I have been contemplating buying a Garmin 800 but spending so much on a gadget limited to bike use does not sit well with me.
I was wondering if an iphone or android could give you gps on the bike and do they have any other useful bike functions? If so, which one is best?
yes. phone is down to personal preference.
strava is an awesome app that works with android and iOS.
Battery life. Thats the killer usually. My Desire HD would die within an hour or two constantly displaying a map &/or with GPS running.
Are there bike mounts for these phones?
Strava +1. You can use it with a Garmin though, just a bit more hassle than using a smartphone.
Yes, bike mounts exist, get on eBay. I have one with a waterproof case that you can still operate the phone through, but I've used a non-waterproof one too. A bar mount with a smartphone is an ideal navigation aid. Try to get a smartphone with replaceable batteries, again sold on eBay and you can carry spares in case you run out.
Agreed, Strava is also brilliant!
+1 Strava, I've only got a ~6 mile commute to work but get here/home absolutely beasted from sprinting the few segments that get a new KOM every couple of days 
I've recently changed to Strava from Endomondo (iPhone) and agree it is awesome although I still export the GPX file back to the Endomondo website as I like parts of it. Personally I wouldn't attach a fragile expensive phone to my bars regardless of the mount for fear of it being damaged so I turn the wifi off and lock the screen to save power and it goes in my pack to track rides. Obviously this isn't much use for navigation but if I got lost I could still pull it out the pack to see where I am on its map.
Some suggested apps:
Endomondo - records routes/workouts, lets you compete in the STW Challenge (iPhone and Android)
Bike Hub - basically a car-style sat nav for bikes. Useful for road & cycle paths.
MotionX GPS - useful for off-road navigation and route recording.
Bar mount: I use this one with my iPhone 4. Tough, waterproof, well made. Works well (though admittedly the clamp needed a bit of old inner tube under it to stop it spinning).
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0057FJ41Y
Battery life: I'm usually just commuting but it handles an hour each way plus a day at work without dying. (And that's not bothering to turn wifi or bluetooth off).
You'd probably want a battery case if you are doing longer rides (say 4hr+) with it running all the time though.
Ok. I'msold on the smart phone option - but which one?
I wouldn't attach a fragile expensive phone to my bars regardless of the mount for fear of it being damaged
+1
I keep it in a pocket on the front of my jacket, where i don't normally get whacked in a crash.
Use it for occasional reference and for tracking my route via Strava to look at later, maps for navigation.
Hi,
I can highly recommend the Motorola Defy plus as a bike smart phone.
There is no right answer to your question about what is best, it is about what you need.
The big advantage of the Defy is it is water proof so you don't need the additional water proof case. I use an aluminum case cable tied to the stem which provides good protection. It isn't much bigger than a Garmin 800.
Battery life is very good. Compared to previous HTC phones which would not last much more than 4 hours, it gets over six with the screen on.
Which app you use is down to personal choice. I use RunGPS which works well with Bluetooth heart rate monitor. The screen can be customized in many ways with any data you want (speed, distance, altitude etc) and all kinds of free maps including OS.
I can post a photo of the case set up if you like.
It is average as far as phones go in terms of speed etc but is a good compromise.
Regards
Thanks to all.
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