Don't Spend $700! See How Your Phone Stacks Up

[@KenMetcalf]

My 10 cent. I have been racing with an iPhone (11Pro) / Cyclemeter for several years. A couple of critical things: Set the background to black/dark. Your videos had it on white. That will kill your battery. I created a shortcut which switches the iPhone to low power mode / dark mode when it starts Cyclemeter. This year I have done 3 100+km races with the longest just over 7 hours in the saddle and many 3-5 hour races and rides. Saturday I did an MTB race, 3 hours plus, and my battery was at 40%. My setup: Polar H10HR strap, Power2Max dual power cranks and Wahoo cadence sensor and SP Connect case to hold the phone. As a backup I use my Apple Watch (also on low power mode) and have yet to have a race where I have run out of juice. In my saddle bag I carry a small 3000mAh battery in case of emergency. For the big races, I import the GPX file into Cyclemeter and it works well. The only thing I am missing is something like Climb Pro but for most events I check the profile beforehand and have an idea of what to expect.

[@RyonBeachner]

don’t use your phone. use a cycling computer that fits your budget. If you’re out on a ride, you don’t want to find that your phone is dead from running strava, or damaged in a crash and leaving you without a way of contacting help.

[@johnmausteller]

I just make sure everything is charged. As well as bringing my second phone

[@ChryskylodonInstitute]

@@johnmausteller I bring my 3rd & 4th phone just in case

[@Afrikakorps68]

​​@ChryskylodonInstitute I never ride without my 5th and 6th mobile phone with me...

[@xtianeskay5166]

In a crash the phone is as likely to break when mounted on the stem as it is when you carry it in your back pocket. And a power bank or USB charger for the hub dynamo will help the battery.

[@ddahstan6876]

​@@Afrikakorps68and don't forget your phone solar panel charger attached to your sunny derriere😅

[@Piplodocus]

Went for an unplanned adventure route home from the pub recently, so just put a new route on komoot on my phone as I didn't have my garmin. Then it started drizzling and it was constantly trying to add waypoints and other nonsense with all the rain drips. Drove me nuts and I had to keep stopping or fiddling with it while riding. Reminded me 100% why I got my Edge 830. Not having to worry about battery and having constant maps showing that work fine in the rain was so worth the money, regardless of other cycling computer gubbins.

[@NeilLavitt]

Absolutely!

[@LieshaCichol]

840 user here, and lives north of North West (=British Columibia, Canada) where it rains all the way from October till next March instead of snowing, being able to operate the unit from both touch screen and buttons is blessing.

[@Piplodocus]

@@LieshaCichol I can see the extra buttons of an 840 could be pretty handy when raining/locked, but the 830 is pretty good at ignoring drips even when unlocked compared to a phone so I don’t even always lock it unless it starts being annoying. This year in the UK it’s seems to have been rainy season all bloody 12 months of the year. ☹️

[@Piplodocus]

Komoot should add a screen lock button to their phone app, but when it’s wet the phone screen can still be pretty unusable even if they did. But at least you could finish navigating to your destination before you had to try and wipe/dry the phone screen to do something else, rather than the perpetual interruptions making it impossible to navigate.

[@Onroulelaboule]

Bikepacking and touring for the past 5 years only with a smartphone. It works just so well. For long bikepacking tour you just need a battery pack. I'm in my tent now wildcamping and writhing this! We are on a Bikepacking tour for the last 3 months with no problem at all. Quad Lock + good smartphone + Komoot is so much more useful then a GPS unit.

[@stephenhryncewicz8160]

I too have been bikepacking for years with my iPhone + battery pack in my top tube bag. Perfect combination.

[@Vanadium]

I also dont understand why BikeRadar compared the cycling computer with and iPhone. I mean all Androids I ever used have a very strict energy saving mode that clocks the APU so much down that the phone lags. Other stuff is cut too to save battery and IF I compare that to the energy saving for IO 16 , because this was the last iPhone IOS I used, it pales. Even more funny I had those options more then a decade ago on Android. To save it even further I can disable the display and only activate it IF needed, could be coupled with GPS out when the display is out and re start when the display is on, on it self. How do you track you ask? Just get a good GPS watch with offline maps. I need a watch anyway and compared to how much a Watch sucks up energy, both the cycling computer and the any phone will just pale. Also tracking other sensors with a watch is way more simple then with a phone. The last time I did a light backpacking I needed 40% of my 5V experia battery and 30% of my Watch for 12 hours of going. Despite the phone was coupled with Spotify and headphones.

[@SleeveZipper]

Same here. Don’t like the iPhone in the rain though. Luckily I am a fair weather cyclist and get away with that just fine until now 😂

[@2wheelsgood918]

Worth considering, and not mentioned, if you have a newer phone with an OLED screen, it WILL eventually get burn-in if you leave your phone on for hours in the bright sun (which cranks the brightness up all the way). Ask me how I know. I recently destroyed my iPhone 15 Pro Max after using it as a bike computer through the summer, and now I’m back to a Garmin. Certain ride data fields were permanently etched on the display while trying to use the phone in darker environments. Very annoying. Non-OLED displays aren’t a problem, but most newer phones are OLED.

[@irishlesbian]

Which Garmin do you have?

[@chrisjames1924]

Absolutely! I've been using the new Karoo, Garmin Edge 530 and iPhone on every ride for 3 weeks + now. The Garmin and Karoo are close enough when comparing post ride data (karoo perhaps a little more conservative) but the iphone is consistently inconsistent. It often produces wild readings for Strava segments, long or short. For example, I did a 1.8 mile segment earlier today where the Karoo and Garmin were just a few seconds apart, but the iphone was 160 seconds slower! In fact, sometimes it misses segments altogether, other times it has me doing to 20mph up 5% grade climbs. The iPhone should not be allowed on segment leader boards. Disregard all KOMs recorded on phones, they're just too glitchy. Having said that, earlier this week I got a #5 spot on a local 1 mile climb on my main computer (the Karoo) but when i uploaded the Garmin data I had the KOM! So, it's all a bit of a con really, isn't it? Certainly been rather eye opening.

[@Hintonbro.]

Apple needs to create a “Bike Play” functionality to go along with ‘Car Play’. A simple UI on the bars connected to the phone you are carrying with you anyway.

[@NeilLavitt]

They do if you have an Apple Watch. The phone will show all the workout metrics from your watch including all paired sensors. Plug-in a Apple Maps route and it will ping you with prompts for your route.

[@m1mbz]

Wahoo did this with one of their early bike computer models, it was not a success.

[@alex.broman]

they might consider this innovation in about 13 to 17 years from now, on their Super Duper Ultra Triple Pro Mega Max Bucks model

[@VictorElGreco]

On my multi-day bike tours, I use both a simple, basic, $150-ish bike computer for metrics *and* a smartphone for navigation. An external battery solves the issue of lasting power.

[@mikkuun22]

Only use a secondary phone, that is my advice as a non-cycling computer user. I have an old android phone capable of ANT+. With the IP Bike app (learning curve needed), my phone can show a lot more useful data in one screen, including navigation. With a matte screen protector, you can improve readability under the sun significantly. My phone can last 6H on one charge, with a 10AH powerbank, it can last up to 18H, I used it on my last 300km brevet. cons: not as durable and rugged as a dedicated cycling computer, not as readable as a cycling computer outdoors, not all android phones are compatible with ANT+, some powerful apps like IP Bike has quite a steep learning curve, might be heavier, and screen might not work well when wet pros: repurposing your old phone, will cost something for case, but negligible compared to buying a smart cycling computer, can easily switch to Gmaps for navigation (internet required). larger screen for both data and navigation. lastly, do not buy a phone for this purpose, by a cycling computer instead... but if you have an old phone lying around, this might be the best way to give it new life.

[@mezgeri]

I could set up my Android phone (4500mah) to run all day with recording and navigation. Need offline maps, set screen to turn on only at navigation commands. Can turn on airplane mode to extend it even furhter as gps works fine with gsm being off. Gps accuracy is good, even in a closed waterproof case. Only diffficulty is, cant use the touchscreen in rain, must have a built in screen lock in the app, so water drops dont tap on random things.

[@SamBessalah]

I use my watch (Garmin Fenix) for metrics (power, HR, cadence, etc.), and my iPhone with Komoot for navigation and route planning. My Garmin edge 530 has been on vacation for the past two years.

[@SY-ve5qm]

Finally someone has the balls to tell some (not all) truth about the topic without worrying about piss-off Garmin or wahoo…I use my phone with the similar mount for every ride since 2022. IMHO, Unless you are in racing events, you would most likely have your phone with you during ride anyway. So why not use it! I was concerning about battery life on my phone for long ride as well but after a non-issue 3 and half hour ride using my phone 13 and watch for tracking early this year, I am fully convinced that I would not need a cycling computer!

[@mrshadow8244]

If u are using phone with optical stabilisation , after 2 weeks of riding your camera is completly damaged ... Try to make a detailed photo of something and u will see. I damegat 2 phone cameras till i realize it is because of high vibrations on bike stem.

[@SY-ve5qm]

@@mrshadow8244 interesting info! Never thought of that…how did you realize the issue? You use iPhone?

[@11robotics]

lol mate, 3.5 hours is a long ride in your books? Let me know when you start doing some 10-12 hour long rides and how well yuour iPhone 13 fares under some 6+ hours of scorching direct sunlight with the screen always on and at a readable brightness level.

[@SY-ve5qm]

@@11robotics anything over 2-hour is way too long for an enjoyable ride to me.

[@11robotics]

@@SY-ve5qm that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But calling a 3.5 hours ride "long" is laughable. There are plenty of people doing audaxes that span over hundreds of kms, including events like PBP and its 1200 km long course with a time limit of about 80 hours.

[@JohnBatty]

I've been using my old Galaxy S9 without SIM as my bike computer using Bike Computer Pro app which is brilliant. No problem for rides up to 4 hours. I have a mobile battery for longer rides (up to 12 hours) and a wireless charge pad for the device in my garage,so it's always ready to go. If crashed a replacement is less than £100. The only thing missing is climb profile. I can cope.

[@andrew30m]

Really impressed with Wahoo Bolt V2 after using a phone for quite a while.

[@HenningGu]

My biggest problem was the glossy screen. And the battery. But aside from that, sure. Works totally fine.

[@buggen819]

I've got a Sigma Rox 4.0 it's black and white, has navigation backlight and buttons. Costs about 80 € and works like a charm

[@rasix86]

I am mainly interested in the device actually navigating me to my destination. And in this task the phone beats the garmin by MILES. i was at the start of a proper bike road and asked the garmin to navigate me to the end of the bike road. It failed... constantly tried to navigate me off the trail to a busy road.

[@davidmiller4775]

iPhone for me every time, they forgot to mention Komoot, use this combo when travelling in Europe and across city’s find the screen easier to read than a garmin. Get 6-8 hours on a charge depending on brightness levels then use a battery pack.

[@Vanadium]

maybe the forgot Komoot because they know they use outdated maps. If your offroad komoot really will kill your trip. There are other apps that do it better like Mapy. They even have trafic lights marked on the map. really crazy

[@NeilLavitt]

Bike computer - Wahoo Roam 2 - cheap and very functional on bike. Phone in back pocket fully charged before stat of ride and available for getting out of trouble. Garmin watch Fenix 6xPro on wrist as backup recording. Happy

[@jareou]

I sometimes ride with 3 setups, Garmin 830, Samsung S22 with Strava, and GPS watch. No comparison to the Garmin 830 on a ride with all the data points and security Garmin provides when riding.

[@asengineer4594]

One important aspect missing. Weather resistance. My smartphone has IP68 rating and still it is a total crap on the bike. One hour of ride in temperature of 10C and it is gone. Small shower during the ride and first it complains about moisture in charging port or restarts spontaneously. It wasn't made for the purpose ant won't serve even vlose to what is expected. I ridevin subzero temperatures snd smartphones struggle to withstand it doing almost nothing, while being carried in heat pocket of my jacket. It is pointless to even think about using it as cycling computer during the winter.

[@LesLess]

I have the top end Garmin. The screen is smaller and more washed out in bright light than my mid-teir LG phone. The touch screen is not at all sensitive. Often times (while barreling along on the road) I'll touch a command and nothing happens. Then I'll poke it again and FINALLY it will respond. Sometimes it takes 3 tries. Often it will respond to the first after you poked it a couple more times! Then you're 3 levels deep into a menu that you can't back out of without multiple confused confirmations. The only advantage that I can see is it links to the power pedals. But those often don't link right or drop out anyway.

[@irishlesbian]

Are you really talking about 1050? :O

[@deeevans324]

I have been cycling for a few years now, and I just can’t bring myself to follow the trend of cycling computers. My iPhone works fine for my 2-3 hour bike rides or races. If you are new to cycling, don’t feel compelled to fit in with these people, because like most hobbies, cycling is expensive. Use your smartphone and you will still get the same benefits.

[@simon7790]

A phone with a decent cover and if needed a power bank is the way for me. The Strava live segments on the app is great, it shows a Birds Eye view of you versus the avatar of your PR. The mapping is pretty decent, you'd have to a poor navigator to get much wrong. I really can't see that spending cash on what looks like a 20 year old phone would be any improvement. The friend I often ride with has a singing and dancing Garmin and it's just another thing he has to learn to use, charge up and take out with him, (along with his phone), for as far as I can see, no advantage.

[@mattiaslabukt2642]

I have been running komoot on my iphone with a quadlock mount for some randonneuring. Rides lasting 10-20h. I run the phone in powersaver mode and top it up with a powerbank when the battery drops below 50%. I think that has been working pretty good considering the alternative beeing to buy more stuff I dont need. But I definately can see the benefits of a dedicated unit 😁

[@mrshadow8244]

If u are using phone with optical stabilisation , after 2 weeks of riding your camera is completly damaged ... Try to make a detailed photo of something and u will see. I damegat 2 phone cameras till i realize it is because of high vibrations on bike stem or bar.

[@javiercerna5400]

What mount are you using? Is there a k-edge garmin mount to iPhone /android adapter?

[@bikeradar]

Hi, it's a little stick on quarter turn mount www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08HMWYYBD

[@pt-ol7xq]

I use an old IPhone 6 I had lying around and a small powerbank on longer rides. It's not ideal, but a reasonably cheap alternative to a good bike computer. Do do see the advantages of a bike computer, but I also appreciate saving a few hundred quid. I would, however, not use my current phone because it might break or run out of battery on a longer ride. If money is not an issue, I'd say go out and buy a wahoo or Garmin.

[@GotDamBoi]

My phone GPS has ALWAYS been more accurate than my garmin watch or wahoo computer. But I still love the simplicity and long battery life of my wahoo. I can ride like 150 miles in a week and still have 30% charge lol

[@wanderer2246]

Your phone has much more complex electronics which could be damaged by vibrations. But if you planned to update the phone, sure, its an option

[@cherowley]

I use a cheap Doogee waterproof rugged phone with built in 10000 battery. use Osmand app for navigation. This has worked brilliantly for years. If screen is set to only come on for turns (to compliment audio instructions) then an all day ride uses 20%. If screen is on all day then battery lasts and 15hrs. Not had any probs using in rain as adjusted screen sensitivity...

[@tuitaco]

Wahoo roam v2 all day. Touch screens just arent as nice to use when riding.

[@NeilLavitt]

Agreed - Garmin Watch as a backup. Phone in back pocket to get out of trouble.

[@Chardler83]

Group features have rolled back to prior models to expand the user base quickly in the latest software update

[@DAZ1925]

You don't have to spend hundreds on a new bike computer, buy a second hand for less than one hundred, they'll have most of the functionality of the new units. A bike computer is more robust than your phone and gather more data too.

[@K1989L]

I don't think a bikecomputer should be anything special. I am still rocking the Wahoo elemnt bolt. Still works just fine and has a good battery life.

[@KevinHemmings-ft2jg]

I’ve always used my iPhone for navigation etc. I am looking at getting good cycling computer though because in the rain the phone becomes unusable!

[@dietersanchez203]

Killing my phone's battery and screen while risking both crash damage AND theft? instead of just... having a Bryton, Magene or XOSS there? considering the cost of insurance or the cost of expensive cases and mounts... AND on top of that the upcoming BATTERY replacement... I think I might as well just get a dedicated and possibly cheap bike computer.

[@colincampbell8311]

You didn’t mention what interface you use to connect the phone to the bike. Really good ones cost over $60.

[@edymarkonthego4096]

Komoot has free version

[@rcuadro]

Sometimes I wish I could use my iPhone as a remote display for my forerunner 965

[@richotagle2664]

Still using my Edge 810 😅😅😅

[@JamesSmith-ly2ef]

I don’t think my iPhone picks up my Power meter, speed sensor, cadence, HR, climb pro, CORE temp, wind direction all on one screen 🤔

[@repo4]

There is nothing more stupid and hilarious than a 6" phone slapped on top of the stem 😂

[@doublejumpvideogames....]

Feels like an ad

[@shaun1900]

Most things bike radar do, feel like adverts.

[@H457ur]

Agreed, although in their defense, they did mention other brands besides Garmin multiple times. But most bicycle “journalism” is pretty much marketing these days. If you want actual reviews, you should go look at somebody like DC Rainmaker. He at least appears to be more legit (although I’m not so naïve as to think it’s not possible that he is a shill like most everybody else.)

[@simonf2220]

Really helpful video, thanks for posting.

[@robinseibel7540]

It seems you're confusing your opinions with facts. A lot of cyclists don't give a damn about bezels. A lot of cyclists don't give a damn about how the bike computer's UI works on a ride vs how a phone UI might work. But you make the mistake of thinking your opinions on those points are facts. I've got a Garmin 840, and it does exactly what I want it to do. For me, it's UI is perfect for riding. Bezel? I couldn't care less. That's what works best for me. What works for someone else is up to them. And why is the Garmin 1050 the computer of choice here? Other computers are less expensive. Oh, can you please try to grok that better is not an objective term? Better is a subjective term entirely dependent, in this case, on user needs and preferences. I guess this is typical though for a click-bait tiled video.

[@stevep9041]

I cycle to get away from my phone. If Garmin bought out a bag of lollies with an attachment I’d prefer that over an iPhone.

[@bootsbanana9168]

I'd sooner use nothing than use my phone as a bike computer.

[@flo1804]

Is this video a Joke???

[@shaun1900]

Bikeradar just a shopping channel nowadays.

[@TwoWheelWarrior]

Phones don't work great fat biking at -25c.

[@darrin2382]

nope.

[@MegaBorisV]

what an awful music 🙄

[@LazySquirrel-vp2kb]

No need to mislead people. The phone is usually used as a bicycle computer by those who do not go further than city parks, those for whom it is more important to take pictures in white socks and sneakers. The channel has fallen to the bottom, the content just sucks

[@jamespotts8372]

A cycling computer is far superior for the task it’s designed to handle. Is the interface clunky? Yes. Is the screen less responsive? Definitely. Will the battery last all day with five sensors paired to it? Resoundingly, yes. The person who would be better served by using their phone is someone decidedly on the more casual end of the spectrum. If you take cycling seriously at all, don’t use your phone.

[@davidgamez8544]

All fun and games using your phone as a cycling computer until you crash. That’s when you wish you used a cycling computer or a smart watch instead

[@wilkenspt]

Old android without SIM card, komoot, google offline maps, Garmin Connect, and Spotify offline playlists. If I need data I can share from my actual phone. I use the phone flash as secondary near flooding light too. Any one know a bell app who connects to a Bluetooth button?

[@zodgzod]

A Wahoo Bolt 2 costs £250. It’s a no-brainer, Phone batteries die in a few hours using GPS with the screen at full brightness, which is what you need in bright sunlight.

[@wilkenspt]

Anyone knows an Android bike bell app who connects to a Bluetooth button?

[@PRH123]

Phones are not good cycling computers for many reasons. Battery life, they start to fail in high temperatures, interface not made to be used on a moving bike, etc. On the other hand there’s no need to go to the other extreme and get a Garmin or a wazoo or whatever is trending at the moment. You can get a good old wired bike computer like 10-20 dollars now, or a wireless one for like 20-40 dollars for all your basic data.

[@H457ur]

Phones make terrible cycling computers. For example, on a hot day, if your phone’s internal temperature reaches its shut off temperature (which is usually not very hot, ~100° F / 35° C), it will simply stop working. Worse, phones are not very waterproof even if they say they are, and no manufacturer covers water damage. It is also important to understand that a phone in direct sunlight can reach its shut off temperature when the air temperature is not very high because it’s not designed to shed heat very well. Finally, phones don’t do very well when they fall so, unless you get a case with a lanyard, you’re taking a big chance. A cycling computer can fall and bounce a bunch of times and still be fine (although you should have a lanyard anyway).

[@hawgietonight]

I can't use my phone with my winter gloves on, so...

[@lindonandlisa8114]

I. T's a shame go to carry your phone anyway

[@Daniel-ynuhnunu]

First😊

[@MaxPower2-e8j]

Are you 10

[@vinching926]

@@MaxPower2-e8j bot