When normal people spot the rain they think “oh no” when I spot it I think “iPhone bike mount testing time!” Yep I am cool sad.
Let me introduce you to the latest mount I’ve been testing. The cleverly named:
Tough Waterproof Case and Bicycle Handlebar Mount for Apple iPhone 4
Or as I call it:
The swivelly waterproof mount.
Basics out the way: £29.99 including VAT and delivery.
Mounting the mount
This took me around a minute to install. The two parts of the attachment go onto the handlebars. Then two screws hold it securely in place. The mount then slides on top. This is where you have to apply quite a bit of force to be sure the mount is secure. Once that is done then my iPhone 4 felt completely safe.
Keeping your iPhone 4 dry
In my previous reviews of iPhone bike mounts one thing that vexed me is the fact the mounts didn’t keep your iPhone dry once the heavy rain comes down. Fortunately, this iPhone 4 bike mount excels at doing this. Even when I took the test to an extreme and ran it under a tap the iPhone inside stayed dry. This is very impressive and shows the mount has been well designed by UltimateAddons.
Charging your iPhone
Using the various great bike apps that are available for the iPhone, we all wish we could get more battery life out of it. Fortunately, the mount makes it possible to run your charging cable into the mount. This means you could have a battery pack resting in a bag near the handlebars and you can power your iPhone for longer. An excellent additional feature in this iPhone 4 bike mount.
Negative points
The UltimateAddons iPhone mount unfortunately loses a couple of points due to the mounting mechanism that is included. The swivel mount is unsuitable for a bike because whenever you go over a bump, it shifts down. Much more suitable is the mount included in this version. This is a big let down for this particular configuration as you end up continuously adjusting the position of your iPhone so that you can see the screen, when you are better off keeping hands on the brakes.
iPhone 4 bike mount review
Review: You can see the screen clearly, it keeps your iPhone dry, you can plug in your charging cable and it holds the iPhone securely. Sounds perfect? Unfortunately, not so. The bike mount it is let down by the swivel mount. Much better to stick with versions that don’t offer swivel capabilities.
Good points:
- Waterproof
- Plug in charging cable
- Holds iPhone 4 securely
Bad points:
- Bumps cause the mount to adjust from the position you’ve set it at
iPhone 5 bike mount
The iPhone 5 bike mount is now available. If you’d like to take a look at it read our review. The mount is completely waterproof, you can still charge your iPhone from inside the mount and it will allow you to even keep your iPhone inside its protective case if you use one.
See also:
- iPhone bike mounts
- UltimateAddons iPhone bike mount review
- Apps for cyclists
- Cycling apps for the Android
- Insuring your bike
First up, great website, I’m new to cycling (will be commuting to work mostly) so this website is invaluable!
I have an iPhone, have an app but struggling to pick an iPhone mount.
I’ve had a look but don’t see a ‘recommendation’ system here? Is there one mount you prefer over others? Be good if that was possible, even just a rating system so I could investigate all the A rated items?
Anyway, thanks again for fantastic website.
Hi Gordon, I know all the mounts seem to have their faults/benefits so difficult to pick a clear winner.
Basically if you are looking for something not wateproof that will keep your iPhone safe and no fear of it dropping I really trust this mount:
https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/cycling-accessories/ultimatemobiles-iphone-bike-mount/
If you are looking for something wateproof and reliable (although in my opinion expensive) The Bike Console Mount which is supplied officially by CycleWiz here:
http://www.cyclewiz.co.uk/BikeConsole-Bike-Mount-for-iPhone-4_AXZZL.aspx
Be very careful about buying replicas of the BikeConsole mount as they are cheap and faulty.
I have to recommend the Topeak iPhone Drybag. Got one a back in June when they first came out an it’s been great. For £20 you can’t go wrong.
I second the Topeak dry bag.. paid £17.99for mine, sits secure and clearly visible, does what it says on the tin, simply.
I am not really sure why I would want to mount my iPhone?
If I am taking a new route I use the free SatNav (NavFree Uk and Ireland). I did a review on it if you are interested?
http://ukmambo.blogspot.com/2011/03/navfree-uk-and-ireland.html
The advantage of the SatNav (apart from it being free) it gives turn by turn instructions – so I have my iPhone in my rucksack or pocket – and one earpiece going into my ear. That way I just follow the voice instructions.
If I am listening to music or need to answer a call I use an earphone set that is “handsfree” – so I can change track or pick up a call and speak without needing to take my hands off the handlebars for more than a second.
There are many 3rd party version of these earplugs / mics by people such as plantronics – and lets be honest the standard iPhone earplugs are bordering on useless sound quality anyway, so they need to be replaced.
Other than those 3 functions (directions, calls, music) what else am I going to need my iPhone for? I certainly don’t fancy watching a video, reading email or playing games when cycling through the street of London.
I genuinely think that it is very unsafe to have a screen distracting your attention when you are riding – it would be like a car driver watching a video and driving!
Haha, I nearly burst out layghing there when i read ‘mount my iPhone’. I clearly have a very juvenile sense of humour.
I think you have a point if you would use it for turn-by-turn instructions. However, as I would use it, and I suspect many others, the interesting stuff is all on the screen in the shape of Speed, average speed, etc. etc.
And coincidentally, the map on most apps is pretty small so wouldn’t be usable when riding anyway – you’d have to get off your steed to look at it really.
Perhaps you guys need to try a mounted iPhone with satnav before dismissing it?
Quick heads up here for Bike Hub app aswell. Great for cycling directions (when it doesn’t crash)
Fair point, was only really talking about how it can be used with various cycling apps, not as a full gps unit. Just used the iPhone on a 60 mile charity ride last weekend, with the app reviewed here last week, and it worked brilliantly. Apart from the battery of course! And in that app, only a quarter of the screen is used for the map, hence the comment about the size..
@Hackneyed you can tap the map and it goes full screen
I’ve found it far more unsafe to only listen to satnav directions, for two reasons. One is that sometimes you can be on a corner before you’ve received the relevant instructions. The second reason is that you can’t anticipate and what’s ahead on your route. With a map (+ audio) I’ve found these problems go away and this makes for a far safer and less stressful ride.
The other advantage of the Topeak Drybag is that it fits all iPhones and will quite likely fit the iPhone 5 too.
Lots of people singing the Drybag praises – I’ll grab a unit soon and give it a full review here on London Cyclist.
Wish there was an iPod touch one. Can’t find one anywhere.
Running it under a tap? You’re brave!
Yep, could tell from the construction of it though it was going to be fine. You can normally tell straight away if a mount is good quality or not. But admittedly could have been a costly error! Although, have you found even in the rain an iPhone is fine. It’s sealed pretty tight!
As for the swivelling problem, once you’ve set it to the right angle etc, wouldn’t a drop of superglue sort the swivel?
I just bought this one myself but I went for their motorbike version as same size because I thought it would be more robust. No problem with swivel once happy with setting and tightened up the swivel mechanism knob. I am very pleased with it.
Just bought myself a Wahoo Fisica iPhone 3 & 4 bike mount that has a built in Ant+ dongle so I can use my existing Garmin HR monitor and Cadence sensor. There are quite a few apps that support the Wahoo dongle, I’m using iMapMyRide at the moment
£55 from CRC http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=61045
Seemed like a good deal as the dongle and any other case would come to more than £100.
The mount can clamp on either bars or stem using cable ties, seems pretty solid.
The case is advertised as waterproof, sealing seems good but not had it out in a shower yet. Will report back!
Update after 4 hours of riding:
The mount seems secure – didn’t lose the phone on my commute which takes in roads, towpath, cobbles etc.
Definitely waterproof – heavy rain was shrugged off and the touch screen works well even when it’s wet.
The ANT+ dongle is great – worked with my Garmin gear no probs.
You can connect an external power source.
Apps-wise:
The free Wahoo Fitness app is basic but great – logs all your stats and you can upload to a large number of sites (Garmin, MMR, Training Peaks, MapMyTracks in real time etc). The map is useless.
I had high hopes for MapMyRide but their website won’t display the HR and Cadence graphs. The route/map features of the app are quite good though, but you can’t create a route on your device.
BikeHub is a great first stab at turn by turn navigation but has some flaws. Can’t complain too much as it’s free.
Hi, the only negative on this mount is said to be the swivel mount… I just wanted to let you know that with a minor modification it no longer swivels, but only has a little suspension, so that fixed the problem… I have to undo one screw if I want to change it from portrait to landscape, but I’m not sure why I would want to change the orientation quickly anyway…
Been using the Fisica case for ages with my 4s, but now I’ve made the change to the 5 and I cannot find a waterproof, handlebar mounted case for it anywhere!
The fact that I can now use bluetooth heartrate and speed/cadence sensors means finding a mount/case should be a lot easier, however it’s stumped me so far.
Any suggestions?
When I originally commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added-
checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I receive four emails with the exact same comment.
Perhaps there is a means you can remove me from that service?
Many thanks!