Phone mount?

Cyclum

After reading the hype about Strava I like the idea of using it but in my very limited experience of it I found it a pain getting my phone out/putting it away.

I notice there are phone mounts available (and I've seen them being used) but I'm not sure if having a phone on full view would makes the rider a bit of a target. What are your views?

Is probably worth mentioning that I'm a female who generally cycles alone.

Thanks.

dilatory

Why not just start Strava and stick your phone in your pocket as per usual? It runs in the background with screen locked and will save your battery life. For the price of an iPhone mount you can buy a cheap cycle computer that will give you the other stats without sticking £300 in prime crash breaking position.

Also it's worth noting that your iPhone will make you no more of a target than a Garmin or the bike itself!

Hollow-legs

I wanted a lightweight iphone 4 case for the same reason ,mainly using the phone for GPS maps and strava,The best design i could find was the TOPEAK ridecase!
Brilliant design ,ultra-light ,small and very discrete...it works perfectly .

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/top ... 4-ec033775

Hope this helps :-)

Initialised

Make sure you setup your "Privacy Zones" on Strava.

There are two reasons for mounting a phone on the bars, navigation and live segment alerts.

Navigation is hard to avoid the need for a screen but a slave screen on a smart watch is a better/safer option.

Phone route guidance apps really needs a vibration based system to do away with battery consuming screen use and the need for a mount.

Chunky101

Google Quad Lock iPhone mount. Been using one for a year, does the job very well.

Cyclum

That's great, thanks.

Thanks for the tip about the privacy zones too. I didn't realise that was possible - I had wondered.

How do you make sure that journeys starting from home still count? Do you need to start Strava part-way in? And is that the same for the free version (I refuse to pay for something that I haven't used before).

d_o_g

Are you using it for navigation?

Cyclum

I haven't done but I'd like to at some point if I want to try new/unfamiliar routes - I have absolutely no sense of direction or memory for places I've been before.

funkyg

Is it the iPhone that you have?
I got one of these off ebay http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ibike-Bike-Mount-Iphone-Touch/dp/B00507HCKY
Waterproof, fits to the bars so you can see it easily and still use the touch screen.

chrisaonabike

I tried a bar mount for my Galaxy S3. Gave up very soon for several reasons:

- a big smartphone on the bars looks naff, but more importantly:
- if you keep the screen on (eg for maps) the battery life is a lot less, and more importantly still:
- good luck operating the touch screen with gloves on.

For recording rides, as others have said, I hit the go button on Strava, put the phone in my pocket, and switched it off when I got back.

Did this for ages till I got the Edge 800 - by far the best solution: small and neat, battery lasts for 10 hours or so, even with the screen on, and the touch screen works with gloves on.

Slo Mo Jones

I had my iPhone in a topeak handlebar mount. It snapped off on a rough bit of road. The phone got run over by a car and ended up in about a million pieces.

It goes in my pocket now.

Hollow-legs

I have a ibike case as well ,great design ,waterproof ,but the size is er !!! not very discrete,,might as well put a shopping basket on the front of me bike.
Thats why i brought the toppeak ,but had too many issues using a iphone on a bike ,but now just use a garmin ,,saves alot of hassle.

By the way the ibike case is for sale,brand new ,never used ,just removed from packet. £11.00 inc postage.

MountainMonster

Cyclum wrote:

That's great, thanks.

Thanks for the tip about the privacy zones too. I didn't realise that was possible - I had wondered.

How do you make sure that journeys starting from home still count? Do you need to start Strava part-way in? And is that the same for the free version (I refuse to pay for something that I haven't used before).

Basically, the Strava privacy zone means that you can start your ride as soon as you leave your home, but anything within that private zone will not show up on anything publicly. You can still see the full ride as per usual on the site and phone, but everyone else sees that zone removed.

schlepcycling

MountainMonster wrote:

Cyclum wrote:

That's great, thanks.

Thanks for the tip about the privacy zones too. I didn't realise that was possible - I had wondered.

How do you make sure that journeys starting from home still count? Do you need to start Strava part-way in? And is that the same for the free version (I refuse to pay for something that I haven't used before).

Basically, the Strava privacy zone means that you can start your ride as soon as you leave your home, but anything within that private zone will not show up on anything publicly. You can still see the full ride as per usual on the site and phone, but everyone else sees that zone removed.

Also you're excluded from any segments that start or finish within your privacy zone.

Cyclum

Great - thanks.

I'm not sure about the "achievements". I've got a few but when I looked at the ones that I missed I actually came in the top quarter out of 150+ surely being in the top x% would make more sense than getting an achievement simply because it is an unpopular segment?

I was also surprised how many women were on there - is not a bad thing, I just wasn't expecting it.

sigorman85

I cycle alone all the time :-( I can't see anyone taking the phone off your bike or them even seeing what it is unless you have stopped .... But then I'm in Dorset and ppl are oblivious to what's going on

grant2307

+1 for quadlock.

fenix

I never mount my phone on the bars - i just start strava and put it away. If i get lost then I'll stop and look.
Also be careful with your name on strava - no point in setting privacy zones if you use your real name that can be googled.
Unless you opt out people can see your routes on flyby - but nobody sees into your privacy zones..

Anonymous

Topeak ride case is poo
Quad lock is good,
but your phone should be in your jersey pocket, and a Garmin (or Wahoo if you really must) on your bars.

An iPhone on your bars cycling is only slightly less funny than an iPhone strapped to your arm when running
Some people probably do actually use them as spirit levels I suppose though :roll:

Get a life, Get a Garmin™