn't have a huge glass cover. I would also find a way to hook a secondary attachment in case it comes lose from the mount.

Also, I don't know of any table that is water proof.

fietsbob

Youngsters ... That would be sales people you talked to

My tours were in other countries , I got along just fine with paper maps , and a compass ,
which tells you which way you are looking to hold the map maybe upside down if you are facing say, south.

Plus you, on land and riding on roads and streets, have the advantage of talking to people .. asking directions..


I live in a Seaport town ..
Though the computer and gps gear for maritime use is highly developed,
At sea, sailor without a paper chart , and knowledge of how to navigate without E toys is rather foolish .

& when they go down, where are you within 360 degrees of horizon ?, could end up feeding the Crab population

dbg

Not intentionally adding to the negatives --but I fail to see the attraction of backlit displays on bicycles. Sunlight so totally overwhelms them that near total washout is the best case for viewability (and if they made a backlight that could compete favorably with sunlight, its battery would either weigh a huge amount or would die in a few hours). I use electronics, but my GPS is tiny, used for routing and trip computer functions, and has a transflective display that only gets clearer with brighter sunlight. Backlit in sunlight makes no sense to me.

saddlesores

i think what you're lookin' for is a dual-mount setup.

one mount will hold (and recharge on the fly) your tablet, so's you can
navigate, communicate, order hotel rooms, watch desperate housewifes, etc.

the other mount is for the video recorder, which will upload to the cloud
in real time. then when you get to your hotel room, you can watch a
video (with the boring parts deleted) of where you rode that day.

Gus90

Along these lines, anyone know how to mount my 50 inch flat screen on my bars so I can watch TV while I ride?

fietsbob

TV on the wall bike on the trainer stand, in the living room , of course ,

but now its spring so go outside and ride in the real world .

sorry hub dynamos wont have enough juice output to charge it (at USB limited rates),
while you are draining the battery, running it .
things have to be off , to catch up a little bit at a time.


for the mid course route questions

Stop, just turn it on , look, then turn it off again, then ride the bike .

contango 

You could mount it on the top of a handlebar bag, or look at a company like RAM mounts to see if they've got something custom.

saddlesores

got these bags/mounts available in china....

ÀÖìÅ ×ÔÐгµ°ü ×ÔÐгµÇ°°ü ÊÖ»ú°ü ¿ì²ðʽ´¥ÆÁiPhoneÊÖ»ú´ü11363-ÌÔ±¦Íø
https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm...id=27082968819
°üÓÊÀÖìÅ×ÔÐгµÊÖ»ú°ü³µÇ°°ü´¥ÆÁÊÖ»ú°üÆïÐаüɽµØ³µ°üÂí°°°ü×°±¸-ÌÔ±¦Íø
Éý¼¶°æAcaciaɽµØ×ÔÐгµ°ü³µÇ°°üÓ²¿ÇË«°°°ü´¥ÆÁÊÖ»ú°üË«±ßÉϹܰü-ÌÔ±¦Íø
https://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?id=37261429095

*****ignore the weird symbols above. the links work, must be because
i was searching with chinese characters.....

Gus90

But I already have the satellite dish mounted on my helmut and Game of Thrones is back on so I can't miss it.

fietsbob

glad you have a full life of vicarious entertainment.

djb

Not to mention vicarious patricide.
(For anyone who didn't read the books, that is going to sound really fracking weird I know)

mobile_simon

My iPhone 4s wasn't too bad display wise, the only problem was keeping it dry. Even though the Garmin's have crisp displays I just see them as glorified trip computers. It won't be long until the ultimate smartphone comes out because the other features are starting to stagnate, waterproofing is now becoming a standard.

2manybikes

The back lit bike computers are for riding in the dark. Very handy if you need to know the time, distance home, etc.

contango 

Yep, if you're navigating by GPS in the dark it's really useful to be able to see where you're meant to be turning. If you're following a route then at least some models will illuminate as they beep and say "turn left" but if you're following a track, or if your map has the priorities on the road wrong, who knows how far you'd go on the wrong road before you realised?

wphamilton

This thread inspired me to improve the DIY mount I had, which was very similar to OP's
There are some disadvantages to strapping it on top of the stem, or a stem bag.

I took a 2" wide strip of aluminum, about 13" long, and made an out-front mount for my phone. A 7 inch device might need a little longer. I can post a picture later if you like, but it was surprisingly easy to make and I'll briefly describe how.

First, using pliers simply bend one end in a curve to fit the top of your device, and attach some rubber there and as far as the length of the phone or tablet. Put the phone on it and mark on the strip at the phone's bottom, and drill a bolt-hole there. Drill two overlapping holes to make it adjustable. Then just install a bolt sticking up, snug against the device. That by itself was enough to hold my phone securely but for good measure I added a double-sided velcro strip around the phone at the bottom.

Pad the close end, slide it on the underside of the stem and strap it on. I drilled 4 holes and used zip-ties, but however you want to affix it ... Gently bending the mount up in front to get a convenient angle and position. Vibration doesn't seem to be an issue.

"Waterproof" inhibits viewing, so I think it's best to stick with the tried and true sandwich bag for wet conditions.

2manybikes

A long time ago, I was exploring with a friend on a century until past midnight. I thought I would save bringing all those maps, by just printing out the pages from the computer directions. Very rural nothing around. It seemed like a great idea...........until.....




We rode off the side of the page.

contango 

Another example of something that worked perfectly until it didn't.

2manybikes

njkayaker

Useless.

It's OK having an opinion that is different that the OP. It's not OK suggest that the OP is wrong, somehow, for not having the same opinion as you do. It's even worse when you suggest that the OP is doing something that they have made no indication they are doing.