FIT KIT REVIEW // Quadlock Smartphone Mounting - Out Front Bike Mount + Action Cam Adaptor

7/13/2017

Disclosure: I received a Quadlock Out Front Mount and Action Cam Adaptor for free in return for an honest review on my blog. I am not being paid to talk about or advertise their products. All opinions of the product are my own. See my policy page HERE for more detail.

I only purchased my bike back in September of last year, so I'm almost coming up on a year.. but I still feel like a complete newbie cyclist! Despite that though, I just LOVE cycling!

When I'm not fretting about cars, traffic, or not unclipping at a junction or roundabout in time.. I love the freedom that cycling gives me, the thrill of downhills, the struggle on the uphills and most of all the adventure and new route discoveries.

Just like running, I very rarely, if ever, go out without my phone. I get easily bored of doing the same routes, so I like to explore.. however, with exploration usually comes with getting lost and I'm hopeless with navigating myself back.. so my phone has come in handy several times. Adventure also comes with hidden treasures and beautiful scenery that I love to capture in a photo.
My phone is quite large, I have a Google Pixel XL.. so there's no chance there's going to be a jersey pocket big enough to fit it securely, I don't want the bulk of wearing some sort of belt that will get in the way.. and it barely fits in my saddle bag.

So, what is my option? The Quadlock Out Front Bike Mount.

Who are Quadlock?
Incase you didn't read my last review, here's a short summary of who Quadlock is and what they do..

Quadlock was developed by an Australian designer called Chris Peters. He had moved to Sydney ad found that having access to google maps very handy for navigating the new area and as cycling was his main form of transportation, he designed a smartphone mount for the bike so that he would be able to see his phone and maps whilst cycling.

The Quadlock system is called so due the four tabs which are integral to the system itself. It allows you to securely and conveniently attach your smartphone to your bike, car, arm, belt or tripod.

How does the Quadlock work?
The Quadlock has a dual stage locking mechanism that locks your phone in place to the mount. The mounting system has four tabs which slot into an adapter and twist, click and lock into place(as shown below). When the phone has been locked into the mount, it is completely secure and there is no fear of it falling off your bike.
A phone cannot be accidentally released from the mount but can be removed from the mount very conveniently when needed by pressing down the lever on the mount and twisting the phone off.

Pros and Cons:
If you've already read my Quadlock Sportsband Review, you'll see that a couple of these points are very similar, if you haven't read the post, then I'm basically just giving you a rundown of the pros and cons of the Out Front mount.

Pros:
Security of Mount - I can't fault the security of the mount, my phone is going NOWHERE on this baby which totally puts me at ease! It doesn't even really wobble and is totally sturdy on bumps in the road.

Very Easy to use and Install!- Installation was easy peasy, it's one simple screw to put it in place on the handle bars and probably took me all of a minute. In terms of usage, thats pretty easy too, a quarter turn to slot the adapter onto the mount then twist and it clicks and locks in place. Then you push the lever and twist off to release. Doesn't get much easier, right?
Universal with lots of devices - Unlike the Sports Armband, the Out Front mount does not have the option to buy a case bundle - that is only with with the Stem Bike mount. So unless you already own a quadlock case, you'd have to go with the Universal Adaptor Option(which is what I use).

You stick the Universal Adaptor on to a case of your choice(a smooth, non-textured, non-poruous surface like polycarbonate, you can see more details on the link HERE). The adaptor has 3M VHB Adhesive and is VERY strong(so be sure you know where you're placing it before you actually do it as you can't get it back off!).

With the case or adaptor, you then have the ability to use it with their whole range of mounts too!

Ability to attach action camera - Whilst this may not be of use to some, I know ALOT of cyclists that now have a camera attached to their bikes or helmets in the case of an accident and I have my GoPro attached every time I go out for a ride. There's a section below dedicated to the Action Cam mount below!

Cons:
It's not waterproof - As I've mentioned with the sports armband - your phone isn't really protected if you're cycling in the rain, unless of course your phone is waterproof/water resistant. There is a cover for some compatible phones, but for those like me, it's a no go in the rain.. I need to figure out a solution!

Cost - Cost is always a major factor when reviewing a piece of kit and whether or not I think it's worth the money. The Out Front mount is £29.95, if you dont already own an adaptor, it would be another £11.95 putting the whole thing at over £40 which can be alittle steep for some.
However, with that being said, I can't really say it's a con as it does a damn good job of keeping my phone safe and secure and where I can see it at all times. I have absolutely no worries about the security of the phone on the bike so I think that sort of pays for itself and I definitely think it's worth the investment.

They do have a Stem Mount available too as an option which my partner has. However, for me, I personally wanted my phone alittle further forward for better viewing. The stem mount sits closer to you so you have to look down more than you would with the Out Front mount, but it's totally personal preference and would save you £7.
Stem Mount on my partners bike
Action Cam Adaptor
So, I'm adding this extra section as I also have the action camera adapter that fits onto the bottom of the Out Front mount. The Stem mount does not have the ability to do this, so if you wanted to use an action cam to film your rides/commutes, you would need extra space somewhere on your bike to mount it.
However, the Out Front mount has holes on the bottom of the mount to allow you to attach the action cam adaptor underneath, saving some space. The adaptor was super easy to install with just two screws and then you're ready to go.

The only downside I have to say about the mount.. and it's probably actually got nothing to do with Quadlock.. is that the wires for my gears/brakes sit in the same position as where my GoPro sits, which means I have to re-arrange the wires slightly and have no choice but to have them partly in view for my footage, which is not really too much of a big deal.

The action cam mount is sold separately for £7.95 - so this is obviously optional and you may prefer to have another mount attached.

Overall Impressions
Overall, I'm incredibly happy with both the mount and action cam adapter that I have.  I am worry free in the knowledge that Quadlock is taking care of my smartphone for me on a ride and I have the convenience of grabbing it quickly if I want to take a quick snap without the need of fumbling about getting it out of storage! If you need a better solution for your smartphone mounting needs, I'd recommend Quadlock 100%, without hesitation.

If you're an adventure seeker, the convenience of being able to have a map right there in front of you is amazing! It's also an option if you use a virtual trainer like Zwift, you could easily mount your phone onto your bike and be ready to go!

I love my quadlock so much that we actually bought the same mounts for my partner too who is equally as impressed as I am.

Where to find Quadlock?
If you're interested in finding out more about quadlock or seeing some more pictures of their products, I've left all the places you can find them below!


Question: Do you take your phone out with you when you're cycling? If so, where do you store it?

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1 comments

  1. This sounds like a great product! I will keep it in mind for the future, I might need it at some point..

    ReplyDelete

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