Nowadays smartphones accompanies us basicaly everywhere, also when riding our bike. Although personally, I am not the type of person staring at a small screen all the time, and I usually remember turning on Strava only at the end of the ride. But on the other hand I appreciate some of its functions. Especially when going to completely new places. I very often use the Trailforks application to find best trails, or mapy.cz to find myself in the area. So maybe it’s better to have this screen on the handlebar, instead of reaching into the pocket every time? When my wife and I prepared for another trip to unknown areas, we received an interesting set up made by Peak Design.
Peak Design Mobile – Specifications
Peak Design Mobile is a whole series of products that have been created for the use of smartphones in various conditions, and especially when traveling. The basis of this system is a specially fitted case for the smartphone. It has a small square hole on its back with special magnets. These two solutions create the SlimLink system. Thanks to this, the phone can be securely attached to various types of mounts. There are tripods, universal mounts, bike, motorcycle, car and even wall mounts. Mounting options are numerous and they are prepared to specific conditions of usage. With the car holder, which can be equipped with an inductive charger, a magnet is enough to hold the phone in the right position. But when riding a mountain bike, it is definitely not enough. At those more demanding conditions there is additional mechanical system of mounting that holds our smartphone securely in the right place.
Peak Design Mobile – Our Choice
We will focus here primarily on the magnetic-mechanical fastening, which has been developed for these more demanding conditions. Previously we have known the Peak Design company for a long time. We have been using their “capture” camera holder, which works great. High quality and a lifetime warranty allow you to hang quite valuable photo equipment without fear. Having had a good experience, we had no hesitation in trying the Peak Design Mobile system. At first glance, there are just few of smartphone cases offered, which must fit perfectly with our smartphone. The current range covers various variants of newer iPhone models and Samsung’s flagship models. It seems to be a big limitation. The “Everyday Case” is of course available for my wife’s Samsung S21, but not for my older S10. But there is also a solution for this. A special sticker allows You to turn almost any smartphone case from another manufacturer into one that works with the SlimLink system. So our choice was as follows. My wife wrapped her smartphone in the Peak Design Everyday Case Fabric, and took the “Bike Mount – Out Front” handlebar holder. I’ve attached a universal SlimLink adapter to my case, and for comparison, I chose the “Universal Bar Mount”. Equipped with the new system, we went to explore Athens and the various trails on its outskirts.
Peak Design Mobile – Everyday Case Fabric Samsung S21
While the smartphone case itself is nothing extraordinary, it is worth noting that Peak Design designed the Mobile system to make it as slim and useful as possible. The main mounting element is so flat that the whole thing does not differ much in thickness from any other “normal” smartphone case. There are no additional elements that could irritate us in everyday use. Case must also guarantee good security for our smartphone. The surface around the edge is made from special rubber and fits the model perfectly. The buttons look good and work excelent. The back is finished with gray material with a pleasant texture. In a nutshell, it is a relatively small case, finished with good quality materials, which will protect your smartphone and work great in everyday use.
Peak Design Mobile – Universal SlimLink Adapter
A very simple option for adapting any case from another manufacturer to work with the Peak Design Mobile system. It is simply a sticker that we attach to the “back” of any case. It takes up a lot of space and sticks out a bit, whether you like it or not. However, it must finally accommodate special magnets and a place for mechanical fastening. Installation is very simple, especially since the set comes with a special template that helps making a perfect fit. The well-known original 3M tape is responsible for the permanent connection. The only requirement for this to work, is a flat, smooth and degreased surface of the case of your choice.
Peak Design Mobile – Bike Mount Out Front
Mounting on the bike handlebar equipped with the SlimLink system. Magnetic-mechanical fastening is used for a secure grip. Magnets help to guide the phone to the right place, while the permanent connection is guaranteed by additional ceramic claws. The only option to take out the phone from the mount is to press one of the two buttons located underneath. Such a connection guarantees that the phone will not fall down, even when going thru most ambitious terrain. The assembly is carried out using a screw (propper key is included in the set), or using the included knob. Depending on your preferences. You can screw the mount down once and properly, or leave the option of quick assembly / disassembly, or easy adjustment of the mounting angle. The phone can be mounted vertically or horizontally. Light and durable structure made of anodized aluminum, it is fully resistant to all weather conditions. What’s more, the set includes an additional mount for GoPro accessories. Thanks to this, we can attach a sports camera or a bike lamp on this one rigid mount. Peak Design provides a lifetime warranty on this set as standard. A secure fastening to the handlebar is guaranteed by a clamp equipped with 3 sets of washers adapted to 3 different diameters: 22.2, 25.4, and 31.8 mm. The weight of the mount, depending on the final configuration of the holder, varies between 87.1-110g.
Peak Design Mobile – Universal Bar Mount
A universal handlebar mount, which like “Bike Mount”, has the most powerful magnetic-mechanical fastening system. Also here there is no option to accidentally disconnect the phone without pressing at least one button located underneath. Fastening to the handlebar (or any round tube) is done with a special silicone band. It easily covers the handlebars with a diameter of 35 mm, and its maximum range is 19-55 mm. The assembly is reliable and has two stages. The phone can be attached to the holder vertically or horizontally. However, even after its placement, the phone can be turned. The clamping head rotates 360 degrees to lock into 32 different positions. The mount is quick to install and can be easily transferred to another bike, even with a different handlebar diameter. Like any other product, Peak Design provides a lifetime guarantee for it. The weight of the universal holder is 78g.
Peak Design Mobile – Our first impressions
We took the above-mentioned set for a trip to Athens. Due to the fact that we have never been there before, the help of a smartphone in navigating turned out to be very useful feature when exploring the city, and it’s surroundings. After exploring the area, I went on the enduro trails located on the slopes of close by Mount Ymittos. When I’ve opened the Trailforks app I saw how huge is the network of the trails here. Due to the fact that most of them are located in the forest, I often had to verify my position and where to go on the phone’s map. In this case, the phone on the handlebar for exploring the surroundings turned out to be a much more convenient solution, than constantly taking it out and putting it back in your pocket.
First impressions – SlimLink adapter, universal holder and enduro trails – Marek
Knowing the quality of the Peak Design mounts, I was not afraid to risk ride even on the toughest trails with the phone attached to the bars. Firstly, before trip, I made sure that the SlimLink adapter sticker is glued securely to my case. It quickly turned out that the dedicated bike mount unfortunately does not support the 35 mm handlebars which I have on my enduro bike. But the fact is that I already earlier looked more at the universal holder. With this one I will be able to quickly put on/take off. Mounting with a rubber band is quick and safe. It is hooked twice so that nothing sticks out anywhere. The SlimLink itself is very strong and there is hardly any option to lose the phone. Going to explore the enduro trails on the Ymittos mountain, I was very pleased that already fixed phone can be easily rotated horizontally. Thanks to this, it minimizes the possibility of catching the leg when squeezing with bike between Greek rocks. When riding downhill in the rocky terrain, the phone sways a bit on the rubber mount, but then I fully focus on the trail itself. I use the phone only on climbs or at short stops. I found some of the more difficult and rougher trails in the area very quickly. After riding them with the phone on the bars, I know that there is no option for me to accidentally lose the phone. On the other hand, I also appreciated the comfort of riding with empty pockets. So, while I previously thought that I would only use the grip from time to time, but I didn’t remove it from the handlebar until now. Especially that ahead of me, there are still a lot of new trails and places to see in the area.
First impressions – Everyday Case, Bike Mount and discovering Athens – Ola
Contrary to Marek, I use the phone very often. Not only I run our blogs social media, but I also work remotely during our trips. So I use my smartphone often. The option to attach it to the handlebar turned out to be very beneficial for me, because I didn’t have to stop to get it out of my backpack to see if I needed to do something as a part of my job. Before using the holder, I had some concerns about whether it would meet the challenge of keeping the phone in the place, even on rocky or gravel Greek roads. However, they were quickly dispelled. The mounting in combination with a dedicated case works perfectly. As for the case itself, it is great for everyday use. Thanks to the material coating, it does not slip in the hand and simply allows you to keep a firm grip. The hole on the back, which is used to mount the phone in a dedicated holder, also does not interfere. And after a few days I just got used to it.
Peak Design Mobile – Summary
Summing up our first impressions, we are both very satisfied with Peak Design Mobile products so far. The only major flaw is that the dedicated bike mount does not support 35mm handlebars. Although, thanks to the adapters, it could be attached somewhere closer to the grips or grips, it will not be a comfortable solution. On the other hand, a universal grip fastened with a rubber band works great even on rough enduro trails and I believe that there is no option for my phone to drop off from it. Apart from this one drawback, we can clearly see that the mobile series has been well thought out. Of course, now all components are new and work perfectly. In some time, we will present a summary of the long-distance test of all the gadgets we have in our possession. Although, knowing the high quality of products with the Peak Design logo, we do not worry too much. Along with the excellent quality and care for the environment, unfortunately, comes also a fairly high price. At the moment, the Everyday Case costs 39,95 USD, the universal holder 49,95 USD, and the Bike Mount 69,95 USD. However, it should be remembered that this price includes the manufacturer’s lifetime warranty, which gives the confidence that the products will serve us for a long time. You can check the wide variety of Peak Design Mobile accessories on the official website of the brand: peakdesign.com
About Peak Design
Peak Design is a brand created out of passion for photography and travel. It became famous in the world thanks to its revolutionary “capture” mounting for photographic equipment. The current offer includes various transport solutions useful for travel and everyday use. Peak Design cares about the highest quality of its products, and the proof of this is a lifetime warranty for each offered item.
Oficial website: peakdesign.com
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