
Finn – A mount for every smartphone and bicycle - anonymouz
http://getfinn.com/
======
davidjohnstone
Well, the critic in me wants to point out that it won't work very well on time
trial bikes, and some people prefer to have their bike computer sitting
slightly ahead of the handlebars, like how SRMs are mounted. Still, it should
work very well for the vast majority of people, and I'd be looking into this
if I wanted to use my phone as a bike computer.

A few more things:

1) I would like to know that it can hold my phone in the event of a crash, and
not launch it skidding across the road, possibly into the path of traffic.
This is one of the downsides of using a phone as a bike computer.

2) The weather is another reason I would hesitate to use my phone as a bike
computer. I'm fairly sure my Garmin Edge 500 is more waterproof than my Nexus
4, although this wouldn't be a concern for everybody.

3) Once you're a more "serious" cyclist and have heart rate monitors, cadence
sensors and power meters, you will probably have connectivity issues today.
Most of these devices today use the ANT+ protocol, but very few phones support
that. Bluetooth SMART is gaining popularity amongst phones, but few power
meters etc. support it. Give it a few years and I suspect this won't be a
problem anymore.

I suspect phones will become a lot more commonly used as bike computers
amongst serious cyclists in the coming years, but there are some very real
downsides at the moment compared with dedicated devices. Neat mount though.

~~~
bergerjac
> 1) ...in the event of a crash...

Even in this edge case, your phone's health will probably be a low concern.

~~~
shabble
Why? I've had a number of minor biking accidents that ended in a few scratches
or grazes to me, and moderate damage to the bike - things like snapping both
brake lever mounts, buckling the front wheel, etc. Even having to fix those
things is a matter of maybe £50-100 tops, but if I had a brand new iPhone
$whatever trashed as well, that would suck a whole lot more.

I think the large majority of serious accidents (to normal cyclists, not
competitive BMX/downhill/stunts/etc) tend involve motor vehicles.

~~~
grogenaut
Actually according to a bicycle magazine article I just read only 18% of all
bike accidents involve cars. 70% are solo and 50 are of the falling over
variety. From most recent bicycling magazine issue.

~~~
shabble
Is that specifically for "serious"[1] accidents though? My point was more
that there are plenty of accidents which you can brush yourself off and walk
away from, that would lead to almost certain major damage to an unprotected
phone on your handlebars.

Would be interested if you have the article ref though, if it is serious
injury, I'd have expected cars to play a much bigger part.

[1] Not sure exactly how you'd define this, maybe anything requiring a
hospital/doctor visit.

~~~
grogenaut
My guess is it is for anything serious enough to seek medical attention, be it
a hospital, ambulance or police and release under own recognizance, and maybe
accidents at ski areas during summer with patrol. It definitely includes many
non-crash emergency room visits.

------
DoubleMalt
Have it. Would not use it for downhilling, but for the occasional curb in the
city it holds up well enough.

And I was pretty skeptical when I first mounted it.

(And from the principle it can only go flying if the forces are strong enough
that the thing tears)

~~~
tommi
"We haven't tried downhill mountain biking with our Finn yet, but..."

The first question on my mind was "why not"? And what's the operating
temperature? Am I able to use it where we, the Finns, live?

~~~
DoubleMalt
Can't say anything about freezing temperatures, but like with every elastic
material extreme temperature changes will probably wear it down.

I did not try it for downhill mountain biking because that is not something I
do. I'd probably trust it for it though.

[I am in no way affiliated with Finn]

~~~
grogenaut
Send me some and I'll take em by the mountain bike locations all over seattle
and have em tested for ya.

------
eknkc
I tried [http://www.quadlockcase.com/](http://www.quadlockcase.com/) and
[http://www.rokform.com/v3-bike-mount/](http://www.rokform.com/v3-bike-mount/)
in last couple of months. Liked both.

I believe that you need something as strong as it gets, not something compact
like this. It might be able to hold my phone just fine but I'll never be
comfortable hitting a bump or reacting fast to things on the road.

Nice concept in any case.

~~~
jonpierce
Big +1 on the Quad Lock bike mount + case.

I was apprehensive at first, but it's as solid as it is sleekly designed.

In the past two months, I've logged more than 500 miles with it over rough
city roads, the occasional pothole, and some off-road terrain. I've even taken
a spill with it. Not once has it come close to failing. And yet, it only takes
a second to get the phone on and off.

The kit comes with four rubber o-rings: two small, two large. I think you're
only expected to use two (whichever's the best fit for your bike). But I use
all four: the small ones straight across, the large ones diagonally. Works
great.

As for the case, I've never used one in the past, preferring the feel of a
naked iPhone. But the QL case is thin and nice enough to the touch that I
don't bother removing it. I rather like it now. The kit also includes a water
resistant (but still touch sensitive) cover, which has worked well for me in
the rain a few times.

So yeah, I'm a huge fan. I've actually ordered a second one for my other bike.

------
octatone2
Lots of critics in this thread! How many bothered watching the video down at
the bottom? Up the ante and make another demo video with the heaviest phone
you can get your hands on.

~~~
PebblesRox
Wow, I didn't notice there was anything below the fold!

~~~
Trufa
As the web developer of the site, I'm kicking myself :) If I may ask, what
confused you?

Thanks in advance!

~~~
jaredsohn
I didn't post earlier in this thread, but I think my comments can be helpful.

I don't think there is a design issue. The confusing aspect is that the GGP
referred to "watching the video at the bottom" instead of "watching the video"
(by clicking the 'video' link).

Like the GP, I didn't realize that the page scrolls, but that didn't stop me
from seeing any of the content since clicking the 'video' link scrolls the
page for you.

Although, if you want people to scroll the page without clicking links, you
should show something visually (beyond the really thin scrollbar I see on my
computer) that indicates it is scrollable. (Maybe you'll get more people
consuming content that way vs. clicking links.)

~~~
Trufa
Ok, I'm happy at least you saw the content!

I'll give some thought as to how to make it more clear that it is actually
scrollable!

Thanks for the feedback!

------
reirob
Immediately bought it. Exactly what I need in a big French city where I would
NOT like to leave a fixed mount on my bicycle anywhere in the city. Flexible,
works with every phone model, small - I can transport it in my pocket when
going out late so when night comes I can use my phone as a light, it has a
fair price.

I tried already the Breffo Spider (breffo.com) but it broke after a month of
use and it was more expensive.

So I am very curious how this mount will work and how long it will last.

~~~
demallien
What's the problem with using a fixed mount? I use my bike nearly every day in
Paris and have never had any issues in the last two years...

~~~
reirob
Nice for you. I have so many bikes stolen and so many bike parts that I do not
want to leave anything on my bike that can be dismounted easily.

------
buro9
Wonderful, going to give it a try and will stick a review on LFGSS.com once
done.

Shame the checkout process asks you to agree to a terms and cancellation
policy that I cannot read:
[http://store.getfinn.com/tos/](http://store.getfinn.com/tos/)
[http://store.getfinn.com/cancellation/](http://store.getfinn.com/cancellation/)

~~~
TsiCClawOfLight
Would you want me to translate it?

------
Spearchucker
I like it, but being in London I'm more interested in something that'll hold
my phone when it's inside a bulky waterproof pouch. I have a good pouch with a
clear plastic cover so that I can see and use the screen (my phone is a Lumia
920 and is sensitive enough to respond through thick plastic), but have yet to
find a holder that securely holds it. On road and off.

~~~
reirob
I looked at the video of Finn and I think it should work with your phone in
the pouch. Or did I miss something?

~~~
Spearchucker
Maybe. It's difficult to tell how much this holder will stretch.

~~~
kenjackson
In the video it looks like it can hold a small tablet. It will hold a 920 with
a weather case no problem (at least from the video).

------
damian2000
Similar mounts from china - [http://dx.com/p/convenient-tie-on-silicone-band-
for-bike-lig...](http://dx.com/p/convenient-tie-on-silicone-band-for-bike-
light-assorted-color-24369)

not sure how long these have been available for (ie. whether a rip off or not)

~~~
kristofferR
"Added on 15.10.2009", quite a while it seems like.

Anyway, you just gotta love the Chinenglish on the packaging:
[http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_24369_2.jpg](http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_24369_2.jpg)

"Regardless and by oneself the lamp, the stop-watch, repair a foetus first aid
pack, inflate a bube... All ability easy install".

------
JanezStupar
I have seen a guy riding MTB Downhill and filming using iPhone and this
contraption. He said it works fine.

I had hard time believing at first, but then saw him riding a couple of times
throughout the day and the phone was indeed where it was supposed to be.

So I reckon it should work for the majority of use cases.

------
TravisLS
Just what I was looking for! I have a silicon phone mount now that I use and
love, but the silicon straps cover part of the screen, which is annoying at
best. I'm definitely buying this right away.

Oh, they don't deliver to the US...I guess I'll wait for it to show up on
eBay.

~~~
TravisLS
UPDATE: In case anyone stumbles across this thread. I emailed them and they
will ship to the US.

------
usrusr
This would not work too well with a device with better than typical screen
size/pocket space ratio (thin bezel), like the Defy, but i really like how
they did not stop at their solution to the main task (holding a phone) and
also thought of less glamorous problems like being able to elegantly keep the
strap on the bike when the device is not attached.

PS: if they are making "Made in Austria" such a prominent part of their
branding, it might not be optimal to have a product video that's so markedly
Berlin. OTOH, that underpass is such an amazing cross between generic and
iconic, i can hardly blame them for using that location (like so many others)

------
bowlofpetunias
In Amsterdam this would say "I'm a tourist, please steal my phone". The latter
probably applies to must urban surroundings, which is what they are explicitly
promoting.

It doesn't add anything to safety either, because you still have to look down
at your phone to use it.

I'm sure it might be useful for rides in the country, especially on terrain
where you need both hands on the steering, but then you have to contest with
bright sunlight or rain and snow.

Seems like this device has a relatively small margin of usefulness.

~~~
skrebbel
> _In Amsterdam this would say "I'm a tourist, please steal my phone"._

How? Leaving your phone mounted is like leaving your bike unlocked. It looks
like 3 seconds of work to take a phone out and back in, so I don't understand
your point.

Also, I'd assume most people would take their phone along simply because they
take their phone everywhere.

GPS navigation is a great use case for this. Whatsapping with your friends,
indeed, maybe not so much. I think you're confusing "I'd never use this" with
"this device has a relatively small margin of usefulness".

~~~
bowlofpetunias
It will get ripped of your bike while you're waiting for the light to go
green.

------
flippyhead
Bah! Doesn't look like they ship to USA :( Was about to buy one

------
davidw
I love cycling and I love tech but when I go out for a ride, I do not want to
take my phone. I like being out on my own for a few hours.

~~~
Trufa
Hi there! I work for BikeCityGuide, we make the Finn.

We also love cycling and tech and that's why the product exists! We perfectly
understand that the Finn is not for every occasion, in fact the Finn is an
ideal partner for our App BikeCityGuide, a navigation specialized for bikes,
so when you need guidance (or you want to track yourself), the both work great
together, so when you do take your phone, consider us :)

Anyway, thanks for the feedback!

------
justin66
It certainly doesn't look like it would work with my S4 Active, thanks to its
buttons across the bottom. Which might seem nitpicky or whiny, but if you're
going to put "for every smartphone" right there in the product description...

~~~
Trufa
Hi there! I work for BikeCityGuide and we make the Finn.

First of all, thanks for the feedback, but I really think you should give it a
try, I believe it will work for your device without any problem. Maybe when
mounting it some of the buttons will be pressed, but other that, you shouldn't
have any troubles.

If you would like to try it, and it ends up that it doesn't, you can always
get a refund.

~~~
justin66
I'm pretty sure pressure on the buttons would be suboptimal but it occurs to
me that I can reassess things once I've got this phone in a case. Thanks!

------
Heliosmaster
Either the favicon is terrible or I am too dirty minded. Nice product, though.

~~~
Trufa
Ha! I had never noticed that (and I have a pretty rotten mind!).

Just wanted to let you know that it was definitely not intentional, and next
week I'll talk to our designer to see if we can do something for very small
icons like this one.

Thanks for the feedback!

------
tikumo
If you get some of the thick rubber bands from the post guy you can do the
same.. I used it in the past to hold a flashlight, this is not very different,
just needs some more bands..?

------
bsimpson
I'd be nervous about the silicone degrading over time, until one day it snaps
and my Android falls into traffic (perhaps causing a crash in the mean time).

------
glazskunrukitis
This is actually really great.

I always thought that those metallic/plastic phone holders are a bad idea
because they shake and wobble too much. This is just perfect IMO.

------
staunch
Would not trust that to hold a heavy $600 device. One really good bump or a
fall and it's definitely going to go flying.

~~~
mcpherrinm
I think I agree, but I will use it to hold my older phone, which still serves
perfectly well as a Strava / Maps (offline) / GPS device for getting around.
I'm sure that I am not the only person on HN who has a 2 year old smartphone
gathering dust somewhere.

~~~
flexd
This might just be me, but if you have a perfectly good two year old phone.
Why did you buy a new one?

I recently bought another battery for my Galaxy S2 because the old one died. I
have no plans for replacing that phone until I absolutely have to. Preferably
not until there is a Samsung Galaxy S6 or so.

~~~
netrus
Hehe, I still use my Galaxy S (one), which appears to be indestructible.
Several falls on concrete did not kill the phone. Also, the battery is cheap
to replace, so I always have an old backup battery with me. But most
important, it's rooted and runs Android 4.2. Yeah, it's a little slow, but
upgrading wouldn't change all too much. 400 USD for a little more speed on the
same functionality? Naah ... All my previous phones like ridiculously old by
now, but even the most recent devices only differ in detail from my good old
Samsung ;)

~~~
flexd
Yeah that is pretty much what is keeping me from upgrading.

My S2 is still fast enough to run anything I've tried.

What would I get by buying a S4? A bigger screen, 4G access and NFC? Other
then that I am not really aware of any benefits. I run CM nightly anyway so in
terms of software it's as good as the new phones, and I only ended up running
custom firmware because Samsung stopped doing updates.

------
squidi
I hate having to enter my details (name, email and address) over HTTP. I hope
they can update that to HTTPS soon.

~~~
Trufa
Sorry about that! We'll hopefully add it soon.

------
ljsocal
A. $16 for $.50 worth of polymer? B. Direct rapid vibration

A + B = No thanks!

------
gala8y
Not that I want one instant, but something is wrong with their selection of
countries they deliver to.

~~~
TsiCClawOfLight
seriously... now you know what the rest of the world feels like when something
only launches in the US. And by the way, we are the majority...

~~~
kiiski
Although to be fair, their list does lack some European countries too.
Hungary, Czech, Poland (well, most of Eastern Europe actually), Sweden,
Norway...

~~~
gala8y
_Although to be fair, their list does lack some European countries too._

That's exactly what I meant. Usually I am quite forgiving about it. Shipping
internationally is a big issue, logistically speaking, legally speaking and
otherwise. This list looked really strange for me. I should have been more
specific.

