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VeloTrac Pak bicycle mount

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Go, Droid. Go!

Lurker
Hey folks.

I have been searching for a way to mount the Droid on a bicycle. Initially I was looking for a handlebar mount, and the Amzer fit the bill, but the mount was too small in stock form for the location on the drops that I considered reasonable. I did read about the universal cases with larger and more adjustable strap type mounts, but I am not interested in that setup. After reading various approaches on droidforums.net and this forum I was not happy with any of the options. What I did find recently was this:

VeloTrac - Cycling i-App & Bike Pack

It seems like a good solution for my needs, I wanted to let others know, and was curious if anyone has any experience with this product. Here is what I personally think as the pros and cons:

Pros:

  • Decent location and accessible through the clear top of the case.
  • Protected from dust, splashes, and limited precipitation.
  • Additional storage on the bike for small items.
Cons:

  • Never used a bag mount like this, but I imagine the strap that goes around the headset will start to wear the paint. I will have to find a soft material to line it and try to keep it clean.
  • Not sure how responsive the screen will be in the case.
  • Sleep button will most likely be difficult to access which would mean screen would have to stay on and would shorten battery life.

I sent an email to the company and they confirmed the Droid fits the case and have Droid customers that use it. I will be ordering one soon and will follow up with a post after some use.

If anyone has any experience with this bag, your feedback is welcome as well as other handlebar based options.

Thanks,

David
 
That's a big bag. Won't your legs hit it if you climb out of the saddle?

Also, I don't really see the point of having your phone in front of you all the time when you are riding your bike. If you leave the screen on 100% of the time, your battery will die before your bike ride is over. If you're only going to turn the screen on when you get lost, then you may as well just put the phone in your pocket instead.
 
The bag isn't that much larger than other top tube "bento box" style packs, you wouldn't hit it while riding. That looks pretty nice and well made too. But as the previous poster mentioned, the battery isn't going to last long if you have the screen on, the gps on, etc.

I use mytracks or cardiotrainer apps on every bike ride I do and I've had battery failure twice on road rides, once was a century ride, so I understand that one. The other time I did a short 25 mile road loop with the music playing over the speaker and it died. Screen was off on both rides. I haven't had a problem with mountain bike rides though, even up to 4 hours, but with the screen off, autosync off, etc.

If you needed a top tube pack, this isn't a bad deal.
 
I like it, but like it was said, battery will be your biggest problem. You may be able to stick a battery extender in the pocket underneath to help with this, but I've had no experience with them.

If you want something to track gps for a very long trip, a gps watch might be a be a better choice. If you're just cruising around town, this would work fine.
 
johnny99 said:
Also, I don't really see the point of having your phone in front of you all the time when you are riding your bike. If you leave the screen on 100% of the time, your battery will die before your bike ride is over. If you're only going to turn the screen on when you get lost, then you may as well just put the phone in your pocket instead.
Click to expand...


I wanted a handle bar mount or equivalent to monitor speed, elevation, and the map for progress status in MyTracks. I currently keep it a seat post bag.

I was indeed worried about the screen draining the battery. It seems that having it on all the time will not be an option and fiddling with it every time is what I was trying to avoid.
 
clintiepoo said:
I like it, but like it was said, battery will be your biggest problem. You may be able to stick a battery extender in the pocket underneath to help with this, but I've had no experience with them.

If you want something to track gps for a very long trip, a gps watch might be a be a better choice. If you're just cruising around town, this would work fine.
Click to expand...

I was thinking an extender or possibly a small solar charger, that's more involved that I was hoping. Recharging batteries for each ride and having a panel mounted are not good options.

I was thinking of looking for an app that would dim the screen or put it in sleep mode while being able to bring it out with a multi touch gesture of some kind. This would still require fiddling with it and an independent gps or simply cyclometer might be more appropriate for this application.
 
JAGI410 said:
The bag isn't that much larger than other top tube "bento box" style packs, you wouldn't hit it while riding.
Click to expand...

I gave up on "bento box" packs because my legs kept hitting it when I was climbing hills. This thing looks like it will be 2 or 3 times the width of a bento box, so hitting it with your legs will be an even bigger problem. Maybe that depends on the size of your bike (and the size of your hills).'

If any of you do try this thing, please post a review. I do like the idea of a covered case like this instead of the more common clamp-style phone mounts.
 
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