Finn – A mount for every smartphone and bicycle | Hacker News Reader

Finn – A mount for every smartphone and bicycle

getfinn.com

117 pointsanonymouz80 comments

Well, the critic in me wants to point out that it won't work very well on time trial bikes, and some people prefer to have their bike computer sitting slightly ahead of the handlebars, like how SRMs are mounted. Still, it should work very well for the vast majority of people, and I'd be looking into this if I wanted to use my phone as a bike computer.

A few more things:

1) I would like to know that it can hold my phone in the event of a crash, and not launch it skidding across the road, possibly into the path of traffic. This is one of the downsides of using a phone as a bike computer.

2) The weather is another reason I would hesitate to use my phone as a bike computer. I'm fairly sure my Garmin Edge 500 is more waterproof than my Nexus 4, although this wouldn't be a concern for everybody.

3) Once you're a more "serious" cyclist and have heart rate monitors, cadence sensors and power meters, you will probably have connectivity issues today. Most of these devices today use the ANT+ protocol, but very few phones support that. Bluetooth SMART is gaining popularity amongst phones, but few power meters etc. support it. Give it a few years and I suspect this won't be a problem anymore.

I suspect phones will become a lot more commonly used as bike computers amongst serious cyclists in the coming years, but there are some very real downsides at the moment compared with dedicated devices. Neat mount though.

Whilst it might not suit the needs of "serious cyclists" it could do well being sold on Amazon or on high street bike shops.

I'm a non-serious cyclist and happily suffer using my Nexus 4 as a GPS. The biggest downside I experience is the battery going flat by the time I reach the pub at the end of the route :)

I have mostly the same concerns, but I think you aren't the target market. Time trial bikes, for example, are not even worth considering, since they aren't used in scenarios where a smartphone is an appropriate bike computer (e.g. no navigation needed on a TT, no desire for extra weight, bigger need for cycling-specific connectivity like ANT+).

Making a smartphone mount crash-proof is probably not practical. But kudos to these folks for making something that casual cyclists might actually want to use, won't attract thieves, and is cheap. They should focus on the 98% of the market who will never pay $300-500 for a Garmin device (which anyway are hard to use). The more Android devices we get strapped to people's handlebars, the quicker Garmin or another player will make an Android device for serious cyclists (n.b. they recently introduced Android on the Monterra GPS, which is more for hiking but shows where things are headed).

Reasonably crash-proof smartphone mounts already exist; they just cost a bit more. I use http://www.amazon.com/BioLogic-Bike-Mount-iPhone-4/dp/B004G7... for mountain biking, and I've broken a few mounts (I haven't found a good spot to put it that's visible but not in the path of my legs when bailing off the bike), ridden in the rain and fished it out of a stream without the phone itself suffering any damage.

Voiced my concerns as well, I'm a more 'serious' cyclist and my phone just doesn't cut it.

I would consider something like this for my cruiser and beater bike but it's not the big jumps I'm worried about, it's the tons of little vibrations, like going over a road that hasn't been paved in a while or has been scratched just before a repaving or cobblestone.

If you're a more "serious" cyclist than you have the money to burn for more expensive, specialized equipment, not a middle of the road phone mount.

> 1) ...in the event of a crash...

Even in this edge case, your phone's health will probably be a low concern.

Why? I've had a number of minor biking accidents that ended in a few scratches or grazes to me, and moderate damage to the bike - things like snapping both brake lever mounts, buckling the front wheel, etc. Even having to fix those things is a matter of maybe £50-100 tops, but if I had a brand new iPhone $whatever trashed as well, that would suck a whole lot more.

I think the large majority of serious accidents (to normal cyclists, not competitive BMX/downhill/stunts/etc) tend involve motor vehicles.

Actually according to a bicycle magazine article I just read only 18% of all bike accidents involve cars. 70% are solo and 50 are of the falling over variety. From most recent bicycling magazine issue.

Is that specifically for "serious"[1] accidents though? My point was more that there are plenty of accidents which you can brush yourself off and walk away from, that would lead to almost certain major damage to an unprotected phone on your handlebars.

Would be interested if you have the article ref though, if it is serious injury, I'd have expected cars to play a much bigger part.

[1] Not sure exactly how you'd define this, maybe anything requiring a hospital/doctor visit.

My guess is it is for anything serious enough to seek medical attention, be it a hospital, ambulance or police and release under own recognizance, and maybe accidents at ski areas during summer with patrol. It definitely includes many non-crash emergency room visits.

When mountain biking, you sometimes have minor crashes. I've had a couple where a smartphone mounted to the bars with something like this would be toast. I generally use some sort of garmin GPS, they are a bit beefier than my iPhone, also much better battery life for long rides.

Unless you're hurt, alone, and in need of a ride home or medical attention. Been there, done that. It's a crappy limp home.

Hi! I work for BikeCityGuide, we make the Finn!

Thanks for all the valuable feedback I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge just some of your points:

> 1) I would like to know that it can hold my phone in the event of a crash

All I can say to this is that the mount is very firm, we've tested under quite harsh conditions and it seems to hold up.

When I fell from my bike (slipped on a railway and it was quite a hard crash), nothing happend to my phone, I know it's not quite a research but at least, we are eating our dog food.

I was obviously lucky that the weight of the bicycle didn't fell on the phone, if that happens, the story would be quite different, but there's not much we can do about it, I'm guessing in that sense it's a risk you take, otherwise for normal usage, it is very safe.

> 2) The weather is another reason I would hesitate to use my phone as a bike computer.

True! The weather can make it hard to use if you don't have a casing or similar that makes it waterproof/resistant. That said, thinking outside of the box, you could probably fit your Garmin with our Finn :)

Thanks a lot for the feedback!

Have it. Would not use it for downhilling, but for the occasional curb in the city it holds up well enough.

And I was pretty skeptical when I first mounted it.

(And from the principle it can only go flying if the forces are strong enough that the thing tears)

"We haven't tried downhill mountain biking with our Finn yet, but..."

The first question on my mind was "why not"? And what's the operating temperature? Am I able to use it where we, the Finns, live?

Can't say anything about freezing temperatures, but like with every elastic material extreme temperature changes will probably wear it down.

I did not try it for downhill mountain biking because that is not something I do. I'd probably trust it for it though.

[I am in no way affiliated with Finn]

Send me some and I'll take em by the mountain bike locations all over seattle and have em tested for ya.

Hi there! That phrase was meant tongue in cheek but I agree it's a little bit strange to put it that way.

The Finn was originally thought for the city for which it gives a very safe mount, that said, it's proving to be very resistant, even in extreme conditions an downhilling, next week I'll link to some videos of people going down some long stairs and doing some tricks with the mount and a phone if that helps...

Thanks for the feedback!

My concern is that the silicone or whatever they are using becomes less stretchy over time until one day your phone falls out. Have you noticed that at all?

I tried http://www.quadlockcase.com/ and http://www.rokform.com/v3-bike-mount/ in last couple of months. Liked both.

I believe that you need something as strong as it gets, not something compact like this. It might be able to hold my phone just fine but I'll never be comfortable hitting a bump or reacting fast to things on the road.

Nice concept in any case.

The Quadlock is great. Use it while mountain biking.

Big +1 on the Quad Lock bike mount + case.

I was apprehensive at first, but it's as solid as it is sleekly designed.

In the past two months, I've logged more than 500 miles with it over rough city roads, the occasional pothole, and some off-road terrain. I've even taken a spill with it. Not once has it come close to failing. And yet, it only takes a second to get the phone on and off.

The kit comes with four rubber o-rings: two small, two large. I think you're only expected to use two (whichever's the best fit for your bike). But I use all four: the small ones straight across, the large ones diagonally. Works great.

As for the case, I've never used one in the past, preferring the feel of a naked iPhone. But the QL case is thin and nice enough to the touch that I don't bother removing it. I rather like it now. The kit also includes a water resistant (but still touch sensitive) cover, which has worked well for me in the rain a few times.

So yeah, I'm a huge fan. I've actually ordered a second one for my other bike.

Lots of critics in this thread! How many bothered watching the video down at the bottom? Up the ante and make another demo video with the heaviest phone you can get your hands on.

Wow, I didn't notice there was anything below the fold!

As the web developer of the site, I'm kicking myself :) If I may ask, what confused you?

Thanks in advance!

I didn't post earlier in this thread, but I think my comments can be helpful.

I don't think there is a design issue. The confusing aspect is that the GGP referred to "watching the video at the bottom" instead of "watching the video" (by clicking the 'video' link).

Like the GP, I didn't realize that the page scrolls, but that didn't stop me from seeing any of the content since clicking the 'video' link scrolls the page for you.

Although, if you want people to scroll the page without clicking links, you should show something visually (beyond the really thin scrollbar I see on my computer) that indicates it is scrollable. (Maybe you'll get more people consuming content that way vs. clicking links.)

Ok, I'm happy at least you saw the content!

I'll give some thought as to how to make it more clear that it is actually scrollable!

Thanks for the feedback!

Hi thanks for the support! I had never been on the other side of HN's harshness but I can tell you that although a big part the thread it pretty critical, it is in fact very helpful to know where we can improve, it's great to have feedback!

Immediately bought it. Exactly what I need in a big French city where I would NOT like to leave a fixed mount on my bicycle anywhere in the city. Flexible, works with every phone model, small - I can transport it in my pocket when going out late so when night comes I can use my phone as a light, it has a fair price.

I tried already the Breffo Spider (breffo.com) but it broke after a month of use and it was more expensive.

So I am very curious how this mount will work and how long it will last.

What's the problem with using a fixed mount? I use my bike nearly every day in Paris and have never had any issues in the last two years...

Nice for you. I have so many bikes stolen and so many bike parts that I do not want to leave anything on my bike that can be dismounted easily.

Wonderful, going to give it a try and will stick a review on LFGSS.com once done.

Shame the checkout process asks you to agree to a terms and cancellation policy that I cannot read: http://store.getfinn.com/tos/ http://store.getfinn.com/cancellation/

Would you want me to translate it?

I like it, but being in London I'm more interested in something that'll hold my phone when it's inside a bulky waterproof pouch. I have a good pouch with a clear plastic cover so that I can see and use the screen (my phone is a Lumia 920 and is sensitive enough to respond through thick plastic), but have yet to find a holder that securely holds it. On road and off.

I looked at the video of Finn and I think it should work with your phone in the pouch. Or did I miss something?

Maybe. It's difficult to tell how much this holder will stretch.

In the video it looks like it can hold a small tablet. It will hold a 920 with a weather case no problem (at least from the video).

Similar mounts from china - http://dx.com/p/convenient-tie-on-silicone-band-for-bike-lig...

not sure how long these have been available for (ie. whether a rip off or not)

"Added on 15.10.2009", quite a while it seems like.

Anyway, you just gotta love the Chinenglish on the packaging: http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_24369_2.jpg

"Regardless and by oneself the lamp, the stop-watch, repair a foetus first aid pack, inflate a bube... All ability easy install".

I have seen a guy riding MTB Downhill and filming using iPhone and this contraption. He said it works fine.

I had hard time believing at first, but then saw him riding a couple of times throughout the day and the phone was indeed where it was supposed to be.

So I reckon it should work for the majority of use cases.

Just what I was looking for! I have a silicon phone mount now that I use and love, but the silicon straps cover part of the screen, which is annoying at best. I'm definitely buying this right away.

Oh, they don't deliver to the US...I guess I'll wait for it to show up on eBay.

UPDATE: In case anyone stumbles across this thread. I emailed them and they will ship to the US.

This would not work too well with a device with better than typical screen size/pocket space ratio (thin bezel), like the Defy, but i really like how they did not stop at their solution to the main task (holding a phone) and also thought of less glamorous problems like being able to elegantly keep the strap on the bike when the device is not attached.

PS: if they are making "Made in Austria" such a prominent part of their branding, it might not be optimal to have a product video that's so markedly Berlin. OTOH, that underpass is such an amazing cross between generic and iconic, i can hardly blame them for using that location (like so many others)

In Amsterdam this would say "I'm a tourist, please steal my phone". The latter probably applies to must urban surroundings, which is what they are explicitly promoting.

It doesn't add anything to safety either, because you still have to look down at your phone to use it.

I'm sure it might be useful for rides in the country, especially on terrain where you need both hands on the steering, but then you have to contest with bright sunlight or rain and snow.

Seems like this device has a relatively small margin of usefulness.

> In Amsterdam this would say "I'm a tourist, please steal my phone".

How? Leaving your phone mounted is like leaving your bike unlocked. It looks like 3 seconds of work to take a phone out and back in, so I don't understand your point.

Also, I'd assume most people would take their phone along simply because they take their phone everywhere.

GPS navigation is a great use case for this. Whatsapping with your friends, indeed, maybe not so much. I think you're confusing "I'd never use this" with "this device has a relatively small margin of usefulness".

It will get ripped of your bike while you're waiting for the light to go green.

Bah! Doesn't look like they ship to USA :( Was about to buy one

I love cycling and I love tech but when I go out for a ride, I do not want to take my phone. I like being out on my own for a few hours.

I cycle everyday, and as great as it is to be without distractions, in the back of my mind I fear being unprepared if in an emergency or situation where I need a phone. (e.g. a bad wreck)

Hi there! I work for BikeCityGuide, we make the Finn.

We also love cycling and tech and that's why the product exists! We perfectly understand that the Finn is not for every occasion, in fact the Finn is an ideal partner for our App BikeCityGuide, a navigation specialized for bikes, so when you need guidance (or you want to track yourself), the both work great together, so when you do take your phone, consider us :)

Anyway, thanks for the feedback!

It certainly doesn't look like it would work with my S4 Active, thanks to its buttons across the bottom. Which might seem nitpicky or whiny, but if you're going to put "for every smartphone" right there in the product description...

Hi there! I work for BikeCityGuide and we make the Finn.

First of all, thanks for the feedback, but I really think you should give it a try, I believe it will work for your device without any problem. Maybe when mounting it some of the buttons will be pressed, but other that, you shouldn't have any troubles.

If you would like to try it, and it ends up that it doesn't, you can always get a refund.

I'm pretty sure pressure on the buttons would be suboptimal but it occurs to me that I can reassess things once I've got this phone in a case. Thanks!

Either the favicon is terrible or I am too dirty minded. Nice product, though.

Ha! I had never noticed that (and I have a pretty rotten mind!).

Just wanted to let you know that it was definitely not intentional, and next week I'll talk to our designer to see if we can do something for very small icons like this one.

Thanks for the feedback!

If you get some of the thick rubber bands from the post guy you can do the same.. I used it in the past to hold a flashlight, this is not very different, just needs some more bands..?

I'd be nervous about the silicone degrading over time, until one day it snaps and my Android falls into traffic (perhaps causing a crash in the mean time).

This is actually really great.

I always thought that those metallic/plastic phone holders are a bad idea because they shake and wobble too much. This is just perfect IMO.

Would not trust that to hold a heavy $600 device. One really good bump or a fall and it's definitely going to go flying.

I think they've done a decent job of showing how well it holds devices, BUT, I think they'll have a difficult time really getting us to believe how secure it is until we can actually feel it on a bike. If they can get these into shops and have people actually touch it, I suspect it would have a huge impact on the naysayers (like yourself).

I think I agree, but I will use it to hold my older phone, which still serves perfectly well as a Strava / Maps (offline) / GPS device for getting around. I'm sure that I am not the only person on HN who has a 2 year old smartphone gathering dust somewhere.

This might just be me, but if you have a perfectly good two year old phone. Why did you buy a new one?

I recently bought another battery for my Galaxy S2 because the old one died. I have no plans for replacing that phone until I absolutely have to. Preferably not until there is a Samsung Galaxy S6 or so.

Some people like new things

Really it's not in "perfectly good" condition. Broken screen, broken usb connector, bad battery life, water damage that causes the cell radio to intermittently not work.

But it still works as my bike-phone.

Ah, I understand then. I just do not understand the people buying a new phone every time there is a new model.

I can understand wanting the software upgrade, but in terms of hardware I do not think it's worth upgrading all the time.

Hehe, I still use my Galaxy S (one), which appears to be indestructible. Several falls on concrete did not kill the phone. Also, the battery is cheap to replace, so I always have an old backup battery with me. But most important, it's rooted and runs Android 4.2. Yeah, it's a little slow, but upgrading wouldn't change all too much. 400 USD for a little more speed on the same functionality? Naah ... All my previous phones like ridiculously old by now, but even the most recent devices only differ in detail from my good old Samsung ;)

Yeah that is pretty much what is keeping me from upgrading.

My S2 is still fast enough to run anything I've tried.

What would I get by buying a S4? A bigger screen, 4G access and NFC? Other then that I am not really aware of any benefits. I run CM nightly anyway so in terms of software it's as good as the new phones, and I only ended up running custom firmware because Samsung stopped doing updates.

I have several, but I didn't know Androids had offline Maps capability. Also, is it possible to use GPS without an active cellphone account with a carrier?

> Also, is it possible to use GPS without an active cellphone account with a carrier?

I can use GPS in airplane mode, so I suppose it works.

You can tell google maps to save a set of directions for offline use. Same with scout which is the free app from telenav that all sprint customers get.

Hi there! Thanks for the feedback, I work for BikeCityGuide and I can tell you that we eat our own dog food, we put our own smartphones daily in there and have had no issues whatsoever until now!

We really designed it to be very sturdy :)

I hate having to enter my details (name, email and address) over HTTP. I hope they can update that to HTTPS soon.

Sorry about that! We'll hopefully add it soon.

A. $16 for $.50 worth of polymer? B. Direct rapid vibration

A + B = No thanks!

Not that I want one instant, but something is wrong with their selection of countries they deliver to.

Welcome to almost every product launch ever seen from a non-US resident's perspective.

seriously... now you know what the rest of the world feels like when something only launches in the US. And by the way, we are the majority...

Although to be fair, their list does lack some European countries too. Hungary, Czech, Poland (well, most of Eastern Europe actually), Sweden, Norway...

Although to be fair, their list does lack some European countries too.

That's exactly what I meant. Usually I am quite forgiving about it. Shipping internationally is a big issue, logistically speaking, legally speaking and otherwise. This list looked really strange for me. I should have been more specific.

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