# Ohhh New Birthday Goodies - 3g iPhone related



## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

So, my wife hooked it up! The best shock & water resistant case on the market, and an awesome handlebar mount. I can't wait to test it out! I'll absolutely get on here and let you know how I make out with it! Not only am I going to be using it for my Trailguru App, but also for the Geocaching App. For those of you that don't know what geocaching is, I suggest you check it out! It is highly addicive and goes hand and hand with MTB addiction!


















Trailguru










Geocaching - the accuracy on the nav screen goes down to 56ft one you start moving, I was sitting on my butt at the computer.


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## nicodeux (Mar 6, 2009)

Could you tell us where your wife purchased that sweet set up!?

Thanks!


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## ichatfilipina (Dec 2, 2008)

is this GPS? or a cellular phone?


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## atsunD (Jun 8, 2005)

hey this looks cool
I've been considering an iPhone because you can use the GPS application with Trailguru to map so I'm interested to know how you have got on with it.

Cheers
JB

p.s. I know a dedicated GPS unit is better but I'm more interested in one toy to do it all rather than the best. You can only carry so much when riding.


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## puffdc (Feb 8, 2008)

That's exactly what i've been looking for! What's the name of the brand? Can you give us feedback on how it performs off road...


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

I have been thinking about using my iPhone on my bike as well. I have an Edge 705 but the bigger screen of the iPhone and satellite maps would be better. Plus you can play music while the GPS is following your route.

So what kind of mount is that?


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## david8613 (May 31, 2005)

I read in one of apple apps you can play music and run the gps but I forgot which app could do it. any other heavy duty cases and cradles availble? I'm for some thing heavy duty, that set up looks as though it can fall out with the jarring of n
Moutain biking....


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## RaveOn (Dec 21, 2003)

Personally, I would only mount my iPhone if riding on smooth double roads or pavement. In other words, never.

However, here are several mounts:
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=iphone+bike+mount

As for iPhone apps, MotionX is pretty good for only $3 in the itunes store. Find more about it here: http://gps.motionx.com/


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey guys sorry I've taken so long to get back on here! I'll try to answer all your questions.

My wife got everything at BUY.COM, they were the cheapest including shipping around It $50 all in all.
It is an iPhone.
The mount is called an ARKON univeral smartphone mount.
The case is the Otterbox Deffender series. It comes in 4 colors - black, black/yellow, white, and pink. I got white, not 'cause I like a white case, but because I was concerned about if it fell out, I'd be able to see it better.

The mount has been working great, I've used it probably about 40 mi so far and have been very pleased with it. The phone has fell out twice so far. The first time was trying to make it fall out by launching off a +/-3 ft drop off mutliple times, it happened on the third landing, with out adjusting it inbetween hits. The other was on a 10 mi ride, it fell out on a downhill section with LOTS of roots, and I had some good speed. There is one thing that I've added to prevent all of that recently, which is simply a thick rubber band that I saved from our last bunch of asparagus we got.  Which also ended the another anoying part of the mount. See the phone is really secured by the arms, and it allows some movement when it is clenched in the foam padding on the arms. Which in turn allowed some vibration causing this chatter that was almost unberable some times.

The strength of the mount isn't really all that strong. I could deffinetly see breaking the mount if I took a hard spill, especially with it sticking out as far as it is. Unfortunetly the actually part that mounts to the bars itself had a small diameter and can't be mounted to the stem or frame. If it does break, the case was the cheapest part of the package, IIRC it was $18 with shipping. So if that does happen, I won't be to bent.

The case however is a different story. I have a lot of faith in it and have no concern about f'in up my phone. Like I said, its fallen out twice, and on the one it took a good hit proabably around 10-15 mph, all that I could see was alittle bit of dirt that I simply brushed off. It's not bullet proof but I'd say its pretty damn protective.

Here's my most recent ride! I hope I've answered all your questions, if not go ahead and ask, I'll try to do my best.


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## puffdc (Feb 8, 2008)

RaveOn said:


> Personally, I would only mount my iPhone if riding on smooth double roads or pavement. In other words, never.
> 
> However, here are several mounts:
> http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=iphone+bike+mount
> ...


I wonder what mount is being used in the picture? that's the style i'm looking for...


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

RaveOn said:


> Personally, I would only mount my iPhone if riding on smooth double roads or pavement. In other words, never.


My 16GB iPhone cost me $299, it is inside an Otterbox Defender case. I also have a Garmin Edge 705, it cost me $450 and doesn't have a case. If I crashed, I am sure the mounts for both would break but doubt either would allow the devices to fall off the bike during normal riding.

Since the iPhone costs less, it seems to be a no brainer to use it for rides.


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## okie_calvin (Jan 31, 2004)

But if you break your iPhone can you get another for $299 if your contract isn't up?


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

Good point, the iPhone is only subsidized on the first purchase, I think a 16g is like $600 the second go around. That's still not going to deter me from using it. . I've had awsome experiences with apple care anyway, they replaced my old iPhone (edge) 2 time with a refurbs. My friends little brother dropped his and broke the screen and they gave him an refurb also. But if it came down to me needing to buy a new one, looks like my wife will be getting one and giving it to me!


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## UCLAallDay (Mar 15, 2009)

Do these apps work for both 3G and Egde? If not which is best for Edge iPhone?


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

I don't think any work for edge only 3g.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

Andrew16v said:


> Good point, the iPhone is only subsidized on the first purchase, I think a 16g is like $600 the second go around.


True but it would be covered against accidental damage if you got a SquareTrade warranty. http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/iphone-landing1?


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

I just got the MotionX app and is pretty good so far. Now for a sturdy bike mount for my iPhone.


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

Nice! I've downloaded both motionX and trailguru. I'm kinda diggin the trailguru more. Here's a little ride me and some buddies did today.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

Okay....so why do you like Trailguro over MotionX?


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

someone please tell me how to delete a post


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

Resist said:


> Okay....so why do you like Trailguro over MotionX?


Well, I guess it's because I didn't have to figure too much out to use it. I mean motionX is easy as 1,2,3 to use - but I never went as far as figuring out how to share the trails with my friends or put them into google maps or earth. Trailguru (free) was so simple, I just set up an account on their site (free), and was able to post it right from my phone to their site.

From there I can e-mail it to my friends, embed maps on sites like this, and post links. Plus I can decided whether to share it with the community or keep it private. I also like the fact that it has all the info as to min/avg/max speed, avg pace, min/max elevation, totall accent/descent, and it tells me my calories burned.:thumbsup: Right on that page it shows a google map with all the google maps options such as map/satellite/hybrid/terrain. You can play your track and watch the little arow follow your course. There is also a 1 button to send it and view it in google earth. On the bottom of the page it show graphs of your speed over time and elevation over time. (click on the link next to where it says trail guru on my map "3/29/09 EMP (Mountain Biking)" to see what the page looks like)

Like I said, I haven't really played with motionX all that much. I tracked some trails but never did anything with my tracks. I pretty much just downloaded motionX to get it for the price before it jumps up, because once 3.0 software come out allowing turn by turn navigation, I think it will be the best platform out there for it.


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## Memphis_Buckeye (Mar 13, 2009)

*TrailGuru vs. MotionX-GPS*

I am trying to decide which iPhone GPS app I like best, and have narrowed my choices down to TrailGuru and MotionX. So far, I have a few pros and cons for each, but am leaning towards TrailGuru with hopes that I can find solutions to it's cons.

I've been using TrailGuru for a month or so now, and so far I really like it. Overall, it is a great app, and you can't beat the price... FREE! I really like all the analysis type info you have at your finger tips once you upload your track to the website. After playing around with it a bit, I found that you can do a multitude of things with your tracks once you upload them, including split them, share them on Facebook, download them into Google Earth, etc. There are for more pros than cons to TrailGuru, in my opinion. Here are some of the pros and cons I am finding right now...

Pros:

 Free
 Website to save and manage tracks & routes
 Extensive data and analysis tools to use once you have uploaded the track to the website, including elevation data that MotionX does not provide (i.e. total climb)
 Google searches seem to indicate that TrailGuru doesn't lose its GPS signal/track logging as much as MotionX does (I have not confirmed this myself, it is solely based off of internet searching at the moment)

Cons:

 I find that the map feature on the iPhone with TrailGuru is quite laggy, and often difficult to use (mostly because it just seems to load very slowly), so I typically do not use the map inside the iPhone app itself. 
 Will not track GPS if not in foreground of iPhone
 Will pause recording if you get a text or call (see note above about being in the foreground)
 Not as many on-phone features as MotionX, such as compass and waypoints

I just downloaded the MotionX app today to try out. I haven't used it on a real ride or run yet, but here are some of my initial impressions...

Pros:

 Will run in the background
 Ability to save tracks/waypoints on the phone without uploading them right away (TrailGuru has "laps" that can be used to separate the tracks, but I kinda like being able to save them and name them on the phone and then upload them all later)
 Compass is a very nice feature for hiking/camping
 Map on the iPhone seems to run a lot smoother than TrailGuru's
 One button uploading to Facebook straight from phone. Plus, when you do upload to Facebook, it posts some basic data of the track, along with a photo (if you took one). I like that a lot more than TrailGuru's basic "Adam mountain biked X miles".

Cons:

 No website that stores all of your data/tracks
 Posted tracks only stay on Google maps for about a month (at least that's what the message says when you share them)
 Elevation data not as in-depth as TrailGuru

I'll keep everyone posted on my impressions of the MotionX app once I get some more experience with it.


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

does anyone know if the MotionX GPS via iphone use the GPS satellite or the mobile Internet network? 

Reason I ask co's I dont want to get charge for internet data everytime I use the MotionX.


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## Memphis_Buckeye (Mar 13, 2009)

wannabeRacer said:


> does anyone know if the MotionX GPS via iphone use the GPS satellite or the mobile Internet network?
> 
> Reason I ask co's I dont want to get charge for internet data everytime I use the MotionX.


It uses the GPS via satellite (requires iPhone 3G, as the original iPhone does not have GPS capabilities). Having said that, I don't know how one could have a pay per use data plan with an iPhone... That just seems to be begging for a gigantic phone bill! I'm not sure if they even allow you do have anything but the unlimited data plan, so I'm not sure why you would be concerned.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

I like the looks of MotionX GPS much better than TrailGuru. Free is nice but sometimes you have to pay for stuff that is better.


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

Memphis_Buckeye said:


> It uses the GPS via satellite (requires iPhone 3G, as the original iPhone does not have GPS capabilities). Having said that, I don't know how one could have a pay per use data plan with an iPhone... That just seems to be begging for a gigantic phone bill! I'm not sure if they even allow you do have anything but the unlimited data plan, so I'm not sure why you would be concerned.


In Australia we have to pay to surf the Internet, except its free on some wi-fi spots.


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## Memphis_Buckeye (Mar 13, 2009)

wannabeRacer said:


> In Australia we have to pay to surf the Internet, except its free on some wi-fi spots.


Wow. I didn't know that. Is it expensive, or are you like me and try to use as little as possible when something is billed "per use?"


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

Memphis_Buckeye said:


> Wow. I didn't know that. Is it expensive, or are you like me and try to use as little as possible when something is billed "per use?"


yes we do, I heard Internet is free on most US states. When I was in China it was free also, but dont know why Australia is not.

Below is the link of my iphone pricing plan in AUSD you'll have to convert that to USD.

http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/phones/iphone/pricing.html


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## farfromovin (Apr 18, 2009)

My biggest problem with using my iPhone as a GPS trail recorder is reception. Where I ride sometimes (out in BFE), there is spotty reception. It may record about 60% of my ride but the rest is trashed. That doesn't make for good accurate stuff. I'm also hesitant on dropping cash on a Garmin bike unit because I've seen Garmin GPS units in cars drop satellite reception on clear sunny days. Who knows what would happen with a Garmin out in the thick forrest on a rainy overcast day in the PNW?


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

wannabeRacer said:


> yes we do, I heard Internet is free on most US states


Well you heard wrong. It is not free in the U.S., as we have to pay an internet provider every month for access.


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## Andrew16v (Jul 31, 2008)

*iPhone mount update!*

So.....I took a trip up to North Jersey and rode on some pretty serious single track and I must say. This mount is not made for that. I guess I'm to used to riding relativly flat trails, not downhill sections with rock gardens and bigger kicker like log jumps. I must say, with a thick produce rubber band, it didn't come off. But I only kept it on the bars for 10-15 min, the rest of the trip it spent in my seat bag.

I will continue to use the mount down here in flatville, mainly when I'm geocaching - but I will no longer recomend this mount for any hardcore riding. Like I said, it didn't fall off, but reguardless, it's just not worth the risk to me.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

farfromovin said:


> I'm also hesitant on dropping cash on a Garmin bike unit because I've seen Garmin GPS units in cars drop satellite reception on clear sunny days.


Not all Garmin GPS units are the same. The newer ones have more sensitive GPS chips, like what is in the Edge 705. The 705 gets great reception while inside my house, where as my older GPS units won't. I can get reception inside my house with my iPhone as well but I still feel the 705 is more sensitive with better GPS chips.


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## farfromovin (Apr 18, 2009)

Resist said:


> Not all Garmin GPS units are the same. The newer ones have more sensitive GPS chips, like what is in the Edge 705. The 705 gets great reception while inside my house, where as my older GPS units won't. I can get reception inside my house with my iPhone as well but I still feel the 705 is more sensitive with better GPS chips.


So the general concensus is the 705 picks up reception in thick woods with cloudy skies? How about Garmin's cheaper units? The 705 is kinda spendy


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## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

*for what it's worth...*



Andrew16v said:


> So.....I took a trip up to North Jersey and rode on some pretty serious single track and I must say. This mount is not made for that. I guess I'm to used to riding relativly flat trails, not downhill sections with rock gardens and bigger kicker like log jumps. I must say, with a thick produce rubber band, it didn't come off. But I only kept it on the bars for 10-15 min, the rest of the trip it spent in my seat bag.
> 
> I will continue to use the mount down here in flatville, mainly when I'm geocaching - but I will no longer recomend this mount for any hardcore riding. Like I said, it didn't fall off, but reguardless, it's just not worth the risk to me.


Thanks for the report back, kinda figured it would prove less than idea. There's just no substitute for a rugged outdoor gps unit and the manufacturer's handlebar mount. I buy the unit that will suit my particular use and not break the bank to repair or replace, as will happen from time to time. The only time I actually lost a gps unit I was hand holding it while route finding. I also broke a display by dropping it on a sharp rock. Never had any damage while in the bar mount, even in crashes and bushwacking. I have cracked one bar mount in 10+ years but replaced it before it actually broke.

Currently I'm using a Garmin Vista HCx with the free gpsfiledepot.com>custom maps>us topo maps>New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado state topo maps (I live in the Four Corners area) installed on a 1 gig micro card. Amazing topo detail and highway detail. In the laptop I use TopoFusion and also Garmin MapSource with the gpsfilesdirect maps installed for upload to the gps unit.

If you use the gps for training purposes you might want to use a bike specific gps and the appropriate training software, but again don't pay for things you won't use, don't hesitate to get a refurb, and try the free map software first.

TopoFusion is worth buying if you get into it.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

Cloudy skies yes, not sure about thick woods but I have never had an issue with my 705 getting a signal. And I said it even works inside my house, so I guess that could qualify as this woods. I am sure the less expensive units has less expensive GPS chips.

My biggest complain with my 705 is its small screen size. The size is fine is you don't want to see map data.


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## butchseaman (Apr 27, 2009)

I think we nned a forum for mtnbkinikng and geocaching...


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## New to MB (Dec 31, 2008)

Ok so I had an issue with trailguru, today that is mentioned here. I got a call but had the phone on silent in my camelbak and it only recorded half my ride. which I understand it does not run in the background. Are there any other apps like trailguru, where I can upload to a website. Or is that really even that important.


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## Teq (May 12, 2008)

There is an easy way to get around the app shutdowns - jailbreak the phone.
You can then use Backgrounder from Cydia to run your apps in background.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Sounds like y'all would have fewer problems if you used a REAL outdoor GPS instead of a cell phone. I'm still convinced the iphone is not rugged enough internally to handle strapping it to the h-bar to record a ride. The construction is too lightweight.


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## Teq (May 12, 2008)

Well, I've been using it successfully for the past few months on the bike without any serious protection, and the last few days with an Otterbox Defender mounted on my stem. It survived without any protection so I'm pretty sure it will be fine in an otterbox, but then again I don't really intend to look at the internals with a microscope


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## New to MB (Dec 31, 2008)

I got motion x lite and seems pretty cool cause I can post it to facebook, that is a niffty feature...I think I will go back and forth between the two.


Explain the jailbreak thing, please!


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## Memphis_Buckeye (Mar 13, 2009)

New to MB said:


> I got motion x lite and seems pretty cool cause I can post it to facebook, that is a niffty feature...I think I will go back and forth between the two.
> 
> Explain the jailbreak thing, please!


You can post trailguru to FB, but you have to do it from the website. Also, it's not quite as "pretty" when you post trailguru... It just says you rode X miles or whatever and it shows up in your recent activity.


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## Teq (May 12, 2008)

Well I've actually bought the MotionX GPS because I found myself using the lite version all the time, definitely worth the price. Somehow I can't convince myself to trailguru, but I'm still trying 

Jailbreak modifies your phone in such a way that it's possible to install alternative software onto it without using the apple store. Backgrounder is just one of many, many applications that you can get. Another GPS related that I use is xGPS, which is basically google maps only offline (you download the maps onto your computer with a desktop tool and then sync it to your iphone, e voila, no need for an internet connection to use the mapping features). 
Theoretically you loose your warranty when you do the jailbreak, in reality, reinstalling the original iphone software restores the phone to its original state without any signs of initial jailbreaking. Also jailbreaking by itself is completely legal, even if Apple doesn't particularly like it. If you're not completely sure of your skills with a computer, don't do it.
Otherwise you'll need an original !!! tool from the iphone dev team (not the apple-dev team ) http://blog.iphone-dev.org/
Google for jailbreak tutorials for details.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

NateHawk said:


> I'm still convinced the iphone is not rugged enough internally to handle strapping it to the h-bar to record a ride.


Then you don't know enough about the iPhone, because like all cell phones, they are made to take abuse. Granted the iPhone has a glass screen that can be broken. But I have not heard of one issue where an uncased iPhone using a RAM iPhone bike mount, took damage. Nor have I heard of biking damage to an iPhone using an Otterbox Defender case.

I doubt my $450 Garmin Edge 705 is any tougher inside than my iPhone 3G and everyone uses the 705 unprotected.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Resist said:


> Then you don't know enough about the iPhone, because like all cell phones, they are made to take abuse. Granted the iPhone has a glass screen that can be broken. But I have not heard of one issue where an uncased iPhone using a RAM iPhone bike mount, took damage. Nor have I heard of biking damage to an iPhone using an Otterbox Defender case.
> 
> I doubt my $450 Garmin Edge 705 is any tougher inside than my iPhone 3G and everyone uses the 705 unprotected.


Then you clearly don't know about what goes into ruggedizing electronics devices. You can buy ruggedized phones and ruggedized laptops and they're overbuilt monsters. Rubber padding all over the outside, thick plastic cases, seals that keep dust out, and tougher soldering on the inside.

By putting the iphone into a case, you're protecting things like the screen, but you're doing nothing about the standard flimsy solders on the inside. That's where my concern is for the iphone. Throwing it into your pack is one thing. Not so much vibration there. Putting it on the bars is another endeavor entirely, and a risky one (for such an expensive device) at that.

A Garmin GPS may not be fully rugged, but it's built a lot burlier than an iphone.

Are you willing to drop an iphone onto pavement? I'm willing to drop my Garmin. It's already taken a swim in whitewater for half an hour.

Here's a primer on ruggedized electronics:
http://toughestphone.typepad.com/bobs_blog/2008/09/what-makes-rugg.html


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

NateHawk said:


> A Garmin GPS may not be fully rugged, but it's built a lot burlier than an iphone.


Well I tend to disagree. As I said before cell phones in general are built pretty tough because they have to be. It certainly is tough enough for biking on paved roads. I personally have not used my iPhone on dirt trails but there are many people that have. I have not read one thing about iPhone failures due to bike mount vibration.


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## Teq (May 12, 2008)

I agree that ruggedized electronics are built differently not only in terms of their cases but also in terms of their internal layout and strength of the soldering, but I think the point here is that iPhone is simply good enough to withstand bicycle related abuse.
That's all.
If I had 500 bucks lying around and didn't care about carrying yet another device with me, I'd probably go and get myself a nice 705, just because it's better in many aspects (waterproof, shockproof, better gps chip etc), but as it is, the iphone is perfectly sufficient.

PS. I am a little confused why the original author of the thread would use a car mount with his otterbox - this thing has no lock on top, it has to be popping out like crazy all the time when riding off road. I'm using the original holster zip-tied to the stem with a couple of rubber bands securing it, just in case.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

IMO, the GPS features of the iphone are best utilized on the road and in town, not in the woods. My LG cell phone is flat out not built tough enough to handle bike abuse, and it even looks tougher than the iphone. If I dropped it, it'd probably stop working altogether. 

And isn't that a problem with putting a gps/phone on the handlebars? EVERY mount I've ever heard of fails, and most folks have had at least one incident where they have to retrieve their electronics. GPS and iphone alike. Even if the thing it inside a protective case, that only protects the screen and exterior. It does nothing for the electrical connections inside, and that's what'll fail from extended vibrations and drops onto a hard surface. We haven't been seeing people use their iphones on the handlebars for very long yet. Mostly they get tossed in a pack, which is FAR more protective. The abuse will accumulate and we'll start seeing broken ones.

The thing is, iphones are not built tough. Look at them. They're super thin. Where's the room for the extra engineering to make 'em tough (not even rugged)? It's just not there. Just because they have an accelerometer to detect motion doesn't mean a thing. What it does mean is that the electronics inside are packed even closer together, so extended vibrations, dust, and shock are even more of an issue.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

NateHawk said:


> My LG cell phone is flat out not built tough enough to handle bike abuse, and it even looks tougher than the iphone. If I dropped it, it'd probably stop working altogether.


If your LG stops working after being dropped once then that speaks tons about LG quality. Any cell phone should still work after a 2 to 3ft drop.



NateHawk said:


> EVERY mount I've ever heard of fails, and most folks have had at least one incident where they have to retrieve their electronics.


There has been no talk about the RAM iPhone mount failing. Granted I guess if one flew off a 20 foot cliff with their bike then the odds are the mount and iPhone would fail. But that if pretty extreme.

You may believe the iPhone is not built tough but you have not shown any real proof. Granted G forces can cause major issues with electronics if not designed for them. But since the iPhone was designed with accelerometers, it is designed for some G force stress.

One thing to remember about using an iPhone on a bike is that the bike will absorb a lot of the shock, through the tires and shocks. So if an iPhone can still function after a normal drop test it certainly can survive being mounted on a bicycle. I will give you however that if you are person that is a canyon jumping mountain biker then maybe there might be an issue. But for hard surface biking, the iPhone will be just fine. And yes moisture/dust might be an issue with the iPhone but that is an easy fix by using a special case or even a plastic bag.

Oh and I used my iPhone biking on a tree covered road for miles and the GPS worked just fine.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Taking your iphone out on a paved tree covered road is different than taking it out on a rooty, rocky trail. A camera died on my not long ago after I dropped it and it bounced off a rock. The internals were toast after that. I would expect any electronics to die unless they've been built up to be durable. I contend that just because an iphone has an accelerometer to detect motion doesn't mean it's been built up to handle the vibrations on bicycle handlebars. It seems very clearly to me to be outside the original design intention (especially since you need a protective case to keep the screen functional, and to keep out dust). I also contend that you don't see a lot of broken ones because not many have strapped them to their handlebars for mountain bike rides for very long. We will see the failures eventually as the abuse adds up.

My LG has taken a couple of little drops onto pavement getting in & out of the car, but it has seen nothing like the abuse it would if strapped to the h-bars on a bike. Especially if the mount ejected the phone and it hit a rock. Sure, if it lands on the dirt in some brush that's a soft landing and I'd expect no damage to just about anything. What if you rode in PA, anywhere in the desert, or in the rockies? Places like that have a much higher rock per capita on the trail than, say, Nebraska. I'm sure even the RAM mount would eject the phone in a crash. I have other issues with RAM mounts, though.


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

NateHawk said:


> Taking your iphone out on a paved tree covered road is different than taking it out on a rooty, rocky trail.


Okay I will give you that. But I have heard from people that have taken their iPhone on dirt trails with the RAM mount and so far have had no issues.


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## ZGOZZ (Jun 9, 2009)

What mounts? Has anybody tryed one out on the trails?


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

ZGOZZ said:


> What mounts? Has anybody tryed one out on the trails?


The RAM iPhone mount. It works great for trails.


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## ZGOZZ (Jun 9, 2009)

Resist said:


> The RAM iPhone mount. It works great for trails.


Holds well? How long have you had it now?


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

It holds the iPhone really well and there were no scratches to the back of the case. I have never heard of an iPhone falling out of the mount from a crash but I'm sure it could happen if the crash was very dramatic, like off a cliff.

Another option is to use an Otterbox Defender iPhone case with the RAM Universal ATV mount.

Check out the MotionX GPS site for pictures. http://gps.motionx.com/accessories/

I liked using my iPhone, RAM iPhone mount and MotionX GPS App so much that I removed my Garmin Edge 705 from my bike. Yes I miss some of the features of the 705 but it's nice being able to use a bigger display.


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## Dragos (Apr 13, 2009)

i was going to get one of those mounts but the tie strap "design" that holds the mount to the handlebars just doesn't look to sturdy for me :/


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

Dragos said:


> the tie strap "design" that holds the mount to the handlebars just doesn't look to sturdy for me


It is good enough for the Garmin Edge 705 biking computer. Zip ties are used in a lot of products and have a really good history. I think you would have a bigger chance of your iPhone breaking free of the mount than the zip ties breaking off. Heck zip ties are even used as temporary handcuffs in law enforcement.


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## Dragos (Apr 13, 2009)

You are right. Never doubted the durability of the zip ties, what i was talking about (maybe didn't express myself right) is the ability not to slide around. Since it gets mounted to the handlebar which is round i'm thinking that no matter how hard you tighten them, if you hit/jump something hard enough the mount will eventually slide down or up. Am i right?


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

Most people mount it to the stem head. But even if you used the handlebar, the mount base is made of rubber so it grips the bar and the zip tie is tight enough so it won't slide around. It is really no different than using a clamp type mount that uses a rubber spacer sleeve.


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## Dragos (Apr 13, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I might actually give it a try. I'm thinking of Otherbox and the atv ram mount.


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## jared703 (Jul 13, 2009)

Resist said:


> It holds the iPhone really well and there were no scratches to the back of the case. I have never heard of an iPhone falling out of the mount from a crash but I'm sure it could happen if the crash was very dramatic, like off a cliff.
> 
> I liked using my iPhone, RAM iPhone mount and MotionX GPS App so much that I removed my Garmin Edge 705 from my bike. Yes I miss some of the features of the 705 but it's nice being able to use a bigger display.


Are you using both the Ram rail ez-on w/swivel and the Ram holder for the 3g? Are things still going good with this setup if so?


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## Resist (Aug 13, 2008)

It is part number RAP-274-1-AP6U it's two parts in one package. The holder for the iPhone and the mount for the bike. I have not had one issue with this setup yet. I mostly ride paved streets with some dirt trails. 

However, if I were going to do riding that can result in a lot of crashes, I would put my iPhone in an Otterbox Defender case and use the RAM Universal ATV mount part number RAM-HOL-UN4.


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## ZGOZZ (Jun 9, 2009)

I just got the iphone clip system from Ram. I will be testing it latter today.
I was bounsing the bike around and it held tight... lets see what happen on the rad and then trails.


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## Marq (May 22, 2009)

FYI....... anyone using MotionX or any other GPS that will give you a GPX file. You can get a free trail report from Utrack http://utrack.crempa.net/

It maps the trail with google maps and will give you a pdf report of elevation vs distance/time and speed vs distance/time.

You can check one of my trail reports out in this thread (post #17)
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=535197

There are also a few other free report generators that MotionX recommends,
http://gps.motionx.com/resources/#Distance


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## mowensmd (Jul 20, 2009)

Other GPS recording apps I've tried:

iMapMyRide 
GPSies

I've used both of these websites and prefer MMR. Can anyone compare these to MotionX or Trailguru? 

MO


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