F3 Cycling FormMount modular mounting system

The F3 Cycling FormMount is a neat, secure mount for popular bike computers from the likes of Garmin and Wahoo, and it can be adapted to carry a phone and a GoPro.

• Pros: Neat, secure, adaptable
• Cons: No tilt adjustment

Fitting the FormMount to a stem with a four-bolt faceplate is pretty straightforward in most cases: you remove either the top two bolts or the bottom two bolts, slide longer bolts (which come as part of the package) through the FormMount's arms, add little CNC machined spacers to them and then tighten into place on your stem. The bolts serve a dual purpose: holding your stem's faceplate in place and fixing the FormMount in position.

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You get to choose from several different FormMount positions. As mentioned, you can fix it to either the top bolts or the bottom bolts of your stem. The arms are kinked towards the end and can rotate relative to the computer mount section, allowing you to position that mount either higher or lower than the bolts.

Using the top bolts, you can also run the arms rearward so that your computer sits just above your stem.

Finally, you get 15mm of fore/aft adjustment. You loosen three 2mm hex bolts, move the arms to whichever of the 13 internal notches you want to use, and tighten them up again. It's a simple job.

If the position still isn't right for you, shorter arms are available for £10. These will take computers up to the size of a Wahoo Bolt (small computers will work with long arms, but large computers won't work with short arms).

One other choice you get is between Garmin and Wahoo inserts; both come in the pack. Swapping between them is another simple job with a 2mm hex key (compatibility with other leading brands is in development, according to F3).

The FormMount will fit most four-bolt stems where the distance between the centre of the bolts is anywhere from 16mm to 41mm. The stem bolts must run parallel to one another (most do).

Sod's Law, the FormMount didn't fit the first stem I tried it on. It uses M5 bolts and anything larger won't go through the arms.

The second stem, though: easy peasy, and it has been the same for a load more stems that I've tried since.

I've been using the FormMount mostly with a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, the computer locking in place securely and remaining stable and readable over all kinds of road surfaces. I had no issues with the computer vibrating and becoming illegible. If that does happen with heavier devices fitted (a larger computer and a GoPro, for example) a BridgeTool is available to brace the arms and provide extra stability.

I've used the FormMount with various other devices, including Garmin's large Edge 1030 GPS. Position it to sit flush with your stem and you can access the lower buttons just fine.

One potential drawback of the FormMount is that you don't get angle adjustment like you do with a mount that clamps around a round handlebar, such as the K-Edge Garmin Race Mount we reviewed. It will always sit at the same angle as your stem bolts, so if you have a riser stem the FormMount will continue upwards at the same angle, and if you have a negative rise stem (yuck! I hate that term) it will slope downwards. You can't do anything about that (F3 says that a FormMount with a tilt function is in the works), which might or might not be an issue for you. Chances are that if you're a roadie you have a flattish stem anyway.

On the plus side, this design frees up space on your handlebar, positions your computer centrally and, personally, I think it's a neat solution, making use of what's already there to reduce clutter. At 25g it weighs the same as Wahoo's out-front mount that clamps to your handlebar, although you need to add two x 2g to take account of the longer stem bolts that you have to use. Negligible!

Various accessories are available for the FormMount, including a Phone Component (£35) that allows you to attach your mobile on top, and a Camera/Light Component (£15) that lets you fix a GoPro, for example, to the bottom. I've already mentioned that you can get shorter arms (£10).

One other accessory is a coloured plate to run through the middle of the FormMount (£5.50) to replace the standard black and match your bike. That's a custom option too far for me!

> Read more road.cc reviews of cycling accessories here

You might have got an out-front mount in the pack with your computer and an unbranded replacement is just a few quid, but if you want one from Garmin it'll cost you £29.99, while something like the K-Edge Garmin Race Mount I mentioned earlier is £54.99. In that sort of company, the FormMount pricing seems fine, particularly as it's both super-tidy and modular.

Overall, the FormMount is a really good design that'll hold various computers securely while keeping the front end of your bike free of clutter. It's a cool bit of kit.

Verdict

Secure and tidy stem-fixed mount for Garmin and Wahoo GPS computers