If you are one of the million people who’ve pre-ordered the iPhone 4S then you may be wondering what bike mount you need. Fortunately, the answer is simple. The shape of the iPhone 4S hasn’t changed and therefore existing mounts will work fine. Below I’ve rounded up four of the best iPhone 4S bike mounts.
Tigra iPhone bike mount
This iPhone bike mount has everything you could need. It’s waterproof, even in the heaviest of rain, it holds your iPhone securely in position, even if you are out on rough mountain bike trails and it allows you to connect your headphones and charger for use while the iPhone is inside the mount.
If you are splashing the cash on an iPhone 4S then it’s a great mount if you want to follow directions, record your cycling or take video from your handlebars.
There are some downsides. The first is size. It’s a very bulky mount and therefore it does stand out on the handlebars and it’s a very tight fit in a jeans pocket. Also, at £35, there are cheaper options out there. Although, many of them can’t match the access to the iPhone sockets for plugging into a portable battery pack and headphones.
Topeak iPhone Drybag
Topeak have a long history of making excellent bike accessories and it was only a matter of time before they started selling an iPhone bike mount. This one takes a slightly different approach to other mounts and relies on a dry bag. This means it is incredibly waterproof. The mounting mechanism is highly secure and should cope with even the toughest of mountain biking.
Unfortunately, the mount doesn’t allow for access to any of the iPhone 4S ports. Both the top and bottom are obstructed. Also, there’s no access to the iPhone camera so you couldn’t use it to film your ride as a helmet camera.
The good news however, is it costs just £16.
Ram Ez-On iPhone bike mount
Whilst the Ram mount lacks waterproofing, it is highly secure and provides great visibility of the iPhone as there is no plastic film in the way. Also, it costs under £20 so doesn’t break the bank. There are plenty of positive reviews on Amazon. The large mounting mechanism may however make it inappropriate for some handlebar sizes.
UltimateAddons iPhone bike mount
This is another mount I’ve used for a while and I like the protective cover around the iPhone. Similarly to the Tigra iPhone bike mount that I’ve thoroughly reviewed, this mount will fit most sized handlebars (I’ve tested road, mountain bike and hybrid). The locking mechanism is easy as it doesn’t require any tools.
Unfortunately there are two downsides. The first is that it isn’t full waterproof. Therefore, if you are using your iPhone 4S in the heavy rain and you tap the screen some of the water may transfer through. Also, I was doing some pretty hefty mountain biking and the mount managed to unhinge itself. It flung into the air at around 15 mph and hit the ground. Fortunately, no damage was done to the iPhone thanks to the protective case but I was shocked to see it come off as the mount felt very secure. However, for most day to day use, it should be absolutely fine.
The mount costs £19.99.
Best iPhone 4S bike mount
This will largely depend on what you wish to use it for. A great all rounder is the Tigra mount. However, if waterproofing isn’t as important as a clear view of the iPhone 4S screen than you can’t go wrong with the Ram-Ez. Personally, having my iPhone so exposed makes me nervous. Alternatively, the Topeak Drybag has outstanding waterproofing and a secure mount.
Whichever mount you choose make sure you take a look at our extensive coverage of all things iPhone:
Two articles on iPhone mounts and 4 or 5 on iPhone aps. How about some Android stuff, to start things off i’ll recommend SportyPal for workout tracking and these guys (http://www.ultimate-mobiles.co.uk) for android bike mounts. Bought one for my Desire HD and v pleased (although had to find some oversize screws to make it fit my bars). Also Bikehub and Bike Doctor on Android both very handy. Any more?
Hey Si – see: https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/cycling-accessories/cycling-apps-for-the-android/
Also, I’ll have a review of an Android mount soon!
I stand corrected. Should have done my research 🙂
I just bought the BioLogic Bike Mount for mine, it’s pretty similar to the Tiagra mount.
Agreed – was always confused as to whether there is a difference?
Great suggestions! It’s far safer to have your phone mounted on your bike than risk going one handed to check it.
Sophie Hobson, deputy editor, LondonLovesBusiness
I have the Tigra and the phone bounced off in a Clapham pothole. I don’t think any plastic attachment is safe to fix a £500 piece of equipment to a bike. I won’t try it again (although the phone survived thanks to the case).
Hey Simon, that’s not good. Glad to hear the phone survived unharmed. What part was it that didn’t function correctly and also where was the mount purchased from? (A number of fakes are circulating the internet).
I bought a Biologic iPhone mount for my Croix De Fer and returned it after 2 days. The mount for the bracket was awful, it could only be tightened a little bit then the teeth slipped on the screw. Riding around with the weight of the iPhone meant it kept slipping.
It’s a shame because other than that it looked really good and I was really looking forward to my London – Brighton trip using TomTom on my iPhone.
If they beefed up the clamp (maybe like the Cateye light brackets) with thicker teeth that actually gripped and let you really tighten it up (after all, you are trusting this mount with a £500 piece of kit) then I’d reconsider.
Interestingly, when I returned it to the shop I purchased it from they told me that every single Biologic iPhone mount they had sold had been returned and they were going to stop selling them.
Just as a follow on, if they made the mount bracket something like this;
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-h34-flex-tight-light-bracket/
then I’d definitely buy another one. I have this bracket for my Cateye light and I can crank it so tight it doesn’t budge even if I hit one of the many huge potholes on my daily commute. It’s a similar design to the one Biologic currently supply but the teeth on the strap are much deeper and it’s a nifty little plastic screw instead of an allen key that requires no tools to take on/off.
Hi – great site Andreas even for non Londoners but still in the UK.
I spent a lot of time researching various iPhone 3g mounts before committing to the Ram mount. The cheapest place to get it was on Ebay from a seller – mfauls – in the USA whose price and postage was and still is significantly lower than the official Ram mounts UK website or Ebay shop!
I think it cost about £15 delivered from the US and came in about a week. Many UK sellers are slower than this.
I have the mount fitted on my stem for a more aesthetic and symetrical appearance and was very easy to fit.
The phone is VERY secure in it’s cradle and when mounted on the bike. The only downsides are that it is still quite bulky and obviously not waterproof as the phone is exposed.
Someone on Amazon said that they simply put their phone in a clear sandwich bag to protect it from the elements – something that I have yet to try.
The other problem is that you have to be VERY careful when clicking it in as a couple of the “prongs” on the diamond snapped off mine somehow.
Annoyingly you cannot simply buy a replacement diamond and have to buy a whole new bike mount which comes with the fixing diamond.
Ram allegedly offer a lifetime warranty however their UK CS said that I had to contact the seller directly – which is very poor IMO.
All in all a very good product and I use Cyclemeter and Endomondo Pro- the only 2 apps I have ever bought and have basically turned my phone into a Garmin for under £20.
Shame about the iPhones battery life though!
Cheers
Thanks Ed for the review of the Ram mount 🙂
Here is the Ebay link for the Ram iPhone 3G mount http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EZ-on-EZ-off-Bike-Mount-for-Apple-iPhone-3G-3GS-by-RAM-/400217529333?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item5d2ed2dbf5
Works out at about £16 delivered
The seller did tell me that iPhone 4 fits too as I bought one as a gift.