A good connected bike experience starts with a good mobile stand attached to the handlebars of the bike.
There are various models which each have their advantages and disadvantages.
It was not easy for me to choose so much choice and wide.
There are of course plenty of articles on the subject that offer you different models by making an inventory of the strengths and weaknesses of each.
I'm not going to tell you about a particular model here, but rather describe the pitfalls to avoid when buying a smartphone holder.
Aesthetics.
The first thing to look at is the design of the stand.
It is very unpleasant, especially when you have a pretty cool bike, to attach a filthy appendage to it.
Some brackets are so large that you can only see that on the bike.
Not to mention the garish colors or that denote with the color of the bike.
The fixing system.
There are various kinds.
We tend to give it a lot of importance because we don't want to find our smartphone in a thousand pieces on the road.
In general, the builder attaches a lot of importance to the binding. And it is rare to end up with a mobile that falls from the holder.
The same goes for falls on a bicycle.
It is of course possible to damage your phone, like your bike, in a fall. But when you look at the position of the phone on the hanger, you see that it is protected by the handles during a fall. It is not uncommon to see a crashed professional, to see him take his computer back on his damaged bike to put it back on the new bike.
The method used to fix the smartphone does not really matter and it is not for me an essential point in the purchase of a support.
The position of the mobile.
Very important detail. Depending on the position of the mobile, your connected cycling experience may be ruined.
Some support models position the mobile just above the hanger.
The problem comes when you are going to want to get into a dancer, you might knee your device.
Instead, opt for brackets that will position your smartphone in front of the hanger, so you can't touch it with your knees.
Protection.
We have already talked about it a little before with the fixing system.
In universal mounting systems, your support will adapt to your smartphone. But other supports work with plastic covers where you slide the smartphone, and others will offer you protective shells that clip to the support.
And this is where there is a problem.
Indeed, whether for the cover or for a full protective shell, you will transform your smartphone into a pretty mirror.
Plastic coatings have a high coefficient of reflection, which makes reading data on the smartphone unreadable.
This type of protection is often presented as a protection of the smartphone against the rain.
But today, most mobiles are waterproof. Maybe not waterproof enough to take a photo at the bottom of the pool, but enough to weather the rain to have experienced it.
Conclusion.
It's not easy not to make a mistake as long as you haven't driven your smartphone for several kilometers. And it is very unfortunate to invest in equipment that you will only use once.
For my part, I opted for the Quad Lock brand with the Out Front Mount Universal model.
But I made the mistake of buying a full shell that covers the screen with a fairly opaque plastic.
To solve the problem, I had to cut out and remove the top of the shell to directly see the screen of the smartphone.
In this case, it is better to buy a simple back cover where the fixing system is glued. The manufacturer also recommends not to buy a shell with a porous material such as silicone.
Hope this can help you in your next purchase to fully experience the benefits of connected cycling.