# Garmin mount rubber band alternatives



## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

Anyone find a better mouse trap when it comes to these darn bands snapping? I think half of the ones that came in the box have snapped.


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## ljsmith (Oct 26, 2007)

joshhan said:


> Anyone find a better mouse trap when it comes to these darn bands snapping? I think half of the ones that came in the box have snapped.


What are you trying to stretch them around, do you have a massively thick stem? I have Garmin rubber bands that are about 5 years old and have been moved between bikes numerous times and I have never had an issue. They also have two different sizes, have you tried the larger ones?


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

sounds like a job for this awesome little strap dealie i heard about the other day...


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

I finally went from a 510 Edge to a 520. I have been using the original rubber bands for almost 4 years before installing the new ones that came with the 520. I have never broken even one.


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## yzedf (Apr 22, 2014)

Just use a bolt on mount. 100's to choose from.


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## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

Crazy. Guess I have bad luck? 

Syntace and Ritchey stems. 

Bolt on mounts are fine but it all adds up when you have lots of bikes. 

Oh well, I guess I'll start saving up twisty ties from the bread bags. LOL.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

joshhan said:


> Oh well, I guess I'll start saving up twisty ties from the bread bags. LOL.


That's good.

What about using some long, thin tie wraps?


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## mik_git (Feb 4, 2004)

are you taking the mount off and mounting on other bike regularly? Like other's have used them on a number of bikes for years without one of them braking.


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## gckless (Aug 25, 2016)

Regular rubber bands are what, like $1 for 100? That's your cheap option. Ain't pretty, but it's there. And my box only came with 4 that would fit my bars, so did you only break 2? How often? The OEM replacements aren't expensive: https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Bike-mount-band-replacement/dp/B002NU6J28


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## Slash5 (Nov 27, 2011)

Multiple bikes are why I use a 910XT wrist band Garmin.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I know people getting into 3d printing that can churn out plastic mounts like crazy. Something to think about...


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

mik_git said:


> are you taking the mount off and mounting on other bike regularly? Like other's have used them on a number of bikes for years without one of them braking.


in all fairness, nobody elses are doing any braking either...


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## Tribble Me (Aug 27, 2012)

Jayem said:


> I know people getting into 3d printing that can churn out plastic mounts like crazy. Something to think about...


"Garmin male mount" 3D Models to Print - yeggi There are huge variety of STL files available for the male and female Garmin mounts if you have the ability to 3D print. You can order the prints online if you don't have a 3D printer.

Amazon has extra mounts for about $12 with extra elastics, so you don't have to move them from bike to bike:
https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-mount-quick-release-quarter/dp/B002NU6J1Y


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## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

Nope, I have a quarter turn mount for each bike. I guess it's the smaller bands that are snapping then.

I guess I'll just slowly convert over to the bolt on mounts.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

I've got these ones. They work pretty well.

K-Edge 
https://www.amazon.com/K-Edge-Stem-Mount-Garmin-Computer/dp/B00FZ5BJ8W








"LazyBone" 
https://www.shapeways.com/product/TLC4FEU5N/lazybone-stem-cap-mount-for-garmin-edge


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## pop_martian (Mar 20, 2007)

I had the same issue, but only on my road bike. I think the stem was a little more square, making the angle of the mount act like a knife on the rubber bands. I just used the skinniest zip ties I had to mount it. That was 2 years ago and I haven't had the issue since.


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## Rocky Mtn (Jan 19, 2014)

Get a top cap mount, just be sure to get some of the extra plastic inserts as they are made to break before your garmin.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5049-449/Gravity-Cap-Mount-for-Garmin-Computers


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## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

$34!!!!!!!

Jeebus.

Edit: poked around on that site and all the prices seem pretty high.


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## dirtyjack (Jan 22, 2010)

I like this cap mount.


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## yzedf (Apr 22, 2014)

joshhan said:


> Crazy. Guess I have bad luck?
> 
> Syntace and Ritchey stems.
> 
> ...


Top cap mount. Takes a minute or two to swap them around.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I prefer bolt on mounts, too, but do use the band ones plenty. Haven't broken a single band, either.

I use the Garmin out-front mount on my road bike. It came with the GPS, and this one being higher can be flipped backwards for mtb use, too.


20160821_161556 by Nate, on Flickr

I don't have any close up pics of it, but I use a hinged stem spacer mount on the mtb. From Rec-mounts. It was more expensive (it's machined aluminum with a plastic mount insert), and the hinge uses the GoPro standard and can be swapped with all sorts of things.


20160719_150520 by Nate, on Flickr


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## Tribble Me (Aug 27, 2012)

I don't have any with me to measure but the Garmin bands look like your typical o ring. I would try Home Depot or Lowe's or a hardware store for a bag of o-rings.

A bag of #17 O-Rings (10-Pack) for $2.27. These are 1-1/16" OD. 

The other option might be a hair tie, like for pony tails.


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## Rocky Mtn (Jan 19, 2014)

Canada eh



joshhan said:


> $34!!!!!!!
> 
> Jeebus.
> 
> Edit: poked around on that site and all the prices seem pretty high.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Tribble Me said:


> I don't have any with me to measure but the Garmin bands look like your typical o ring. I would try Home Depot or Lowe's or a hardware store for a bag of o-rings.
> 
> A bag of #17 O-Rings (10-Pack) for $2.27. These are 1-1/16" OD.
> 
> The other option might be a hair tie, like for pony tails.


they're not o-rings.

More like these:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#9557K158
https://www.mcmaster.com/#9557K165


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## Mucker (Feb 14, 2004)

I had a similar problem. I had 3 bikes when I purchased my garmin and all three have rounded stems, but on one of the bikes a garmin band kept snapping. I thought it was the mount itself and had purchased extra mounts when I got the garmin. I took one of the spares and had no issues after that.

I purchased a bike a short time later and installed the only garmin mount that I had on that bike, which was the one that had band breaking problems. I started having the same issue again. I ended up getting more mounts and haven't had the problem again.

My guess is that some mounts are molded with a sharp edge and it causes the bands to break.


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

There are two sizes of the attachment bands as Harold has linked above. a 1.50" OD and a 1.875" OD. I need the large 1.875" bands for my stem mount. 

You guys that are breaking these...are you by chance using the small bands when you might need the large ones?


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## Loch (Apr 29, 2011)

Mine seem to loosen over time (I think due to Sun exposure). I've swapped them out with small/long zip ties and they work very well.


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## Mucker (Feb 14, 2004)

Cleared2land said:


> You guys that are breaking these...are you by chance using the small bands when you might need the large ones?


Nope. I was running the large bands on the one that kept breaking. I believe that of the plastic mounts just have a sharp edge and causes the bands to break. It's probably a rare thing which explains why not many people have an issue. I haven't had the problem since getting rid of the offending mount.


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## azdave (Mar 10, 2014)

bar fly I have them on three bikes love em.
BarFly 1 1/8'th Turn Bike Computer Mount for Garmin Edge 200/500/520/800 Bar Fly | eBay


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## joshhan (Apr 1, 2011)

Well, I was there tying my hair back when it hit me. Try the hair tie instead of the rubber bands.










It worked beautifully. Nice and snug. Haven't been to test it yet but will report back when I do. They are super cheap too.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk


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## Cleared2land (Aug 31, 2012)

^^^ I like that. I'm interested in the long-term performance.


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## EBG 18T (Dec 31, 2005)

I moved to the bolt on out from style. I run them reversed so the computer is over my stem. 

It seems like the older rubber bands were better than the new ones. I still have a Garmin mount installed from 5-6 years ago with the original rubber bands. But the last 2 I purchasesd last year the rubber bands snapped within weeks. That's why I moved to the bolt on style mounts. I just bought 6 bolt on mounts last month. No more rubber bands to worry about.


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