DIY Cell Phone Bike Mount: How To Use A Phone Belt Clip To Hold Your GPS-Enabled Phone

In preparation for another year of biking, I took my bike in for a long-overdue tuneup.

It was at that time that I decided to remove my old (wired) cycling computer and use my Droid X cellphone to track all of my bike rides from now on.

Using an Android app and a GPS-enabled phone, you can track just about anything you want to know about your bike rides.

 

Android Apps To Track Bike Rides

First, I experimented with a couple of different Android apps to track the following:

• mileage
• speed
• elevation
• time
• calories burned
• saved maps (import/export)

 

My 2 favorites at this point are:

CardioTrainer

iMapMyRIDE

Both are pictured here in this post.

 

DIY Droid Bike Mount

Now that my phone does all that the things that my old bike computer used to do, all I needed was a bike mount — to keep my cell phone perched safely on my handlebar while cycling.

So I set out to find “the perfect bike mount” for my Droid phone.

First, I searched for official bike mounts for the Droid X online and found these:

• Amzer Bicycle Handlebar Mount
• Arkon Universal Bike/Motorcycle Mount
• Duragadget Waterproof Holder, Case & Bike Holder
• Slim-Grip Holder Bike Mount

I was leaning toward the Amzer.

But then I realized that I had what I needed already: the Droid X belt clip holder!

My husband had purchased the optional belt clip when he got his Droid X phone, but he didn’t use it. So it was just hanging out in the junk drawer.

Instead, I turned that phone belt clip into a bike mount.

 

How To Turn A Belt Clip Into A Bike Mount

I simply clamped the belt clip over the brake cables that criss-cross the front of my bike’s handlebar. Magically, it rests perfectly in place, and it’s at the right angle to read while I’m cycling.

  

To secure it in place (in case I hit a major bump), I use a self-gripping piece of velcro to hold it loosely in place widthwise.

Since I usually bike the same country roads most of the time, I know there aren’t any serious bumps to speak of — so this setup works find for me. But whenever I bike on roads that are new to me, I double-up with another piece of self-gripping velcro going the other direction (length of the phone).

You could also use rubber bands.

The best part about this DIY belt clip holder bike mount is the fact that it’s easy-on and easy-off. It’s not a permanent thing — so the phone can easily be attached to my bike and then removed in a jiffy without any altering of the phone or sticky residue (as there would be if you taped it securely in place).

 

More About The Droid X Phone & Biking

• Apple iPhone vs Google Android Phones
• DIY Bicycle Handlebar Mount For GPS Phones
• My Favorite Android Apps For Newbies With A Droid Phone
• How To Mount A GPS On A Bike For $1
• Bike Gear + Fun Tips For Newbie Cyclists