Avid bicyclist Ethan wanted to mount his GPS-enabled phone to his handlebars, but found the retail solutions both unstable and far too accommodating to opportunistic thieves. His $5 solution turns a flashlight mount into a sturdy and convenient smartphone dashboard.


The project might actually cost a bit more than $5, given that Ethan had a very cheap silicone phone case he was willing to sand down and attach part of the flashlight mount to. Still, it's fairly cheap ($2 or so, based on a link) to find a cellphone case you don't care too much about, and the flashlight mount is less than $3. The hardware hacking required is very minimal, and mostly consists of sanding things down to ensure a firm grip and smoothing over the finished product.

With his smartphone mount, Ethan can track his progress via GPS, get turn-by-turn directions in unfamiliar neighborhoods, and even take phone calls—audio or video—from his handlebars. If you had an Android phone, you could utilize the fitness data dream of My Tracks, or give RunKeeper and Fitnio a go on the iPhone.


Got your own bike-mounted phone solution? We're eager to see the evidence in the comments.

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DIY: $5 bicycle dashboard and GPS [Angered Brackets]