Where do you keep your phone?

Jonesinamilion

I'm a hobby / leasure rider and rightly or wrongly I always like to have my phone at hand for either emergency situations or if I need to be contacted by the family whilst out... I probably won't touch it from start to finish but I like it with me!

It won't fit in my micro saddle bag.
I don't like it in any of my pockets (leg, breast, thigh, back or belly).
I don't like backpacks and rarely wear a "bum bag".
I don't have (nor have I considered) having anything mounted on my bars.
It's not staying at home or in my glovebox

What other options are there?
Where do you stow yours?

roger_merriman

what do you wear riding? I use baggy shorts which tend to have decent pockets for money and phone.

I hate anything on my back bar maybe a energy bar.

rockmonkeysc

I leave mine at home. Riding is an escape from modern bullsh1t

Jonesinamilion

roger merriman wrote:

what do you wear riding? I use baggy shorts which tend to have decent pockets for money and phone.

I hate anything on my back bar maybe a energy bar.

Apart from the Mrs' buttox, I generally don't like things slapping around my thighs!

Jonesinamilion

Arm band* could be an option,... Just seen bottle tool kegs too which could be a option.

* I have no muscle so would look decidedly sad.

schmako

Always shove the phone in my trousers/shorts pocket, means its close to hand. Done it that long I don't notice it when riding.

Get another bike bag or a bigger saddle bag?

JBA

Pocket of my shorts, in my backpack or in the chest pocket of my jacket if I'm wearing it.

FishFish

I leave it at home.

fat daddy

I ride with a camelbak, as I hate my water bottle getting covered in mud then having to drink out if it, or get it out the holder and getting mud over hands, then handle bars.

I can cope with mud, just not unnecessary mud transferred to my cockpit

Edit: oh yeah ... phone goes in camelbak

figbat

Mostly it goes in a top tube bag; this has a top pocket with clear window meaning I can see it if I want to. I don't actually use the phone for navigation or anything, but can easily interact with it when I need to without taking it out of the bag.

If not there then either my hydration pack or kidney pocket (in a small ziplock bag to guard against wet and sweat).

LimitedGarry

When I'm listening to music, it's in my pocket. Other times, it's in the bags.
I have a large triangle bag in my frame which I keep on at all times. I can fit my glasses, wallet, keys, phone, tools, lights, spare tube, snacks, tissues and even some other stuff if I want to.
When I need more carrying capacity, I also have a spacey under-seat bag which acts as an additional bottle cage and another small bag which mounts on the frame right behind handlebars, where I can fit my phone, wallet, keys and other stuff if I'm going for extensive realaxing or camping trips.
I try to avoid a backpack as much as possible.

philcubed

Endura zyme shorts have a zip pocket on the front of the right leg. I put my phone in there and never notice it. It's an old chunky thing, not smart by any means, but bombproof!

Jonesinamilion

Thanks all, I don't like putting anything in my pockets (especially keys etc) as it may cause / worsen an injury if I were to come off.

I went for a bottle tool store (syncros tool can) which should give me enough extra carrying capacity without the need to load up pockets or carry a bag....

Angus Young

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I leave mine at home. Riding is an escape from modern bullsh1t

^ This, this, this!

prawny

In a bumbag with my spare innertube and keys.

Used to keep it in my pocket until I fell on it, luckily I went through a phase of using an old nokia instead of risking my proper phone.

Now it's in my bumbag I'd be pretty unlucky if I managed to break it, and I'd probably have bigger problems anyway.

Briggo

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I leave mine at home. Riding is an escape from modern bullsh1t

^ This, this, this!

Until you break a leg in the middle of nowhere, then you'll be begging for that modern bullsh1t.

Angus Young

Briggo wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I leave mine at home. Riding is an escape from modern bullsh1t

^ This, this, this!

Until you break a leg in the middle of nowhere, then you'll be begging for that modern bullsh1t.

Nope. Golden rule: If you're not confident in your ability to get yourself out of the wilderness without expecting someone else to come to the rescue, don't go in there in the first place. Ask any mountain rescue how many people they have to pick off the mountain because they went somewhere beyond their ability because they though they could just pull out their phone if it all goes tits. One of them said to me "Damn things! And they don't even burn if you have to make a fire."

For me, half the point in being in the middle of nowhere is to get away from all that crap. And it's very rare that I carry a phone on any day, let alone when I'm out enjoying my bike.

Briggo

Angus Young wrote:

Briggo wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I leave mine at home. Riding is an escape from modern bullsh1t

^ This, this, this!

Until you break a leg in the middle of nowhere, then you'll be begging for that modern bullsh1t.

Nope. Golden rule: If you're not confident in your ability to get yourself out of the wilderness without expecting someone else to come to the rescue, don't go in there in the first place. Ask any mountain rescue how many people they have to pick off the mountain because they went somewhere beyond their ability because they though they could just pull out their phone if it all goes tits. One of them said to me "Damn things! And they don't even burn if you have to make a fire."

For me, half the point in being in the middle of nowhere is to get away from all that crap. And it's very rare that I carry a phone on any day, let alone when I'm out enjoying my bike.

So you can foresee every possible event while riding your bike and that nothing can occur outside of your control so you can guarantee no need ever for the emergency services? That's some going.

Either that or you're wrapped in a mile of bubble wrap while riding.

Angus Young

Briggo wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

Briggo wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I leave mine at home. Riding is an escape from modern bullsh1t

^ This, this, this!

Until you break a leg in the middle of nowhere, then you'll be begging for that modern bullsh1t.

Nope. Golden rule: If you're not confident in your ability to get yourself out of the wilderness without expecting someone else to come to the rescue, don't go in there in the first place. Ask any mountain rescue how many people they have to pick off the mountain because they went somewhere beyond their ability because they though they could just pull out their phone if it all goes tits. One of them said to me "Damn things! And they don't even burn if you have to make a fire."

For me, half the point in being in the middle of nowhere is to get away from all that crap. And it's very rare that I carry a phone on any day, let alone when I'm out enjoying my bike.

So you can foresee every possible event while riding your bike and that nothing can occur outside of your control so you can guarantee no need ever for the emergency services? That's some going.

Either that or you're wrapped in a mile of bubble wrap while riding.

No, of course not. But taking my chances is the price I pay for feeling the way I want to when I'm out there. Taking my chances is half the fun. And, besides, I'm definitely going to die one day, what difference does it make if it's tomorrow or the day after and it might as well be doing something I enjoy.

FishFish

Unless I make a trip I bike in the Thetford Forest - 30 secs from my house. I never bother with my phone and like others rarely carry one anywhere. If I break my leg then I will scream like a pig (pig with at least one broken leg that is...).....

Oh yes and there is no reception in the forest, and none in the Lharig Ghru (Cairngorm National Park) where I really did need it once! But I agree that using the phone for taking pics goes without saying!

Briggo

Angus Young wrote:

No, of course not. But taking my chances is the price I pay for feeling the way I want to when I'm out there. Taking my chances is half the fun. And, besides, I'm definitely going to die one day, what difference does it make if it's tomorrow or the day after and it might as well be doing something I enjoy.

That's a more relevant answer, you choose to based on the risks. None of this "you should be able to cope in the wild without any aid" is a ridiculous statement, no one, not even members of the mountain rescue team can cope with every possible scenario and I'd be pretty sure they carry phones with them that they always recommend to carry.

figbat

It seems that we are unable to separate "taking a phone" from "using a phone". I always carry a phone, not least to run Strava from, but I have never yet made or received a call, nor read or responded to any texts or other notifications that pop up. I am 'away from it all' when I ride but with a safety net, because I can't predict accidents or mechanical failures that might incapacitate me or the bike.

cycleclinic

In my jersey back pocket.

steveqpr

I find myself referring to my phone on a relatively regular basis purely for the map facility as although I upload my chose route to my Garmin Edge 25 that I use it sometimes leads me astray - that said, I work out a route using online OS maps so I spend a helluva lot of time in the middle of fields wondering if I'm actually allowed to be there despite my close to anal approach to route building!

For ease of access I keep my phone in the back pocket of a cheap Ron Hill cycle mac or alternatively in the back pockets of a road cycle jersey but have been searching far n wide for a MTB specific jersey that has the rear pockets - as a spin off from this thread, can anyone point me in the right direction please?

cooldad

I have Endura Burners and Humvees. They have pockets.

johnmcl7

I keep my phone in my shorts pocket, I did damage it slightly when I crashed on that side but I can't see it injuring me. I didn't like carrying a backpack but I bought a small Evoc one that sits more on the shoulders which I find great, I barely notice it's there and can easily carry a jacket, arm warmers, a few extra tools and similar as even over a couple of hours the temperature can vary quite a bit.

John

doomanic

I have an iPhone 4 in a waterproof case on the stem that runs Strava but that's all it's good for as there's no SIM in it. My actual phone is in a waterproof bag in my backpack.

larkim

My cheap More Mile baggy shorts has a zip pocket "above my crack" as it were. Ideal for a phone (on silent!)

steveqpr

cooldad wrote:

I have Endura Burners...

Just the ticket - thank you.

cooldad

steveqpr wrote:

cooldad wrote:

I have Endura Burners...

Just the ticket - thank you.

Maybe not. I wore a Burner over the weekend and it didn't. But looking at a Humvee on my desk it does.

Angus Young

Briggo wrote:

Angus Young wrote:

No, of course not. But taking my chances is the price I pay for feeling the way I want to when I'm out there. Taking my chances is half the fun. And, besides, I'm definitely going to die one day, what difference does it make if it's tomorrow or the day after and it might as well be doing something I enjoy.

That's a more relevant answer, you choose to based on the risks. None of this "you should be able to cope in the wild without any aid" is a ridiculous statement, no one, not even members of the mountain rescue team can cope with every possible scenario and I'd be pretty sure they carry phones with them that they always recommend to carry.

No, I stand by the statement. When I go into the wild it's all about total self-reliance. Knowing that if it all goes horribly wrong I can't just pick up the phone and call someone to come and scoop me up is very liberating. Once or twice a year I take a bivi bag and head into the hills, alone and on foot, of either North Wales or Scotland. I plan on about a week or just over and plot a route where I'm unlikely to see another human being. Usually I don't for the whole week. I don't limit the risks I take and the route is always challenging. And part of the game is I don't take a phone. As soon as the weather clears in the spring I'll be taking my eleven year old daughter with me for her first adventure. We won't be taking a phone.