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Quad Lock Bike Kit iPhone 7

9
£54.95

VERDICT:

9
10
Super-secure system for mounting your phone to a bike
Weight: 
79g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Quad Lock Bike Kit for iPhone 7 is a strong and secure way of mounting your phone to the stem of your bike, and it's very quick and easy to use.

You can't argue with the function; the Quad Lock system works superbly. Essentially, you get three products here: a case for your phone – the black bit – a 'poncho' (great use of the word poncho there), which is a cover that slips over the front – and a mount that fixes to your stem, onto which the case fits.

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Your phone pushes into the case and stays put, never coming out accidentally. The case offers good protection from everyday bumps and knocks and I've dropped my phone a couple of times while it was in there and it has survived unharmed. Good news! You'll probably leave your phone in the case all the time – it's low profile and there's no real reason to take it out.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - case detail.jpg

Raised buttons on the sides of the case correspond with the iPhone's buttons underneath and you get access to the ring on/off switch too, like on most other cases out there. The feature that distinguishes the case is the recessed Quad Lock fixing point on the back (more on that in a mo).

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - phone case back.jpg

The poncho is designed to protect your phone from rain, dust, sweat and whatever else comes its way, and it does this pretty well. It won't keep out a deluge but an iPhone 7 has an IP67 rating. This means it can be immersed in water to a depth of one metre for 30 minutes, so you might feel you can dispense with the poncho. Up to you. If you do leave it in place it'll at least help to keep your phone clean.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - phone and case.jpg

Your phone's touchscreen will work through the poncho, although Quad Lock says that you might have trouble if you already have a thick screen protector on there. I used it with a normal screen protector without any trouble. The touchscreen was a little less sensitive than normal, but not much.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - touch screen.jpg

The mount – or the Quad Lock Bike Mount Pro, to give it its full name – is a super-secure design that's simple to use. You put the case on top, spin it 45 degrees in either direction (so you can position your phone portrait or landscape), and four lugs on top of the mount click into place. As well as that, there's a spring-loaded collar that locks the case to the mount. It's a really neat design and I can't see that the case could ever become detached except on purpose.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - mount detail.jpg

You can fix the mount to your stem via O-rings (two sets of different diameters are supplied) or zip ties (also supplied). The O-rings are quick to use and allow you to take the mount off your bike easily, but I found that the zip ties would hold the mount more stable.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - mount.jpg

Obviously, once your phone is mounted to your bike you can see any apps you have running, such as Strava, just by glancing down. You can use your phone as a bike computer or a sat nav, you can link it to a heart rate monitor and/or a cadence sensor and have that info displayed... You know the kind of things that smartphones can do so I won't go into those possibilities here. Chances are that even without a Quad Lock you'll be taking your phone with you on every ride anyway so you might want to make the most of its potential.

Quad Lock Bike Kit for I Phone 7 - mounted top.jpg

As well as bike mounts (including an out front mount), you can fix the case to other Quad Lock mounts. There's an arm band for running, for example, and a mount that fixes to the windscreen or dashboard of your car so you can get route directions as you drive.

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The only criticism I have is that it's quite expensive; that said, so is your iPhone, and the Quad Lock really does hold it securely.

Overall, it's a great system that works brilliantly. If you want to view your phone while you're riding, this is an excellent way to do it.

Verdict

Super-secure system for mounting your phone to a bike

road.cc test report

Make and model: Quad Lock Bike Kit iPhone 7

Size tested: For iPhone 7

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Quad Lock says, "The Quad Lock Bike Mount for iPhone 7 is the lightest, strongest and most secure iPhone 7 bike mount available thanks to the patented Quad Lock dual locking system. The iPhone 7 bike kit is supplied with everything you need to mount on your bike.

With your iPhone 7 securely mounted to your bars, you can use fitness apps like Strava to track your rides or navigate your city with ease using Maps. No need to miss messages or tweets while on the go.

* Compatible with all Quad Lock Mounts and accessories

* Slim & Protective iPhone 7 case

* Bike Mount Pro mounts on both Stem and Handlebars

* Bike Mount Pro fits tube diameters ranging from 25-40mm in diameter. Larger diameters can be secured with longer zip-ties.

* Supplied with weather resistant Poncho slip on cover to protect from Rain, Dust, Dirt, Sweat and Mud. The poncho is not always needed in the rain as iPhone 7 devices are water-resistant.

* Note: If you're using a thick screen protector with the Poncho, this may limit the use of the touch screen. The home button will not work through the Poncho."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

The two-part locking mechanism is a really clever design and it's impossible for your phone to become detached accidentally.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

It's really well made and the Quad Lock attachment mechanism is super-secure, which is just as well seeing as you're mounting an expensive piece of equipment on the front of your bike.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

It's secure and simple to use. Your phone sits about an inch higher than your stem, which is a bit odd if you're used to something like a Garmin, but it's a really clever design.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
9/10

It's very light, especially considering the security on offer.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

The price seems high for a mass-produced item made from plastic but, on the other hand, it is the best system we know of.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

You don't want to take any chances with something as expensive as a smartphone and this system is superbly secure.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The amount of security on offer.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Personally, I was a little surprised that the Quad Lock wasn't about £10 cheaper.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

I think the price is a little high for what are, essentially, a few plastic components but I'd be willing to pay it for the level of security you get here. I think that the construction and performance scores are more important here.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

Add new comment

6 comments

Avatar
Team EPO | 7 years ago
0 likes

You can also use your Garmin mount with the Quad lock..

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Quad-Lock-Out-Front-Mount/dp/B0171AQO24?tag=ope...

Avatar
shufflingb | 7 years ago
0 likes

After some fairly unpleasant incedents involving other mounts and big neetle patches  2 whilst gravel biking I found these last year. Been using since, first with the 6 and more recently with the 7 Plus. 

I travel on some rough tracks so I cable tie the mount to the stem to be one the safe side (I don't like nettles and the Plus is a bit chunky). As has been observed, the poncho thing is not needed for water protection with the 7's  ... hurrah. Also worth mentioning that Quadlock do other mounts that work similarly well with the case, such as one for a car windscreens/dashboards which is great for satnav.. 

They're eye wateringly expensive, but you can save a bit of money by just buying the bits you need, i.e. not the poncho, they last well and they do work brilliantly, by far and away the best I've found.

 

Avatar
part_robot | 7 years ago
1 like

I have one. Bloody brilliant. In my experience the iPhone 7 doesn't need the poncho as it's comparitively hard to scratch and works perfectly fine in the pouring rain (the fingerprint sensor doesn't so well though). In fact, it even works with gloves on if the gloves are wet or have a conductive strip.

I find the stem mount to be a bit unsightly and tall so I use the bar mount version and aim it backwards. If you have a long enough stem (or the steerer tube is well trimmed) the 7 fits well and it's pretty sleak this way.

Avatar
spindi | 7 years ago
0 likes

I've used the older version for a long time also. Very good. The previous version of this...

https://www.evanscycles.com/quad-lock-bike-kit-universal-fit-v2-EV305664

Get a hard case for your phone and epoxy it to the back (I didn't trust the adhesive supplied). Solid as a rock. It's been happily working for a long time now with my cheapo 'Ulefone Power' phone. ViewRanger or Maps.me are great.

Avatar
Grahamd | 7 years ago
1 like

Have used the 6 version for ages, and was very pleased. It cost significantly less though, so don't see how the price is justified.

Avatar
Butty replied to Grahamd | 7 years ago
0 likes
Grahamd wrote:

Have used the 6 version for ages, and was very pleased. It cost significantly less though, so don't see how the price is justified.

I found the 6 version worked fine on my Iphone 7 other than the camera hole wasn't quite aligned, but that was easily sorted.

So yeah, I don't know why this is such a large hike over the 6 version.

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