A year ago I decided I wanted to start using a phone mount on my bike. Sometimes I’m out and about and am looking for directions, or I need to send/receive text messages while I’m biking (via voice). Other times I want to be able to quickly grab my phone and take a picture of something I’m passing by, or perhaps I just want to play Pokémon Go while I’m biking around. For all of these reasons I decided to start searching for a mount for my bike to keep my phone front and center while riding.

My first attempt at a mount was a very inexpensive one I picked up off of Amazon. As with most cheap crap that you find online, this one performed as expected. It got the job done, but that was about it. It used elastic bands to hold the phone in place, and the mount secured to the handlebars with a simple clamp. This mount had some problems though. The rubber bands held the phone well enough, but getting the phone on and off the mount was a chore. It meant that stopping for a quick photo wasn’t really an option. In addition, the mount had a swivel head on it so that you could angle the phone in different positions. That swivel mechanism never was able to tighten very well, and so often the phone would flop forward or backwards while riding over bumps. It didn’t make me feel very comfortable about riding with my phone like that.

Thankfully, I have a deep bench of experience in my biking community, and my friend Abe suggested that I check out the SP Connect bike mounts. He’s been using them for years, and loves them, and said that they meet all of his needs. After hemming and hawing for way too long, I pulled the trigger and bought their kit. The basic kit comes with a mount, a case, a weather protector, and a small attachment that allows you to prop the phone up at an angle when sitting on a table. It came to $60, but that seemed to be standard across the market for a system like this.

The kit arrived a few weeks ago, and I’ve had a chance to try it out on around a hundred miles of biking. The mount is a simple clamp mechanism that uses a plastic strap that you screw tighter by turning a small nut. It actually does a decent job holding the mount securely in place. In order to use the mount, you need to use the SP Connect case, which contains the other part of the mounting connection. There are two raised bars on the mount that secure to the back of the case. You set the phone on the mount and then turn 90 degrees to either side and the phone locks into place.

The mounting is really secure, and I’ve even (gently and momentarily) lifted the front of my bike off the ground by the mount. Lining up the case to the mount is pretty easy as well, and there’s only been a couple times where I’ve struggled to get it in the right place the first time. Those times have become less and less with more practice. Many times it involved me trying to set the phone on the mount at an odd angle that isn’t fully flat against the mount. I’ve gotten better at matching that up each time I do it.

The case that you need to use is moderately ruggedized. It’s not at the same level as an Otterbox, but it does have some heft to it, and good protection around the edges. It fits my iPhone well and I’ve had no issue with slippage or things being blocked. All around, a decent case. In addition they send along a weather proof cover that you can put over your phone while it is mounted. The cover is a simple piece of fitted plastic that allows you to still touch your screen, but keeps the phone dry.

Finally, they send along a small stand that you can attach to the back of the case, and it allows you to sit the phone up on its side for (I assume) watching videos. It’s a cute little addition, but I’m not sure how useful it’ll be for me in the long run. Maybe it’ll be fun to use if I’m out biking but then stop to eat at a table and want to watch something.

Should you but the SP Connect? One of the things I haven’t mentioned yet is the competition. There were two other systems that I looked at when deciding on this mount. The first was Quad Lock. From everything I could see, there are very few differences between Quad Lock and SP Connect. They use similar locking mechanisms and the accessories and price are similar.

I also investigated Rockform, and it is still one that I might like to try some time. Some of the unique features of Rockform are it’s mounting mechanism which is a quarter turn, star-like system. It also utilizes a strong magnet in the case to secure the phone a second way to the mount. Rockform seems to be a great target for mountain bikers who are hitting some really serious terrain that might break other mounts. Since I didn’t need that much protection, I decided to save a few bucks and go with SP Connect. I did also see some online reviews that felt the Rockform was a bit harder to get used to attaching. Though, I’d want to get a kit myself and see if I can replicate that.

In the end, I’m very happy with the SP Connect. So much so that I got my wife a mounting kit for her phone and bike, and she loves it. The SP Connect is a capable mount that does what I want it to do. It allows me to quickly remove the phone from the mount on the go, and otherwise keeps the phone solidly connected and in place. Based on the last couple months, I have zero complaints about it, and would recommend folks check it out if they’re looking for a phone mount for their bike.