Where do you carry your cell phone while riding?
 

For the longest time I used a cheapo flip phone. I never worried about having the flip phone in my pocket. It could get banged around, drenched in sweat, and it wasn't a problem. I upgraded to a cheaper smart phone a few years ago. It was very durable, and never had a problem carrying it in my pocket. Once I even dropped it while trying to text and ride. It didn't have a case, and it survived the fall with only a minor ding.


A few days ago I decided to take the plunge. I bought a fancy new smart phone. I was about to go for a ride with my new phone in my pocket, and started having second thoughts. These newer smart phones seem more fragile than earlier models. I have one of those hard cases for it, but it will still get sweaty. This got me to thinking about one of those phone holsters, but I feel like that will get in my way while riding.


Where do you carry your cell phone when you ride? Are you concerned with damaging it? Have you ever damaged a phone while riding?

Small Ziploc bag and continue using your pocket.

I don't carry a phone.

Zip lock bag. Pocket.

Can't help you. I've still got my flip phone just so I avoid those issues.

But it leads me to wonder if you can get the same phone number on two phones. I might consider a smart phone if I could keep the flip phone as well and just turn on whichever one I wanted to use.

I carry it on my belt... In a ROOTS "holster"...Works totally fantastic, never dropped, never gets wet, neve damaged in any way, always reachable and never in the way... :thumb:

Frame bag or in pocket in a ziplock bag. Either way, I always carry a ziplock bag with me just in case.

Get a Goggle voice number and forward to your existing phones. If you have two cell phones you'll still need carrier service on both. Many other advantages and things you can do with Google voice. Not as simple as just having a single number for both phones but pretty close. My GV number is my primary contact number and has been for years.
Depending on your cell carrier, you might be able to just swap SIM cards and carry one or the other.

Looks like I'm in the minority (so far) that carry his cell phone on a cradle attached to the stem bolt. My cell phone is also my 'dash board' where, just like in my car, I can glance at my stats.

When commuting? In my trunk-dry-bag on my rear rack.

When generally riding? Silca phone wallet:

https://silca.cc/products/phone-wallet

Either back pocket of backpack or stuffed in pannier or in map pocket of handlebar bag, depending on the bike.

My 2016 comment is here. I still have my Galaxy S5 in the same grippy case. The case is critical, I don't want it slipping out of my fingers.

The phone is waterproof. If it's very sweaty, the touch screen barely works until it's wiped off. Otherwise, no problems.

It fell to the ground once when I was removing my jersey. Just a chip on the corner of the case, no damage. I usually have the screen side facing my back for protection. I try to be careful not to lean back against a rough surface with the phone in the back pocket.

Commuting: In my waterproof messenger bag. Not commuting: In a Ziploc (tm) bag, along with my wallet, in a jersey pocket.

I did break one phone while riding...kind of. I was meeting a friend for a road ride and paused the Strava app on my phone without putting the phone back in the bag. So I pulled out the bag to unpause Strava, and boom! phone on the ground.

I finally ponied up the $50 for a cheap GPS computer.

I have an s9, which is waterproof. I carry it in a phone pocket in my backpack if I am commuting. I carry it in my jersey back pocket if I am wearing a jersey with a back pocket. I carry it in a saddle bag if none of the previous (though in colder weather I often carry it in my showers pass jacket pocket).

I have a case that is pretty shock absorbent. I have dropped the phone numerous times. Once from shoulder height and it dropped flat on ceramic tiles with no damage.

I wouldn't even bring it on non-commute rides except I use Garmin Connect live-track to let my spouse know where I am at and to text her if there is an accident incident. I got hit by a car last year, the Garmin detected it, relayed it to my wife through my phone before I was up off the road (my bike was more damaged than me).

If I'm commuting I usually have a backpack so it goes in a pocket there. Otherwise in a back jersey pocket. I used to use a baggie but many newer phones are waterproof so I don't bother with bags anymore.

When commuting, phone goes into a pocket in the back pack. When riding without the back pack, the leather wallet and phone go into a zip lock baggie into the rear pocket on the bike. My Motorola Razr M fit nicely into my seat bag; I miss it :-/

I have a 2 1/2 yo old samsung Galaxy S6. no case. I ride with it in my jersey back pocket. When I remove it, it's damp. I have not had any issues.

When it rains, I move it to my seat bag. I don't like keeping it in there all the time because it is a tight fit with bike/tire tools in it.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e7aadc0f1b.jpg

In the Wedge. No muss, no fuss.

I've never had the phone bounce out of my jersey pocket, and usually have an extra ziplock bag in case of rain. I have had one fall from an outside pocket of a bag strapped on a rack, and also from a mount when I was in a hurry - so it's safer in the pocket. Sometimes, commuting in the rain, I'll leave in inside the bag with my clothes, but I prefer to keep it and my wallet on my person, in case I might stop at a convenience store or get separated from my bike for some reason.

I also carry it on my belt, but in a padded pouch.. It's an older version of this. It has a flip top with velcro AND a plastic quick-snap buckle, AND and internal drawstring, so it's fairly watertight, and yet, I can run an earbud cable to listen to spoken-word podcasts (one ear-cubside). This also allows be to answer phone calls by clicking the mic-button on the headphone.

I found it at a thrift store for $1.99 last spring and so far, so good!

Before this I had another holster with a velcro top flap.

I guess this only really works if you wear a belt. I wear black golf shorts/coaches shorts with a belt. I have been doing this for decades although it wasn't something I saw others doing. However, just two weeks ago I went to the bike shop and saw a whole rack of black quick-dry shorts like mine with belt-loops and pockets.

I guess it's a thing now.

Mine were only $25 bucks at Kohls.

I used to carry it in a bag that mounted on the frame just back of the headset, but the last phone is too big for that so it goes in the rack trunk or backpack.

My "holster" is a rare earth magnet on my belt, another inside my phone's hard case. It holds the phone surprisingly well, but I haven't tried it while riding.

I'm assuming the magnet doesn't interfere with the phone. However, my wife has a phone case with a magnetic clasp and it seems to have interfered with the touch screen, rendering it intermittent. We changed back to her old non-magnetic case and the problem disappeared. It's an LG G3.