The ever burgeoning smartphone bike mount systems are proliferating due to increasing mobile GPS apps usage by mountain bikers, roadies and triathletes. The Quad Lock iPhone bike mounting system from Annex Products of Melbourne, Australia, is an interesting and innovate product, that uses a unique connection system between the mount and smartphone case.

The Quad Lock iPhone Universal Mounting System, in its $69.95 Deluxe Kit variant (as tested), includes a protective case, a bike mounting system and two wall mounts. They also make simpler kit, which has just the case and wall mounts for $39.95.



The Deluxe Kit includes:
  • 1 Quad Lock Case for iPhone 4/4S - Polycarbonate hardcase
  • 2 Quad Lock Wall Mounts - 3M self adhesive
  • Quad Lock Bike Mount PRO
  • Mounting hardware (4 o-rings and 2 zip ties)
  • 3 Instruction booklets


The tough polycarbonate case for the system was moderately thin, and all the buttons were easily accessible, and although it offered a good degree of robustness, it's not water or dust proof. It was easy to insert the phone into the case, but I found it difficult to remove, and never quite found the best method or trick to make extraction simpler? The back side of the case has the Quad Lock connection interface, which creates a bubbled center section, so the phone wasn't stable when it was lying on its back if any edge was tapped. The case doesn't have a screen cover, so it really needs a protector installed to prevent any damage to your phone in adverse outdoor conditions, though I ran mine without any ill effects.



Basically, the Quad Lock connection system is comprised of the four prongs or tabbed male mount, and the case's female four notched receptacle. The mount has its tabs aligned horizontally or vertically to the attached object, while the case's notches are offset 45 degrees. To engage the case to the mount, you turn the case off axis by 45 degrees, mesh the tabs and notches together, and twist the phone until it clicks. You can mount the case horizontally or vertically, depending on your requirements, or iPhone apps.



To remove the case, you do just the opposite, although with the bike mount, you'll need to push down on the locking collar to release the case. The spring-loaded collar locks the case in place for more security, and it won't come undone without pushing the collar down, which prevents any accidental detachment from occurring.



The Bike Mount PRO was simple to install using the included industrial o-rings (mongo rubber bands), and can be placed on the handlebar or stem, and it offered a stable and secure platform for the case. The system was very much like the Garmin Edge system, in which you snag the o-ring on the mount's hook on one side, roll the band around the object, and hook the opposing one. The hard mount has a curved bottom where it attaches and interfaces to the bar or stem, and it has a padded rubber section to keep it in place, preventing any undue movement. To remove the mount, just lift it slightly, so you can grab an o-ring to pop off the hook. It comes with two o-rings sizes, which should help it fit most any stem or bar, though I wish, it came with a couple of extras in case you break or lose one?

Measured Specs:
  • Case weight - 16.6 grams
  • Bike mount weight (w/ o-rings) -20.5 grams
  • Total weight - 37.1 grams


The two additional flat wall mounts can be installed anywhere, like your vehicle, or at home, the office, etc., anyplace the mount would make the phone access beneficial. The wall mounts have a 3M VHB (very high bond) self-adhesive backing, so you just peel off the cover and place the mount anywhere that might be desired. I stuck one next to my computer in my home office, and I found it handy for charging the phone, and to keep it from getting lost on the occasional desktop clutter.

Bottom Line
The Quad Lock Deluxe Kit iPhone 4/4S system at $69, is a nice bike mount system for the iPhone, and has all the items required to attach it to your handlebars or stem. The tough polycarbonate case is sleek and thin with easy access to all the buttons, and it provided decent protection, though it's missing waterproof and dustproof attributes. It was simple to pop the iPhone into the case, but it was a ***** to extract. The Quad Lock system worked well, and as long as you had the case and mount meshed properly, it was a simple interface to use. The Bike Mount PRO was easy to install anywhere on the bike, and the locking collar, Quad Lock interface and the mount worked in synergy to offer a stable and secure platform for the iPhone, no matter how bumpy the trail conditions were. The additional wall mounts were handy, and allowed one to mount the case just about anywhere.

Strengths
  • Case was easy to snap on and off of Quad Lock
  • Bike mount was secure and stable
  • Bike mount was easy to place on bars or stem using industrial o-rings
  • Case had good access features - thin, sleek & buttons were easy to use
  • Additional Quad Lock mounts were handy
Weaknesses
  • Difficult to remove phone from case
  • Case has no water or dirt protection
  • Case didn't lay flat on its back
  • Needs spare o-rings
MSRP: $69.95

Overall Rating: 4 Flamin' Chili Peppers


Visit the Quad Lock Deluxe Kit website