Back in January, I found myself becoming increasingly enamored with the idea of making bicycling a serious a hobby. A month later I was the proud owner of a Trek CrossRip hybrid bike, great for riding around town but also for longer trips through the country. As someone that enjoys technology, I quickly looked for ways to make my new hobby a connected experience.
There are a plethora of good apps for iOS that track and record your excursions. I found this to be particularly handy in keeping tabs on my progress as a rider. However, finding a safe, visible spot for my iPhone 6 during the ride proved to be more challenging. The beauty of having all of this data is somewhat lost when your phone is stored away during your ride.
Over the last month, I’ve had the opportunity to spend some time with iOttie’s new Active Edge Bike & Bar Mount, which places an iPhone or Android directly on your handlebars. Head below for my thoughts as well as an exclusive 30% coupon code.
iOttie’s Active Edge Bike & Bar Mount is a pretty slick solution for bike riders (motorcycles, lawn mowers and strollers as well). Unlike other products, this is not a rubber mounted system, it has a solid screw-down clamp that wraps around your handlebars. The mount itself is a little thick, which required some maneuvering on my part to get the exact right placement before clamping it in. My Trek bike has a number of cables for the brakes running off the stem, so there wasn’t a lot of room. Once it is attached and clamped down it certainly is not going anywhere. I really appreciated that iOttie opted for a screw here as opposed to something a little less sturdy like a clip.
The smartphone rests in a padded rectangular area that is surrounded by two horizontal arms and one that extends vertically from the top. After placing your device on the resting area, you simply push the side and top arms down to lock the phone into place. As the arms descend a very tactile click is felt that ensures your device is securely fastened. It’s best to do the sides first — to lock the base of the phone in — before fastening the device with the top arm.
It’s no surprise that iOttie did a great job of making this a customizable fit for a variety of devices, with or without cases. They have mastered the art of smartphone mounts and this product is no exception. I had no problem securing my iPhone 6 inside an Apple case or a thicker solid wood case from Carved. In both instances, the arms had plenty of room to secure a tight fit.
Releasing the device is straight forward as well: a button on the side springs the vertical arm upwards, while a button located on the bottom releases the horizontal grip. You’ll want to free the top first to make sure your device doesn’t drop to the ground.
Overall, iOttie executed its new bike mount with near perfection, none of the necessary ports/buttons are blocked and the setup is very straightforward. While all bikes (and other applications) feature slightly different layouts, most setups should be fine. Users will find stick-on pads for adjusting the fit around the handlebar if needed, this is a nice touch given the different number of bikes out there. I never worried that my device or the mount itself would come loose — it’s a perfect option for anyone wanting to bring a smartphone along for a ride.
The iOttie Active Edge Bike & Bar Mount is available in Electric Lime and Indigo Blue directly from Amazon for $34.95. We have partnered with iOttie to extend a 30% discount on this product through next Saturday. Simply enter coupon code 9TO5BIKE at checkout to drop the final price down to $24.46 with free shipping for Prime customers or on orders of $35+. Note: You must select iOttie with fulfillment by Amazon as the seller (looks like this).
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