I cant quite decide (no surprise there) whether using an Emergency phone with an alternative number on the bike is a good idea. Plusnet are doing a £5 a month SIm with rediculous minutes and texts i can add to an old currently redundant EE iphone. As my day to day phone is a “flexible” work phone im supposed to look after it, which is part of the concern.

On the plus side i wont get many / any phone calls or tempted onto the internet on rides.

Anyone else do this?

Buy a cheap basic phone that does nothing but texts and calls and weighs nothing and swap your SIM in?

If it’s only for emergencies then just keep your existing phone somewhere safe/dry/warm and with as much as possible switched off.

I use an old flip phone as it’s small and a Giff Gaff PAYG sim.

Only need to make a call every six months to keep it active.

Yes, I walked into a phone shop and asked for their cheapest PAYG phone. They offered me one for £2.99, plus £10 for a topup. I asked if they had anything cheaper and they offered me the same phone with a flesh pink body, Union flag keyboard and a royal wedding crest on the back for 99p, which I declined as I do have taste. Unfortunately none of the buttons on the phone was labelled so I could never remember how to make calls on it and the only time it ever rang, my cycling buddy and I thought we were being chased by an agricultural implement as the weird sound seemed to be coming from behind us (my jersey pocket). When I got home Mrs Gti bollocked me for not having answered the phone on the only occasion she had ever called me on the special bike phone.

So I threw it in a drawer and now carry the Galaxy wrapped in a sandwich bag when I think I might want to take photos. Otherwise GtiJ always has his phone so I don’t bother.

If it’s only for emergencies then just keep your existing phone somewhere safe/dry/warm and with as much as possible switched off.

This is what i do now – current phone in Birzman Warrior case in my back pocket. I dont need to buy a handset – i’d use an old iphone 5 with data switched off. Perhaps sadly, te nature of my Job (Uk Sales) and my personality means im of a nature to be checking it constantly if its there, so removing the temptation is a bonus.

Just use my iPhone sometimes in my pocket, sometimes in a rucksack

£60 a year for emergency use seems a bit of a waste of money. Why not just get a PAYG sim? A 3 sim is kind of convenient because it comes in handy for travel.

As Bez said – a PAYG sim and use any non-smart old nokia from the odd n’sods drawer/ back of the sofa/ shed etc. Whatever 10yr old relic you find will still have 10x the battery life of a modern smart phone.

Another vote for a PAYG sim. If it costs you more than £0.50/m for an emergency bike phone something has gone badly wrong.

Samsung “builders phone” on giff gaff payg, spare for camping and bike rides . I also have it set to ring loud and put it in my 5 year olds pocket or rucksack when playing out so if he vanishes and doesn’t blow his emergency whistle I can try and get a bearing on the ring. The problem is when he answers “where are you crankbrat ?” “by a tree!” “what else can you see?” “another tree” all while he was actually at the back of a large hut that he knew the name of.

How the chuff are you meant to fire out insta-bangers of your ride if you don’t have your smart phone with you 😯

Haha. Now im currently googling the cheapest crappiest payg phone ever. So far it seems the nokia 105 on o2 payg via carphone warehouse for £8 is winning – also slightly waterproof and dustproof…

How the chuff are you meant to fire out insta-bangers of your ride if you don’t have your smart phone with you

No stopping for xc racers surely. Or may thats why im off the bike with an over use injury…

I was using a Tesco PAYG Nokia as the ‘bike phone’ with call forwarding switched on on my decent phone.

This morning, call forwarding didn’t work. Now waiting for network to get in touch as to why not…

Why you shouldn’t buy a 3310

Nokia 150 – For £20

But yeah, get a “Retro” burner…

Cheep’n’cheerfull/nasty Nokia.

Or just put the phone in a case in your pocket and accept that sometimes shit happens. If work have a problem with that, ask for an older/cheaper phone with insurance.

+1 for taking your normal phone in something waterproof. It will also be useful for the camera, maps, emergency beacon app, internet etc if needed.

That and having another phone is 1 more thing to keep charged up.

Are you sure you’re less likely to damage your ‘work’ phone while at work, compared to stuffing it inside your biking rucksack once a week ?

The only potential advantage you’ll get in carrying a 2nd phone is if the SIM is on a different network to your primary phone, which could then decrease the likelihood of not having a phone signal during an emergency.

If you’re really heading off into the wilderness, get an ’emergency tracker’ app and look after your work phone while on a ride.

Also, the camera will be crap on a cheap old phone – bike photos are important 😉

Perhaps sadly, te nature of my Job (Uk Sales) and my personality means im of a nature to be checking it constantly if its there, so removing the temptation is a bonus.

Get a grip man!

I keep meaning to buy something like this.
Link
or
this

Or just put the phone in a case in your pocket and accept that sometimes shit happens. If work have a problem with that, ask for an older/cheaper phone with insurance.

You say that but ~1 month standby is appealing, especially when an aging smartphone’s battery might not be able to last an overnighter without needing a powerbank…

Plus I’d rather not have to put in the insurance claim, or replace a broken smartphone if I don’t have to…

It only needs to be able to place a call in an emergency, the availability of a 27MP camera and access to the interwebz when out for a bike ride isn’t really critical…

I run strava, and rather than pay for the beacon feature, use Google’s location sharing. My battery easily lasts a day ride, and I usually carry a whistle too just in case.

I reckon if I’m capable of using the phone to get help and describing my location, I’m probably not in that much trouble. If I can’t use the phone hopefully my wife will remember I’m meant to be back, find an approximate location, and emergency services or passers by will hear the whistle (which I keep on the front of my camelbak so I can get to it with damaged arms) if I’m conscious.

I can’t understand why anyone would have to try to keep off the internet, and you can just put your phone on do not disturb to avoid incoming calls. That said, old phones are pretty durable and buttons make them easier to use, so a PAYG sim in one left switched off and charged in the camelbak could be a decent idea if you don’t want to take your smartphone out.

What cookeaa says ^^. having to nurse my smartphone battery whilst not abusing it in a tent sometimes is irratating.

I’ve ‘retired’ my Samsung Galaxy to ‘WiFi Only’ duties and now just use a ‘JCB Tradesman 2’.

Great battery life, robust, waterproof and small enough to fit in the pocket of my skinny jeans … 😉

Lucky7500 – http://www.bikeplus.co.uk/p/77244/Birzman-Weather-Warrior-Jersey-Pocket-Bag?kw=&fl=1000&ci=54665551121&network=pla&gclid=CLmBxsqNi9QCFUE6Gwodn1AE2g

Kryton57 – Member
Lucky7500 – http://www.bikeplus.co.uk/p/77244/Birzman-Weather-Warrior-Jersey-Pocket-Bag?kw=&fl=1000&ci=54665551121&network=pla&gclid=CLmBxsqNi9QCFUE6Gwodn1AE2g

Cheers, that looks pretty good.

What cookeaa says ^^. having to nurse my smartphone battery whilst not abusing it in a tent sometimes is irratating.

Surly you are out on the bike to get away from the phone ? Switch it off, leave it in your rucksack and just switch it on when you need it. Why go and camp some where nice and then use a phone/internet 🙄

I’ve had my iPhone last 3 days, switched on all the time, but just that.

Why go and camp some where nice and then use a phone/internet

Becuase i like to be in contact should there be a familiy emergency, the school phones with a kids issue and so on.

Leaving a smart phone on shouldn’t drain the battery if you switch all the crap off.

Also leave it switched off and switch on every 2hrs or so if you are that concerned.

What did we all do before mobiles…..

Kryton57 – Member
No stopping for xc racers surely. Or may thats why im off the bike with an over use injury..

Not when racing, that’s what £8 a shot photographers are for, obvs innt

having to nurse my smartphone battery whilst not abusing it in a tent

TMI. 😯 😯 😯

There are two potential solutions here. One involves a change in behaviour, the other means spending money to acquire stuff….

Here we go. So to avoid having to report people for persistent bullying and harrassment behavioural tendancies, I’m out. I suggest give the “same ol same ol” persecution a rest Colin, as its appearing you have an axe to grind which is becoming personal and doesnt show you in a good light.

Ttfn.

having to nurse my smartphone battery whilst not abusing it in a tent

TMI.

I’m glad it’s not just me that raised an eyebrow that that.

To Kryton – Do it. I’ve broken two smartphones in the last 12 months in riding incidents, but I’m still too daft to stop riding with one ‘cos I love me a good Instabanger.

What did we all do before mobiles…..

Often thought about that. The answer? Simple: far more self reliant and resilient and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being out on the bike, in the hills etc.

Big +1 for cheap PAYG phone as emergency/back up. One’s always in my ML/MTB Leaders bag switched off. Charge it once every fortnight or so — hardly a big deal

Simple: far more self reliant and resilient and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being out on the bike, in the hills etc.

Not being an argumentative tosser, but I’m far more self-reliant and resilient than I was BITD.

Rarely end up walking back from a ride now – and that’s not ‘cos I can look at YouTube videos on how to fix stuff.

Often thought about that. The answer? Simple: far more self reliant and resilient and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being out on the bike, in the hills etc.

What? I don’t enjoy the simple pleasure of being out in the hills any more because I have my phone in my camelbak? Eh?

What people used to do is walk miles to phone boxes, or occasionally die from lack of medical attention.

And take far fewer pictures

Phones are great. Being obsessed by social media or unable to stop thinking about work, that’s not so good. Fortunately I can have a phone without succumbing to those things.

Why go and camp some where nice and then use a phone/internet

Why not?

I reckon if I’m capable of using the phone to get help and describing my location, I’m probably not in that much trouble.

Having had both brother in laws hospitalised in the last 2 weeks I’d doupt that.

One was an MTB off. Some one else phoned for help but with a triple shoulder dislocation I recon he’d of got off a call with the other arm before going into shock

The other one was a motor bike off that smashed his phone. He but I think he remained conscious with the use of one arm. So I think he could have managed a phone call. But no way could he have done much else

Rather soberingly I think in both case survival might have been an issue without help

A friend survived a fairly minor climbing accident by crawling 2 miles in total darkness. He “navigated” by feeling the line between the grass and stones at the edge of the track. He didn’t think he’d have made it through the night if he’d stayed put