Whenever a new smart phone is launched, an entire industry of accessory suppliers rush to manufacture a perfectly fitted smart phone case. Brands who make bike mounted smart phone cases also have to follow suit, but Austrian brand Bike Citizens have changed the rule and have mount called Finn which suits any brand, but a different type of riding.
On my bike, the handlebars are the ‘cockpit’ where everything needs its space, from the brakes and gears to accessories such as a light, bell and cycle-computer. It is very much about efficiency, ensuring I can ride comfortably while having easy access everything I need. But the Finn does things differently, you don’t need to plan, it more of a smart phone mount for casual urban riding and touring where you can easily put in on, take it off and just go with the flow.
The thoughtful design, simplicity and affordability is what sells it. The silicon wraps around the bars, threads through itself and stretches around the phone. A flat section on the mount assists in keeping the phone orientated correctly but it remains versatile so you can shift the position on the fly. At $22.50 (including shipping), it reasonably priced for a smart phone mount and you don’t have to deliberate because it suits all smart phones which tend to be flat rectangles.
Of course a mount like this doesn’t give you bells and whistles like the protection that you would get from an enclosed case style mount like the Quadlock. If it rains and your phone isn’t waterproof, then you wont be using the Finn. I was wondering about the stability and rode on various surfaces including single-track and cobble stones and it actually works very well. The silicon lends the grip and stretch that it will only wobble if the going gets tough.
As an easy-to-use mount, it is also easy to misplace, is it in the jacket pocket or in a bag?
As the Finn mounts on your bars, you don’t get the advance of the popular ‘out-front’ styles mounts where smart phones or cycle computers are positions in front of the bars. That has the advantage of (usually) freeing more space on your handle bars and making it a tad bit easier to glance down at the screen. The position means that some riders may find their knee knock against it from time to time when turning. The silicon straps also cover the edges of the screen but for touring and urban use I don’t see that as a big detractor.
But wait…. there’s more
Firstly, there is a triple-pack available where you get three mounts for the price of two. The other part of Finn is that belongs to the Bike Citizen concept. In essence this is an App (called Bike Citizen) which mixes urban lifestyle and navigation. For each Finn mount you get access to mapping for one city and can purchase additional cities for ca. $6.70 (or all cities internationally for $30).
In Australia, only the major cities are available though Bike Citizen is just getting started in this country so there are no cycling tours yet, instead the App relies on standard navigation (computer) and OpenStreetMaps. This opens an opportunity for newcomers to start adding tours for their cities and even for cities to partner-up and provide bike routes and services.
At the time of writing, a new version of the app has been released and with the limited content for Australia and new release, a deeper analysis will not be provided, but the Bike Citizens app can viewed as a bonus.
The Finn bike mount for smart phones is available online: getfinn.com
