Bike phone mounts

How to choose your bike phone mount

A bike phone mount is nothing like a car phone mount: it has to withstand constant vibration and hard knocks, and dropping a phone at 25 km/h is unforgiving. Reliable systems all work on the same principle — an interface attached to the phone and a base attached to the bike.

The two systems in this range

• Quad Lock : mechanical quarter-turn lock. It is the most secure on the market and the most widespread. You need a a dedicated case for your phone model, or a stick-on universal adapter.
• Fidlock : guided magnetic positioning with a mechanical lock that engages when you attach the phone. Quicker to attach and remove, and very handy for riding around town.
• Zéfal Z-Console : a universal pouch that takes any phone and protects it from the rain. Less precise, but much more flexible when it comes to compatibility.

The first thing to check

With both Quad Lock and Fidlock, the mount alone is not enough. You need either a case made for your exact iPhone or Android model, or a universal adapter that sticks to the back of your current case. This is the most common ordering mistake in this range: buying the bike mount without the other half of the system.

Where to attach it

• On the handlebars : the simplest fitting, compatible with any setup.
• On the stem or headset top cap (Out Cap Mount, Stem Mount): less conspicuous, with the screen in your line of sight and the handlebars left clear.
• Positioned out front (Out Front): the easiest position to read, with room for a light underneath.
• On an integrated cockpit or aero handlebars, check that the clamp fits the profile — it is not round.

MagSafe, rain and battery life

The cases MAG add MagSafe magnets, handy for wireless charging when stopped. There are two things to watch out for on the bike, though: a rain protection (poncho) is still recommended in a downpour, and prolonged prolonged vibrations from the handlebars can interfere with the optical image stabilisation in some phone cameras — a vibration-damping mount reduces the effect.

To find out more: How to plan your cycling route

See also: GPS and camera mounts · GPS bike computers · Handlebar bags and bikepacking