retiredguru

A few months ago I ordered a cheap smartphone holder mount for the bike. I wasn't sure at the time whether I would use the phone to track rides, so I didn't want to invest in a expensive unit. Today I was on a TT loop, at the bottom of the small domed bridge, where the shoulder pavement gets really rough. There's some broken plastic material littering the shoulder where this happened, so I thought I had run over plastic, the reason for the loud crack when I went over the spot. Nope. My phone had popped out of the holder and hit the pavement at around 23 mph. I didn't realize it fell off until a couple of tenths of a mile after it happened, when I looked down and saw it missing. When I went back to look for it, I found it face down on the shoulder near where the plastic litter was. I've had a COVRWARE Aegis series guard on the phone for a couple of years now and this alone saved it from damage. Not a scratch. I placed it back on the mount and finished my ride.

The culprit is this poorly designed Bengou (Sp?) X-81 mount that cost a pittance on eBay. A piece of junk. Your money would be better spend on a beer at the tavern. The right clamp racks terribly when clamping down on the phone due to its off-centered design. Loose tolerances on the shaft and threaded hole for the screw add insult to injury. The jaws aren't tall enough to fully grab onto a 1/2" thick silicone shell, or any enclosure, I would guess, but this is common on a lot of other designs, so this isn't an exclusive complaint here. I'm surprised I haven't crushed the phone case from the clamping pressures I've applied. Obviously, not enough in today's ride.

I've ordered a better working model that encloses all four corners. The video made it looked impressive. The internal measurements for each corner jaw is supposed to allow for the COVRWARE guard. Meanwhile, a couple of the wife's hair ties will keep the phone from taking another leap on a hard bump. You might have better luck with this mount, especially if you don't use a protective shell on your phone. I'd stay away from it. I wouldn't recommend it for free.


Benguo X-81 Smartphone Holder w/ a couple of hair ties to keep the phone on the holder.

Iride01 

Glad you found it and in good shape.

I keep my phone in my Jersey pocket. Hope it never happens, but imagining a worst case scenario would have me down the side of an embankment and my bike somewhere else. If I was to break a leg or something in the process I'll be glad to have my phone with me.

There are many that like you put their phone on the bars, so they'll appreciate the info.

retiredguru

Thanks.

That's the main reason for taking my phone on a ride. Not long ago I needed to call home and have my wife pick me up. And I won't go on a ride on a given day when the wife won't be able to respond to an emergency call from me. I ride on state highways where there is often no more than a riders width between my self and the cars or trucks passing by me. I ride with a healthy paranoia that keeps me vigilant, as much as possible. If I can't make the call, someone finding me will see my name and home number, call the wife.

I figured it was worth passing on. I always appreciate finding someone with experience on something I wish to buy.

I've found my expensive smartphone an adequate tool for monitoring my rides, that and a Wahoo chest mounted HRM. The Wahoo Fitness app automatically uploads to Strava. My 6.1 inch screen is a lot easier to read and touch than those tiny computers, too.

Darth Lefty 

Thanks for the review. There’s such an overwhelming wave of stuff from China. Some of it has been quite all right and some is awful. before my Apple Watch I had a BTLE heart rate strap and it seemed to work about half the time

retiredguru

You're most welcome.

So true. In this case, I had a suspicion the offset screw wouldn't clamp evenly. I went against my better judgment. Not a great loss in cost, but had my phone not had a COVRWARE shell...I would have sent scathing words and a review to the vendor. Not that it would have helped my poor phone, or wallet.

My youngest daughter referred me to the Wahoo HRM. I'm glad she did. It's been foolproof. Always syncs with the Android app. Just works. Not too bad on price. It's unfortunate that Strava no longer connects directly to HRMs, or I would use their app directly. Fortunately, Wahoo and Strava talk well together, although not perfectly.

About a month ago I purchased a Fitbit Charge 4 smartwatch. I have a rather high heart rate, even at rest (within norm), and help me with sleep issues. I also wanted to have a better control over my diet, lose some fat, eat better, etc. Been the best investment I've made in years. Obviously, this is a device made in China. So far, it has been top notch quality and function better than I could have imagined. Like you've implied: some good, some not.