How To Use Your Phone As A Bike Computer 

Have you used your phone as a bike computer? 🚲📱

Disappointing video. Just an elongated Mous advert. No information on pairing sensors with phones and what is possible.

I use the “Cyclemeter” app on my iPhone and love it. The dashboard is fully configurable and the app pairs up with all my sensors with no issues. It also automatically uploads my ride to Strava when completed. I am using a “Quad Lock” case and mounting system which has been super sturdy and even held my phone safely through a bike crash. Unfortunately I didn’t fare as well. The only two downsides I see is the battery life of the iPhone and the touch screen can be a bit flaky if rained on. I am very happy with this setup with no intentions of buying a dedicated bike computer.

I use my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt for all of my rides. I have a Quad Lock mount and case for my phone on bike tours. I configured my single earbud to wake the phone screen with voice and then use voice to get weather updates and find the nearest convenience store or restaurant for a break or water bottle refill. Personal tip: polarized lenses make a phone almost impossible to use on a ride.

Do love using my phone as bike computer, especially with my apple watch…but one thing I dislike is sweat dripping on the phone and getting into the case…

Does mounting a phone a bicycle damage the camera or any sensitive components over time from vibrations? I hear this a lot with motorcycles but not much with bicycles. Can someone confirm?

Occationally I do, but then I go for the Quadlock mount, as I also use that kind of mount on my motorcycle and car.

You can also buy that adhesive garmin adapter and get a hard case. It’s way cheaper. If you want extra security you can also get that rubber strap that secures from all corners. I was MTBing and the the garmin mount broke but that silicon rubber strap kept it from flying off.

My main concerns about using my $$$$ new iphone mounted on the bike is that the screen will always be exposed to the sunlight (oled screens do not like it), rain, cold and heat. So i just have it in my pocket and use Apple watch for the current info.

I was hoping it would be more about what software you could use that would support sensors of different kind, and also talk about the accuracy of different solutions. Maybe a future video?

Basically a commercial for that product 👎

I didn't realise this video would be a six-minute video on trying to sell Mous mount. I don't use a cycling computer I use my phone, yes my cycle usually lasts between 60 to 90 minutes put on a full charge my phone could last up to 8 hours. I use the Wahoo app with cadence, speed sensor and heart monitor and I have no problems with it one more thing, I use a Quad lock mount.

Nothing more than an advert for mous, really disappointing

Have a waterproof phone bag / case that clips on and off its attachment on the handlebar. Then phone inside, using Komoot app for planning routes, turn by turn directions etc. Importantly, set Komoot to wake up the display when turns are approaching. Rest of the time my screen is off which is a HUGE battery saver.

Ollie should've worn a heart rate monitor dropping his phone 😄 However a case only saves your phone on a flat surface. Throw it into gravel and your screen will likely chip. I used my phone to navigate a fair bit, but I had it in my back poket and used headphones. Wahoo has been a game changer for me, but I have an older model that has no rerouting if you miss your turn 😅

This clip is nothing more than a blatant advertisement for that phone mounting product

The main thing nobody covers is that bike GPS are all useless when being used as normal car like GPS. For example take your wahoo and to some random spot then go for coffee.. Where is a coffee shop?.. Your wahoo doesn't know, it cannot tell you. Even if you have the address of some place it's unlikely to find it. But google maps can get you anywhere you want. Just open it and type in coffee. Bike GPS are just crap at this and many cant do it at all. They are for training, calling them GPS is misleading IMO. They track where you have been or a predetermined path you put in before you even left home. They completely fail when you are already out and want to go somewhere unplanned. They rob you of your freedom.

Quadlock offers the most sturdy connection and mount. The company originally made phone mounts for motorcycles so they know how to build them! Recommended.

Quadlock with the waterproof overwrap

$165 CAD + whatever costs for shipping/duties for a case?!? Shirley you're joking. At that price I'm rather buy a basic Garmin second hand and not worry about my phone losing charge on my handlebar or taking a fall in the middle of traffic. This is not advice, it's just another ad. Boo.

75% of this is an advertisement for Mous. Perhaps if Ollie and Mous were not so dedicated to the cult of iPhones, this video could’ve provided some useful information about how to actually hook up your phone to your sensors. Sincerely, The majority of the world’s phone users

Occationally I do, but then I go for the Quadlock mount, as I also use that kind of mount on my motorcycle and car.

Anyone using a Quadlock case and mount on the bike?👍

I am using the Quadlock system combined with my IPhone 13 and now even with the 15 Pro Max and I got the SuperCycle App which allows all kind of sensors to be paired with. The SuperCycle App even supports different bikes to be enlisted. Until now I am pretty happy with this solution, been riding this combo for +3000 kilometers now. So for me there is no need to buy any bike computer and in addition this is saving me a good 150 grams of extra weight… 😂

It looks like you cracked your screen saver or actual screen when you dropped it! View At 4:18

Was expecting information about the new Bluetooth sensor integration available on phones, which allows power, heart rate and cadence data to be captured. This would make bike computers redundant

The phone clearly has a cracked screen in the drop demonstration ;p

I used my iPhone for many years as my only bike computer. Great app called Cyclemeter with infinite ways to customize the screens to look at during a ride and all kinds of ways to slice and dice data from past rides. Post ride, sync ride data to other cycling apps (such as Strava) that have functionality not in Cyclemeter. This year, finally “splurged” on a Wahoo Element Bolt for various reasons. Syncs with Garmin Varia radar to show approaching cars behind (in strip on one side of Bolt screen). More waterproof than iPhone. Better batter life than iPhone (on longer rides with iPhone, always had to be mindful of screen brightness / attach portable charger later in ride ). Better visibility in bright sunlight. Summit features for climbs very useful. Now ride with both iPhone (mounted on quad lock - great product) and Bolt on my handlebars. Still track rides on Cyclemeter app but do so with screen off so never any battery issues; also run wahoo element bolt app on phone (app has some features of value during ride - such as more easily seeing “big picture” view of where are on a ride than on Bolt itself.

I used to use my phone as a bike computer. It was good for short rides, but for long rides, the app had tendency to crash (approx 5-6 hours ride), that is why I decided to get a dedicated cycling computer.

I was interested to hear how secure you thought the Mous mount was, after having my brand new phone come out of another brand when I hit a pothole. The tiny lugs don't inspire great confidence! Re. rain - I always carry a small plastic bag with me. Works really well.

I have this mount for pixel 7. Works nicely, even for exceedingly bumpy gravel rides. In dry weather I can connect to a power pack in top tube bag. I wouldn't use in heavy rain because I'd rather not find out the limits of ip68.

Lol my phone is so old, Mous don't make a case for it 😅

I was really hoping for a video about different apps to use for tracking your rides but instead I got s commercial for mous cases and mounts. I use wahoo to record my rides, it interfaces with my power meter, speed sensor and hr monitor and displays data pretty well but I find it lacking when it comes to customisation of the data displays and it doesn’t support strava segments or navigation in any meaningful way. I’ve been considering trying other apps but cyclemeter looks unnecessarily complicated and I haven’t really found others with feature parity.

I used a phone on a cycling specific mount for a while when I first started road cycling. But fairly quickly my legs started lasting long than the phone battery. I upgraded to a dedicated cycle computer and quickly came to appreciate the added utility. I just don't think it's worth the risk of damaging your phone or having it snatched from your handlebars while waiting at the lights.

I’ve this exact Mous set up and I can’t recommend it highly enough. The case is excellent and clipping in and out is simple. If you are looking for an iPhone bike mount this should definitely be at the top of your list.

Ollie's screen protector is cracked! Cracked in the drop?

Good video, but I was also looking for what are the best apps having big displays seeing speed, heart rate etc.

Do the vibrations mess with the Optical Image Stabilisation system as with motorcycle vibrations?

The one issue with using a phone in this way is that its camera's optical image stabilization (OIS) WILL be damaged by the inevitable (micro-)vibrations going through the handle bars. To some degree this happens even with mounts designed to dampen the shocks and regardless of whether the camera uses sensor shift or lens shift. The little springs in these mechanical OIS-contraptions will just eventually loose their tension for good, resulting in blurry photos for the rest of the phones life (unless you use a stable tripod).

I love the utilitarian steed you use after the introduction to Mous cases. Stainless and CroMo with a beautiful and I mean awesome looking rack. That's the way to move around the big smoke. A trusty, long lasting all-rounder!

I like the fact that this product you don’t have to twist the phone to mount. I have a quad lock case, which is good, but I haven’t found a decent way to mount it when using aero bars for ultra distance events (where it’s quite nice to have both the wahoo and the phone mounted). The twisting action means you need more space around the phone to get it on and off

Great video. It helpful to know what gear to buy

Just don't...the are terrible bike computers and not designed for this. It's an easy way to destroy the camera OIS sensors too.

Was that crack in your phone’s screen before or after you dropped it (with mouse case)? 😮

Here in South Africa we are at such high risk having our bikes stolen while riding, that the option to use your phone to navigate would bring more trouble to yourself been cell phone hijacked.

Minute 3:59 so you did break the phone when you dropped it 😂

I am an avid cyclist and ride in the country side in rural Ontario, Canada. I have used my phone as my cycle computer for both road and gravel riding for years. I use a QuadLock set up on both bikes and utilize the RidewithGPS app which also links with my Garmin Varia light/radar unit and is all linked to Strava. Because of the limited battery power on the phone. I plug my phone into a battery which I keep in a bag on my top tube. Quadlock has a plastic cover for your phone and I have been out in all kinds of weather. I have also done some bike packing with this set up, with no problems. I have had the unfortunate experience of coming off both bikes, there was no damage to the phone but I wasn’t quite as fortunate.

I just use my phone as bikecomputer and record using wikiloc xor my polar m430 device !

Disappointed!!!! This video is just a long add for advertisement for a phone mount.

using a +$1k piece of glass that your entire life depends upon as a piece of sports equipment is absurd when gps computers are under $50 with a hrm.

Quad Lock

You should mention that if riding on hot sunny days, your phone will likely start shutting down. Riding in Texas just having it on my bike, I would get heat alerts and shut down. No issues when using my garmin

Bike computers are annoying in the sense you have yet another device to charge and battery life is still pretty poor (like < 24 hrs), the battery a simple speedometer with magnet last ages (like > 1 year) so I just put my smartphone in the a jersey pocket and only check it every once a while when I get lost lol

I would use my phone as bike computer. It most likely would fit in to any bike specific bike cases. I don't have to worry about having the phone screen on all day. The 10300mAh battery can play 19 hours of continues video. I don't have to worry about my phone getting wet. Unlike my bikes. I can pressure wash my phone. I don't have to worry about dropping it. It is strong enough to survive having a Ford F150 drive over it with no damage. The reason I don't use it as a bike computer. Is if it gets nicked. The replacement for my phone has a 10850mAh battery

But there is a big downside of this, if you live somewhere abit rough then the stabilizer sensor in your camera can be damage beyond repairable due to the long exposure to bumps.

hello ollie,do they have one for samsung fold4 phone?

Phone all the way. I have an UltimateAddons waterproof case for my Samsumg S10 and my motorcycles and MTB each have a RAM ball mount. I simply fix the UltimateAddons case to whichever bike I'm using and pop my phone in. I run the Komoot app for my MTB trips. In standard mode and screen on permanently, my phone battery depletes by around 12.5% per hour, so I lose around 25% per c25 miles. But in flight mode, and the app set to allow the screen to turn off and wake up when there's a voice command, the battery only depletes by around 5% per hour. I can easily ride for a day, checking in periodically for messages and missed calls. So depending on my trip, I take a battery pack or two with me. To use Komoot in flight mode you need to have maps installed for offline use.

Fidlock? The only phone mount that doesn't affect the phone itself with some big adapter / cover, it's simply flat, easy on the pockets. As in one milimeter, tops. And easy on the phone when it's mounted on the bike, no vibrations. And it's stays on - you could even lift your bike holding it on your phone if.. 🙄 Magnet + vacuum, simple as that

To be honest: Not so good video in my opinion. I use only my phone for bike navigation since over a year and I dropped the idea of buying a bike computer for now. However I do not see the 'need' for protection case. The main issue on my phones when dropping them (a problem with which I had some very expensive and hurtful experiences) is the display. Even gorilla glass 6 was once completely broken after falling from about 80 cm to the floor on a small gravel stone (no bike-related background in this case). I do not see how a case not covering the display shoul help there. So, I meanwhile have an additional protection film on the display. But the case itself never got more than a scratch when falling to floor. (Ok, if you are sensitive about scratches, maybe a case is an idea) My actual phone is really good with energy saving, so I can ride about 9 to 10 hours with display on. That's sufficient for most of my tours. In the rare cases when I have a longer ride, I use a powerbank. What I kind of would have expected in a video like this are some hints and experiences with suitable apps. Google maps in my experience is far away from good. Maybe suitable for small inner city rides, but nothing one should really recommend. I use Komoot which suits well, but also has it's disadvantages. For mounting, I use a silicon mount an the stem. That, to be honest, has it's disadvantages: When the stem is short (and one even has an old DI2 junction under the stem) it does not fit well. Also, the TT bars are kind of in the way of the smartphone. I would be open to another solution that does include permanently adding a case (and extra weight) to the smartphone. But I did not find anything yet. The last topic I would have hoped for advice would be rain on the touchscreen. When the (bigger) raindrops are hitting the display they are often seen as touch by the display. And that sometimes make the phone unusable. But I heard about bike computers kind of having the same problem as long as they have touchscreen. When I last did some research on that problem I found that there seem to exist apps that can lock the touchscreen. But I didn't try that yet. But nevertheless, I am a fan of GCN (in german and english). So keep on doing what You Do and thanks for all the videos!

I've really enjoyed using my phone. I pair strava, with google maps, or ride with gps, and use an app called super cycling in order to get customized stats showing when not looking at a map. It also means when I'm listening to music i have easy access to change songs right on my "dash". As for the phone itself, I always look for one with at least a 5000mah battery. My mount is unfortunately much chonkier than the ones demoed in this video. Maybe santa will bring me a slim mount in the future.

I use my cellphone (google 7 pro) for navigation. The only problem is rain, when the screen gets wet, its changing the (doing all kind of changes by itself), and i cant follow my track anymore. Also all the functions on tge screen dont work anymore. Using my Garmin map66, i have buttons and it works allways. Jn dry wetter the cellphone is unbeatable.

Really like inexpensive cell phone mount I bought at Walmart, rock solid. Would magnets shown in video throw off compass app? Strava app has no privacy, that's how Ukraine targeted Russian sub commander that was jogging. I use Polar Flow app with chest belt to monitor and record heart rate during rides. Also have attached inexpensive Dinoka bike speedometer on handlebar.

I’m using a Garmin on my road and MTB as it has more bike specific features, is much more water resistant and if I smash it, happened to me a year ago, it’s cheaper to replace. Also would rather keep the phone safe in my pocket so it’s available in an emergency rather than thrashed!

I just quickly scrolled through the top comments here, and didn't see anything related to what may actually be the most important consideration of all when using a phone as a cycling computer - and Ollie certainly didn't mention it. Most (all?) phones are *not* designed for prolonged sun exposure. Batteries get hot and swell (or worse), especially with regular prolonged direct sunlight exposure in the summer, and displays - especially AMOLED models - well, it's awful. If you are the type to replace your phone every year or two, then these probably aren't concerns. On the other hand, if you only replace your phone once every 4 years (or longer), using it as a cycling computer is probably the very absolute last thing you want to do.

Not very helpful. I was hoping for tips on how to integrate speed, power, and biometric sensors with phone apps and which apps are suitable for these kinds of applications. Instead, only basic mounting information was provided. The Mous appears to be a very sleek and functional mounting and protection system, but they don't offer cases to fit my OnePlus phone. Overall, very disappointing and not up to your usual standards.

Lemme help everyone save a good number of dollars off the mous case, get a 2nd phone case that's robust enough, and stick a garmin mount adhesive like the one in the link below behind it. It's a cheap solution to get your phone mounted securely onto your bike. Cycling computer mounts shouldn't be too expensive to get either as I'll post in my 2nd or 3rd link. Now I get to have a slim case when I'm not cycling and a robust one when I do. Have fun budget/casual cycling guys, I don't benefit from any purchases made from those links and I'm sure you'll be able to source for cheaper off your local e-commerce platform.

Be it a camera, music player or GPS - a smartphone really is a Jack of all trades, master of absolutely none. I'm happy with having a dedicated bike computer, knowing that I won't end up with dead batteries halfway through a long ride.

7 min commercial tbh. :(

After having used a phone on the bike, i have some main reasons why i do NOT recommend this: - vibrations will destroy your camera and stabilization of the lenses. Bike computers are built for this, so no worries - display visibility and battery drain. Your phone will reach lava temps and burn down the inside and battery immediately I mean, Ollie talks about it, but these are really serious issues. But everyone can try and find out 😜

I want navigation from exported gpx files from strava routes for as cheap as possible. All trail/off road routes. What is the best option for me?

It would have been good to mention which gloves work with touchscreens. But maybe that's a topic for another day...

But the phones arnt waterproof!!! Im using a samsung with a punkcase (waterproof 3 years old) and a quadlock adaptor stuck to it and bar mount!

i love GCN and i binge watch it on the reg, but we CAN NOT believe what they say when it comes to bike computers as they are paid by wahoo to promote their products. end of.

As good as Iphones and Iwatches are, I hate that the app store is filled with subscription services that I definitely don't want to pay for. Is there a free app that can display speed and heart rate, in real-time, that does not require a separate app purchase?

Never going to use my phone as a bike comp. My phone fell from the mount its on. And i have a broken screen. And im not using a cheap mount. I bought a quadlock mount and case. Apparently one of the lock snap.

Yes I did and would never do it again. Because of the vibrations during the ride the glass got micro cracks which went worser and worser until the phone wasn't usable anymore.

Was looking for advice on how to optimise battery life when navigating using a smartphone.

Is it just me or is the Electric car you are now using for filming bloody noisy, and loudervthan the old one? Or are your bike tyres rubbing on the brake blocks?😅

I use my phone as bike computer, it's waterproof and I connect to power meter and other sensors using supercycle app (quarq power meter on crank) and the app sync with Strava, so don't see any need for a overpriced bike computer

Uhm...at the 4;17 mark there is a massive crack you can see on the phone. Did this happen when Ollie dropped it???

What a lazy video, just a long winded phone case commercial

Don’t assume you can find a bike compatible case for any phone. I have been unable to source one for my galaxy A52.

I'd be wanting to check a bit closer than that before announcing that the phone survived the drop!

Can you advise any apps for tracking cycling data when using phones as bike computers ?

Take a look at Min 4:18 what do you see…. It broke lol. We’ll hopefully the protective shield only.

The only problem here in Brazil it's attractive to theft, like "hey, look at this easy smartphone to you theft and take" 😭😭😭

Informative, but looks like his phone has a cracked screen. Not a great endorsement for Mous Cases.😂

Couldn't tell if that was the M6 or a huge crack on the smart or not so smartphone caused by human error......🤔🙄

Mobile phones are great on a bike because they allow you to browse on the internet for more carbon fibre thingies for your bike as you're riding along instead of wasting time paying attention to traffic and such. My only advice is to make sure you buy a carbon fibre smartphone.

No mention of the massive issue regarding cyclists being attacked for their data packed mobile on the bars. Don't do it

Disappointing video! Turned out to be a Mouse add rather than an objective run through options and possibilities.

But Ollie .. Phone now a days heat up during rides that are 3 hours long and really can spoil the screen (I've been told) .

most phones nowadays are waterproof or water resistant... but the problem I find with rain is that the touchscreen becomes totally un-usable when wet

I do like my Mous case on my phone for every day life. But my phone does not match up for a Mous cycling case. So other types of phone mounts for me.

My Xiaomi band and its accompanying Zeplife software is free and works very well for me. It even announces the elapsed time of my ride, my heart rate, and the time for each kilometer ridden. After you see your route, average speed and heart rate, and the total cycling time

I was hoping this would be more about which apps act like a bike computer instead of an advert for mouse mounts 😢

Gcn I am considering this method I Am an x racer I got to cat 3 and I don’t want to bye a garmin lol

What else besides Strava do you recommend. ? Thanks

Speaking of mounts, I so want to mount my Garmin & headlamp better to make them look sleek.

I use to have my phone as a GPS on the bike but removed it because I just want to enjoy the ride and don’t mind getting lost