gratefulHIKE Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Hai 2 u..........I would like a solid bicycle mount for my vista hcx....not the garmin one that is just not solid at all, the ram mounts are not for bicyclist.....I do a lot of cyclocross and mtnbiking and some road anyone know of a company that makes something good? Quote Link to comment
+fratermus Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 Hai 2 u..........I would like a solid bicycle mount for my vista hcx....not the garmin one that is just not solid at all, the ram mounts are not for bicyclist.....I do a lot of cyclocross and mtnbiking and some road I have the normal garmin bike mount on my mountain bike and also use one on my dualsport motorcycle which takes a rather savage pounding in the dirt and rough terrain. I have not heard of anyone breaking the mount or losing the gpsr. I have used the mount with the blue legend, venture cx, and now a foretrex 201. I am in love with the 201 for bike/motorbike use because it is dead simple, light, and very low profile. Doesn't get hung up on low-hanging branches. Quote Link to comment
+hogrod Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I also use the garmin mount on my mountain bike and have had no issues with it breaking or coming loose. Quote Link to comment
+BaldEd Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I never really considered buying a commercial product, they all either looked too flimsy or were too expensive for my pocket. So I made my own gps mount out of plexiglass and bison board (a very thin type of fibreboard) and just use a velcro strap to hold the mount firmly onto the stem and handlebar. Took just a couple of hours to construct. The plexiglass was heat moulded to form a tight-fitting cradle around the gps (WARNING: use a block of wood the same dimensions as the gps when heat moulding the plexiglass - I used a blowtorch to soften the plexiglass until it was just pliable enough to bend easily). The bison board was used to construct the base unit that is strapped to the stem/handlebar. The plexiglass cradle is screwed to the base unit. The base unit is shaped, with cutouts, so that it fits firmly on both handlebar and stem at an angle that enables the gps to be easily seen, with no screen reflections, whilst in the riding position. There are slots in the base unit through which the velcro strap is fed. Once construction of the base unit was finished, it was given a couple of quick coats of paint for weather protection. The above-stem mounting provides a degree of protection as the unit does not protrude much beyond the front of the handlebar. The velcro strap firmly keeps the unit in place and enables quick attachment and removal. The same basic unit has been used with a Garmin 12XL and now a Garmin 76CSX over many thousands of kilometers on both my road and mountain bikes without any problems/damage. The rider has been the one that has always suffered the damage in all the "off-bike" experiences. Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 (edited) Why will you not consider the Ram mounts? Yes, they're a bit more pricey and geeky looking, but they appear to be pretty sturdy and I have not heard of any failures. I've only used the Garmin mounts for my 60cs and Etrex'. The mounts on my Venture Cx and Vista HCx cracked within a few months. Garmin is replacing them at no cost, but unless they've change the design, I expect them to crack as well. I ride a dual suspension bike and a road bike. The 60cs uses a cradle type of mount, and they crack at the loop tip. Then, there's this setup. Here's a pic of the Ram. Edited November 22, 2007 by Chuy! Quote Link to comment
gratefulHIKE Posted November 22, 2007 Author Share Posted November 22, 2007 Specifically it is for my brother, and he is a lot pickier than I.......the ram mounts dont look stylish on his $2,000 bikes, for some reason I agree with him....but dadgum he buys expensive stuff...........and the garmins have a tendency to be weaker on rough terrain I was hoping there was a middle ground, like a ram mount that was somewhat smaller in size Quote Link to comment
+embra Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 I'll concede that RAM looks a little clunky, but I think they're about the sturdiest materials one will be able to find in a mount. Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted November 22, 2007 Share Posted November 22, 2007 You wanna see a Ram eyesore: Quote Link to comment
Hawseman Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 I didn't like any of the options for mounting my Vista HCx on the bars. I wanted super low profile with some LCD protection. I decided to rig my own, using a LizardSkin Ball Frog, Garmin deluxe belt case and a Velcro strap for added support. This mounting is super solid, with some great give and protection for those nasty falls. I take some decent drops and ride pretty aggressive on technical trails and the Vista stays strong. Here are some pics that may give you an idea. Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 Hawseman, that's not a bad setup. The only thing I would do different is attach a lanyard to the GPS and wrap it around the stem for added protection from falling off. Even a string will do - it's cheap insurance... Quote Link to comment
+Isonzo Karst Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 We've used Ram mounts on mountain bikes, recumbents and kayaks. Very very sturdy. Yes, also a lanyard to something, just in case (though not on the 'bents). Sounds like you need to do your own custom set up per Hawseman's post. The nice thing about the RAM is the versatility. One mount, multiple ball mounts on a variety of toys. Works well. Quote Link to comment
Hawseman Posted November 23, 2007 Share Posted November 23, 2007 (edited) The lanyard is a good suggestion, but I felt it wasn't needed. I have two windowed cases, and it's quicker to pull the unit in/out without fishing in the lanyard. It's trail proven, with about 1000 miles of offroad, biking trail info tracked this summer. I had a similar setup before with my Magellan 315, but the antenna hung over the front. The key to it's strength is the Velcro strap. It holds the case closed, as well as keeping it solid on the stem. Truthfully, It won't come off with a baseball bat but it will move enough to absorb the impact. My pics have that ugly neoprene ball frog over the more handsome LizardSkin ball frog....never too much protection for the "boys". The advantages are; low profile, screen protection, better protection for adverse weather conditions, fairly cheap with all pieces serving a dual purpose, not too solid (does have enough give to cushion a direct hit) and an almost horizontal install for more accurate electronic compass readings (Garmin doesn't have the 3-axis compass like the Magellans', so it matters). The disadvantages; certain light situations window glare is noticable, joystick is even more of a pain in the butt to use because of the case design. IMO, the advantages out-way the disadvantages, especially when riding in all-mountain or aggressive XC type off-road. The solid mounts I would question the longevity of the unit taking the full brunt of every trail nook and crannie. Chuy!'s post above shows why I steered away from a solid mount. Edited November 23, 2007 by Hawseman Quote Link to comment
mikado613 Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I use the bike mount in my car. It fits pefectly on the gearshift in my Dodge Caravan. Then, when I shift into drive, it puts the unit in the perfect spot making it easy to read and use. (sorry, I know you said bicyclers only, but I had to put in my two cents) Quote Link to comment
+JT & PJ Cole Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I use the RAM mounts on the bike, motorcycle and in the Jeep. Practical and dependable. My GPSr has never fallen out of the mount. The RAM GPS mount for my 60cs just failed after years of flexing and hundreds of operations. Not bad for $8. You might be interested in this: http://www.cycoactive.com/gps/gps_mounts.html Quote Link to comment
+Klemmer Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 Using RAM mount for my Delorme PN-20 on hard tail, trails and streets, no problem at all. I guess you can go for secure & geeky or fancy & breakable. Quote Link to comment
+DocDiTTo Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I use a RAM handlebar mount on my motorcycle, the same mount fits on a bicycle. I guarantee you that your bike won't get up to 70 MPH, but my cycle often does and the RAM holds firm. I use a Garmin mount on my mtn bike and I've never had it break or fall off, but looking at the pictures I have a different connector on the GPS than Chuy! does, which might account for the different in performance. Quote Link to comment
+JSWilson64 Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 I use the Garmin mount on my mountain bike, have never had any trouble with it. It has the benefit of having a standard "handlebar" portion that I can use with my Legend or my 60CSx -- only the part that attaches to the receiver is different. I loop the lanyard around the stem a few times, and pass the GPSr through it, before clipping it in to the mount, just in case it pops out... Quote Link to comment
RenHoek Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 For the RAM mounts, you don't have to get the big arm for a bike mount. They have a short sturdy option like this (60CSx shown, but would work with their Vista cradle too): http://www.gpscity.com/item-ram-mount-gpsm.../rap274ga12.htm That being said, here's what I use for my road bike/60CSx setup: http://www.gpscity.com/item-garmin-emap-bi...emapbikemnt.htm (I clip it into the Garmin brand cradle - same interface as eMap, so this works and is cheap) -RenHoek Quote Link to comment
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