iPhone holder vs garmin

Garmin as I refuse to ride with a phone after crashing and destroying the phone in my back pocket. As for uploading, I do that every other week as I'm not that bothered. Usually do it when route plotting anyway.

Garmin, for the simple fact that I don't want my phone anywhere near me when I'm on the bike.

Garmin, for the simple fact that I don't want my phone anywhere that it will easily get scrapped in a crash or where all the elements will hit it first....
Also battery life and reliability is better on a Garmin.

Great thread Jeroen, thanks.

My missus is slowly getting into cycling. I've consequently just bought her a HRM/Cadence Sensor and a year of Strava Pro. She doesn't mind the Garmin (but presently has to borrow mine), but is more keen on using her iPhone. From the little I can find on the web, she appears to need an Ant+ dongle and then, because she has an iPhone 5, another dongle to fit the Ant+ dongle into the iPhone. Is that the solution you are using Jeroen?

I'm personally not convinced of the double dongle solution. So, before shelling out on them and two handlebar mounts (one for MTB and the other for the RB), it would be really good to hear from someone (or even several people) who are using the solution successfully. From the responses in the thread so far, there doesn't seem too much support for the iPhone solution and those that do use, don't seem to be using with HRM and Cadence sensor.

I've just bought a Garmin Edge Touring Plus - very disappointed with it as a navigational / route planning device and that's despite a 50% discount offer. The Garmin Connect / Express route planning web site is rubbish. In terms of ease of use - it's the Polar opposite to an intuitive Apple / Android device.
However...the battery life is good, it's waterproof and comes with a nifty mount. I still take a phone with me however....if nothing else to find out where I really am when the Garmin has a moment and taken me of course.
I'd borrow one from a mate for a few days and see how you get on with it.

try this https://www.ibattz.com/product/mojo-refuel-aqua-s you would need the quad lock mount though as well.

I went for a garmin though

iPhone for short rides is probably passable and in many ways better garmin Nav can be clunky. For long rides I,d choose Garmin all the way you don't want to be 50 miles from home have a major bike problem and find you have a flat battery.
If you want to add sensors to your bike you really need Garmin because of ant+ you can get Bluetooth Low Energy ones but the choice is much less.
I've got to be honest I don't think either is the ideal just works solution but Garmin would edge it for me.

I've using my iPhone on my bike because it does a lot more than a dedicated GPS unit and does it better.

The only benefit I can see of a dedicated GPS unit is the great battery life, which can be improved for the iPhone by using an external battery.

I'm using a very small handlebar bag for the battery, [15,000 mAh]. Without the external battery, my iPhone gives me a max of 1hrs 40mins and over 5hrs with it.

I'm using the RideCase Mount RX attached to the stem and the Weatherproof RideCase.

So far I've had two heavy crashes. The iPhone & Topeak gear have survived unscathed.

I've tried a number of cases, all of which I've sent back due to them being, well, crap.

Phone apps are great even better than garmin and will last 6+hrs if you want to record your ride but only if the screen is off. If you use a phone for seeing route and other data it is pitiful in duration. That is why every cyclist moves over to garmin and alike.

I started with an iPhone but switched to Garmin too. Aside from battery life, the simpler LCD screen is way more visible in strong sunlight and pressing with buttons is easier than poking a screen if you're wearing gloves. I have a basic Edge 200, which displays key info (current speed, average speed, distance) and provides sufficient navigation for long distance rides.

My Garmin 510 is linked to the iPhone via bluetooth and will upload to Garmin Connect and Strava at the end of a ride, plus you can connect via USB. Do you have cadence,speed sensors & HR strap...are these Ant+ or bluetooth? If Ant+ then you need another add on for your iPhone. For me, iPhone for calls in emergency and Garmin for biking data.

To replicate the functionality a phone gives you requires purchasing the colour touch-screen 810 or 1000 Garmins. And you still need to take a phone for phone things.

If you have a spare £250-odd, sure, get a Garmin. Otherwise, with a quality mount like Quadlock, maybe using the Universal mount + a 3rd-party case like an Otterbox, Lifeproof or my fave, the Uncommon Safecase, you are sorted both on- and off-bike. Which, let's face it, you need to be as well.

With judicious management (turn off WiFi, mobile data, turn down screen brightness, turn off screen unless using it for navigation that minute) you can get 18+hrs from an iPhone. Or carry a small extra battery and go for days. The Topeak one is genius and does 2.5 charges from flat for an iPhone 5. It will run an iPhone in full-brightness always-on all data-on for 16hrs and still leave you with 100% battery.

There's no 'right' or 'wrong' answer to the Garmin-vs.-Phone conundrum - just what works for YOU and YOUR riding needs, TODAY.

I started with an iPhone but was forced to buy a Garmin after a short while. Battery life was the main issue

Doesn't sound like there is any telling you. There are some good iphone mounts, but if you are doing any distance on the bike (30 miles) plus the Garmin wins hands down. The problem you have about uploading/recharging will at least apply to recharging your iPhone after that time.

Garmin's come with their own mount. Though the additional 'out in front' is much better. As for you phone - slip it in a back pocket.

I am going down the route of the quad lock. My personal preference is to have one solution for everything and that is why my iPhone just works. They are starting to link activity into the health app which is a nice addition. Mobile phone insurance would cover an accidental damage claim from a tumble off a bike, although the £70 excess may sting more than the fall itself.

I've recently moved from a Topeak 'dry bag' mounting to Quadlock and it works likes a charm. Stem mounting, solid, second mountings are quite cheap. Case is thin enough to use as an everyday case. I also use cycle meter and my iPhone easily lasts for 4-5 hours using less than half the charge (aways remember to turn wifi off!)
The only slight downside is that the weatherproof 'poncho' has quite a thick screen cover and struggles to work if you use a tempered glass screen protector - other than that it's a great solution.

And get an "out front" mount, so much easier to see when you're bent over the bars, it may only be a few inches but it makes a huge difference!

another Garmin here, they are very sturdy, get more than enough and easy to sync with other apps.

garmin 100%. how much will you spend on a decent iphone holder? I wouldnt risk trashing mine in a crash. Plus Garmins are good at what they do. Get a garmin.

+1 for a Garmin from me but all dependant how much riding you will be doing / how long your rides will be and how much data you want to see when you are actually riding. Garmin over the phone for me it is very easy to sync to Strava app as well. I have both I phone and garmin and much prefer the garmin mounted to the bike. The data you can get on the garmin is great. Avg speed / cadence if you get the sensors / current speed / elevation the list goes on. Bite the bullet now I say and go for Garmin.

When was the last time you got 18 (claimed) hours out of your iPhone with the screen on constantly and the GPS running all that time without having to recharge? I can't attest to the 18 hours claim but can definitely say my Garmin ran constantly on Sunday for almost 10 hours and have all that data recorded in Strava to prove it.

Plus, if you take a tumble, would you rather be replacing £100 worth of computer or £500+ worth of phone?

For short rides, then phones are fine, once you start going above 4 hours I'd consider getting a dedicated computer.