Tony C. McCray Blog: Quad Lock bike mount for iPhone and Android phones

Whilst riding around London, it’s likely you’ve developed your own internal GPS for getting around. But what happens when you want to venture further? Or try completely new routes?

In September I’m planning on riding to Taunton. Following the route will be a lot easier if I have the bike equivalent of a TomTom in front of me.

That’s where the Quad Lock bike mount comes in, along with my Samsung Galaxy.

Having used it for a year now, I feel it’s a good time to share my review.

There are two main versions of the Quad Lock. The first is a case for iPhones with an inbuilt mount. Alternatively, for the non-iPhone crowd, you can get a universal kit. This sticks directly on to your phone or case. I’ve been using the universal version – but the principles are the same for both.

iPhone Quad Lock Bike Mount – £40-£50

This is available for iPhones 5, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus only (the size on iPhone 6S, 6S Plus is the same so it works on those phones too and likely on the iPhone 7). It comes in a pack with the case for the phone, a ‘poncho’ top case to protect from rain and the male mount for the bike with its attachments. The case itself is pretty sleek and only a little thicker than a normal case. The actual Quad Lock part of it is just a hole in the back so it doesn’t stand out too much.

iPhone case

I don’t have an iPhone so have not tried it out personally, but I have friends who have them and attest to their strength and ease of use. The waterproof cover apparently works pretty well at keeping the worst of the elements off.

Universal mobile phone kit – £25

This is a simpler version and suitable for any phone. You get a sticker version of the female side of the mount and then the attachment for the bike. This is the version that is simplest, cheapest and fits any phone. As I have an Android phone, it is also the version I’ve got.

You can stick the mount directly to your phone, but this would mean that it would always be there. I got a cheap case and stuck it to that so as to be able to use my phone on its own or put it into another case should I wish.

Universal mount on phone case

The main downside of the universal kit is that you have to buy a case and waterproofing for the phone if you want to use it in all weather, all year round. This has not been a problem for me as for the last year I have had a Samsung Galaxy S5 and the phone is waterproof, meaning I don’t have to worry about keeping it dry. I recently spent nearly 6 hours on the bike in the rain with my phone attached using the Quad Lock and it was fine.

Best uses

Obviously the Quad Lock is great for keeping you phone at hand for directions. This was the primary reason I got one in the the first place – I kept getting lost on long, cross London journeys.

Phone mounted on bike

I don’t make so many of these kinds of journeys anymore, and I know a lot of the routes across London, so I don’t use it as frequently. However I have found it very useful for keeping my phone handy for photographs.

Problems?

Generally this is a great product. Its pretty easy to use most of the time, but there have been a couple of occasions when I have struggled to get the phone remounted if I take it off to take a photograph. This is a problem if you are trying to do it while riding along (I was off-road at the time, incase you were wondering!).

Ideally the phone would mount to your stem. If your bike stem is less than 90mm however, it won’t fit. This is the case with my touring bike. I don’t have space on my handlebars all the time, so sometimes I have to put the Quad Lock on the top tube. On the Genesis Flyer the stem is long enough and the mounting pedicle is tall enough to clear the Take-Out basket is have – it works perfectly.

If you do not have an iPhone can can use the ‘poncho’ or a waterproof phone, you probably need to be careful about keeping your phone out in the rain. If you want to use a mount a lot in the winter then there are other options out there that are more dry-bag style and might be better suited.