Am I the only person on the internet who bikes in the rain?
(I’m looking for a handlebar mount, but water proof ones are seemingly non-existent.)
You’re not, but I have a portable GPS that is waterproof. I keep my phone in a ziplock packed away for emergencies.
Why? So you can text while riding a two wheeled vehicle with no protection around you?
I avoid having a motorcycle out in the rain as much as is humanly possible. You can easily put the phone/gps in a ziplock bag and then the handlebar mount.
Beware. I had a handlebar mount for my bicycle built along a similar style. The plastic neck broke in two about two weeks into use. Not saying this one necessarily will, but it seems like a likely point of failure.
I would have thought that one of the reasons for having a mount like this was that you’d be able to snap pictures or take video while you ride - this doesn’t seem to be optimized for that.
Back circa 1992 I built one myself for this purpose, primarily out of bent coat hanger, so I could take exciting street-level photos while zipping through downtown Montreal. I didn’t account for how much the coat hanger wire would bounce and deflect over bumps, the experiment soon ended with a shattered point and shoot strewn across deMaisonneuve blvd (a cheap one I’d found in Lake Louise so not a huge loss).
GoPro is a much better option for this these days and you can mount it on your helmet, getting a better vantage point that doesn’t jolt as much as the bike frame.
I dunno. I’ve tried the go pro on my helmet, bars, pegs, and then mounting it off the frame. To get interesting video it really seems the helmet sucks as we don’t view the world cinematically. If you are being aware of your surroundings, trying not to die, your head moves an awful lot. Perhaps for a bicycle it is different but I’ve found head mounting cameras stinks for UW and Motorcycle work.
Did you try a RAM mount? They’re not cheap, but the X-grip held my phone on a 3000 mile trip with no issues- even lacking the safety strap.
More expensive as well, I don’t deny- but it’s a really solid platform that’d let you grow. The ball-joints are a bit more flexible than the direct-mount-to-the-handlebars, too.
They have phone-specific cases as well instead of the X-grip, which appear to be more secure- but as soon as you have a case of any sort on your phone for day to day stuff, it’s tough to then fit that case into a custom handlebar mount without going to the x-grip.
http://www.rammount.com/Products/XGriptradeMounts/tabid/4687/Default.aspx
I’ve been using this similar one for awhile now, seems even more secure: ChargerCity Mega Grip Bike Bicycle and Motorcycle Mount
The holster for the phone, including the elastic band, detaches from the bar clamp. So when I’m in a car rental, I loop the elastic band around the back of the holster, through a dash air vent: works great as a GPS cradle.
The Readyaction mount is a bit more expensive but has a better grip on your phone so that you don’t need the elastic bands. You can also mount it too your body if you’re recording and want to avoid all the head movement.
Uh, this is right there in the article (and also incredibly obvious):
“I simply turn the GPS on and leave it alone.”
If you’re going to “simply turn the GPS on and leave it alone”, did you consider just leaving the phone in your pocket? Why strap if to the handlebars at all? It’s well protected there, and if it’s rainy, it’s easy to just put a ziplock bag around it and still use it. I bike everywhere I go, and if I need to mess with the phone’s UI, I just stop for a second and take it out of my pocket. Perfection.
Jason- I have the same bike you do, a BMW R90/6. Mine’s a 1975.
I’ve had the same problem you did- and I second AtariFan2600’s comment- get a RAM X-Grip.
They are pricey, but really well made. I’ve seen one mounted, oddly enough, on a 1974 BMW R90. It fits the handlebars perfectly, and held a full size GPS dead nuts solid. No play at all.
Even better- Ram also sells something called the AquaBox. It’s a fully sealed waterproof tough clear plastic box that form fits a smartphone or GPS, with a replaceable face to the box in case it cracks from use. They make em in a bunch of different sizes, and it even has a lock hasp.
The ultimate solution- put a GPS in an Ram AquaBox, mount that on an Ram X-Grip. Perfect solid holding that does not move from bumps or touches to the screen, and totally waterproof, and lockable with a small padlock, all to the bike. I can’t imagine a more thourough setup than that. It would be a bit pricey, but it would be the closest to foolproof and last forever.
And for the record, I don’t work for Ram. I’m just a machinist, and really like the robustness of their product design.
It is very difficult to read a map that is in your pocket.
So, I’ve got a 1975 R75/6 with the low EU bars and an S fairing. The unit I blogged holds my iPhone in place with very little motion or shake, screen is perfectly readable.
I would love to try a RAM X Grip but $60 seems too much when I have a $15 one that does the job just fine. If the plastic cracks and things go sideways (or tumbling.) I’ll likely order one.
Congrats on that R90/6. I am always tempted to want that bit more power but my gut tells me to stick by the bike I have (until I find a really, really nice orange R90s.)
the ram x is my favorite it just works
It’s really more for GPS/map capacity while riding.
Can mount to handlebars: that’s handy
Can mount to /any/ round thing within a certain size range… HELLO, NURSE
I’m a photographer. This would be amazing with a mobile ap based intervalometer (like the triggertrap) or the like, as I could mount the phone to a tripod leg.
