Do cell phone holders damage phones?

[Mr. Coffee]

Has anyone actually damaged their mobile phone by mounting it on the handlebar?

If you prefer to mount a mobile on the handlebar, options may be to use your old/previous one or use a cheap one for that purpose, and keep your current/expensive mobile in your pocket.

I've never had a phone damaged from being mounted on a handlebar. I've had several that took quite a bit of damage from becoming unmounted abruptly.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I use one of the map apps to guide me when I am driving somewhere for the first time. I have found it incredibly helpful. Most of these apps have options for walking and biking in addition to driving. I'd like to use it for biking to someplace for the first time. I was looking at some mobile phone holders, but several comments claimed that the vibrations damage the phones.

It this true? Are there phone holders that reduce vibration and are safe for the phones?

No idea of others' experiences, but I've been using this inexpensive Lamicall phone mount for 11 months with no evidence of damage of any kind to my largish Samsung Note20. Also never any evidence of the phone trying to fall out — even on bumpy trails.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Been using one that looks like this since 2018. Two phones have spent time in it, and both survived just fine. My current phone has been in it on/off for almost 2 years.

Amazon.com

 

[Gionnirocket]

This type of holder are excellent at protecting phones and add a little additional storage for things like a wallet and keys.
Crash tested.. Don't ask me how I know

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804645362294.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.9.21ef1802VmsqyY&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

Tell that to my current ( sorry) samsung . Barely 4 years old and the charge port is wearing out.

Did I mention that I hate spending $ on phones? Too many years of being woken up at 2 am whilst on call . So I might get a perverse sense of enjoyment when I kill one.

I've been using these for years and they are great for preserving the charge port.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832874268022.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.15.21ef1802VmsqyY&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

This said I carry my phone on every ride but very rarely need to use it or want to look at it while rolling. . .

 

[mschwett]

some people figure out ways to damage things attached to their bike. the question is whether you’re one of those people or not!

i have probably ridden 20,000 miles in the last couple years on three bikes with various top of the line iphones attached to the bars and have never once had anything close to damage. but i don’t crash my bikes, mistreat them, store them upside down, or ride extensively off road. i did ride some gravel and on poor/rough roads at very high speed.

quadlock is the most bulletproof. i’ve also liked SP-Connect for the slimmer profile of all the parts.

 

[mfgrep]

QuadLock all the way. Awesome

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Which of these cockpits looks more reliable?

Some people mount a smartphone on the stem. If that's practicable for a specific e-bike, the stem location is the most reasonable and safe.

 

[Rome]

Depends how and where you ride. How you apply your bike for your daily happy happy joy joy ride.
For example if I were to ride the above poster's bike everything on the handlebar will fall off. Before my 5 mile mark wheels will be warped.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

QuadLock all the way. Awesome

I do hope you use the dedicated QL phone case, too?

 

[Slaphappygamer]

Been using this one for over a year now. Works great!

Amazon.com

 

[Avg_Joe]

Regarding the QuadLock Universal Mount, been using it for almost 3 years now. I stuck it to the case for one phone, got a new phone and peeled off their tape, used some 3M automotive trim adhesive tape (<$5) on my newer phone, never an issue. I don't actually use my phone for anything while riding now, so I primarily put it in a pocket. When summer rolls back in, I'll use the mount bc I tend to sweat a lot and my summer riding ensemble pockets put the phone in the sweatstream.

 

[BlackHand]

I've had very good luck with the Peak Designs mount and cases. Similar to quad lock and sp connect. The only failure was user error: I tried to put the phone onto the mount one-handed at 20mph. I felt the phone start to snap into the mount and let go just as I rolled over a storm drain. Of course the phone went flying, my own damn fault.

Having said that, I've had a phone go into my back pocket fine and come out cracked. I also had a phone fly out of my back pocket when I ran after a delivery driver who forgot something.

So overall, I trust a handlebar mount more than any non-zipper pocket, and the only truly comfortable pocket for me has been some Rapha trail shorts that hold the phone in the perfect spot next to my thigh.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Another vote for Peak Designs. Both my wife and I often use PD mounts and love the magnetic catch and release feature. We have them facing to the rear instead of out front and find it easier to attach and remove our phones over the Quad Lock mount. The ability to attach the phone in either portrait or landscape modes is a nice feature.

I also have a stand alone Garmin head unit which I use on my primary road bike as well as an emtb. Can't say enough about them as they're truly made for cycling. When riding trails, I have my phone in a Evoc case attached to the front shoulder strap of my pack.

 

[Wes Turner]

QuadLock do a huge range of cases for a variety of phones. Search their site for your phone model.

My mistake. I didn't see that Quad Lock also sells cases with the connector on the back. That makes a lot more sense. I found the one that fits my iPhone Xr.

I find it a bit difficult to accept that this mount is more secure than one that grabs the phone on all 4 sides. I would think that the best of the other mounts are roughly as secure as the Quad Lock.

There is one clear advantage to the Quad Lock. The camera is unobstructed. Several of the "grabber" mounts mentioned that they do block the camera.

I currently have a silicone case for my phone, but it is starting to show some wear. I like it because the silicone is tacky. The iPhone case is a little slippery. Before I had the silicone case, it sometimes slipped out of my pocket while I was sitting down. This case is thermoplastic polyurethane. It that at all tacky like silicone?

 

[Wes Turner]

Carrying an expensive phone on the bars is not the best of ideas. Some people use an inexpensive smartphone for the purpose. As for me, I went through too many damaged phones to do it again. My answer is a GPS bike computer on the bars:

• Great battery life
• Invulnerable to crashes
• Can be used in any weather
• Does workout monitoring, GPS navigation (with climb information), and workout registering.

Garmin, Wahoo or Karoo2 integrate with Specialized and Giant e-bikes. I carry my smartphone safely tucked in the back pocket of my jersey.

How are they "invulnerable to crashes"?

How are they "integrated" with certain e-bikes?

I looked up a few GPS bike computers. The good ones run from $300 to $600. And I bet that there are iPhone apps that can do everything they can do.

I would probably only use the guidance device when testing a new route. And since I only plan on riding around town, I should pretty much know all the routes fair quickly.

Finally, I bought a pair of Shokz bone headphones. Shokz bone conduction heaphones With them, I can keep my phone in a pocket and just listen to the guidance. That's what I do in the car.

 

[Wes Turner]

However, this does not meet the parameters of your initial post, regarding vibration. Or have you changed your mind.

How so? I asked if phone holders like that one really can damage a phone due to vibration.

With regard to your future questions, why not give full details, for example;
- model of bike
- model of phone
- budget range
- etc.

That way, those who reply may be able to give you a more targeted response, rather than trying to guess what you are after with your rather seemingly random questions.

I edited my signature to provide information about my bike, but it is not being appended to any of my posts like it is all of the other forums I follow. Then I noticed that none of the posters, including you, have visible signatures. Is there a setting I need to change so that my signature is visible or so that other signatures are visible to me?

 

[PDoz]

Wes, if we click on your Name, then click AGAIN on your ame, then click on " about" we finally see your bike

Which was really educational - apparently I was following 3 members I didn't even know existed!

 

[BlackHand]

Signature only shows in desktop browsers for me. I would guess most of us view the forum more often from mobile devices.

 

[Wes Turner]

Wes, if we click on your Name, then click AGAIN on your ame, then click on " about" we finally see your bike

So there is no way for signatures to be attached to posts? Isn't that what signatures are for?

There are a few details of the way this forum works that could be better.

 

[Wes Turner]

Signature only shows in desktop browsers for me. I would guess most of us view the forum more often from mobile devices.

I only view the forum on a desktop browser. No signatures in any posts.