Bike CarPlay devices

[Slenver]

Was out today for a longish trip on't bike and, as usual, used my Garmin Zumo. As a device it's... ok. Cost a fucking fortune and isn't that reliable. Rarely connects properly to the phone, crashes regularly etc etc. When it works it's fine, but nothing special. I have no plans to spend that kind of money again on something so average at best.

On the way home I was thinking...I just need a device with CarPlay, like in the car. Everything would then work perfectly and it shouldn't need to be expensive.

So got back and googled and it seems that they're certainly a thing but only in the cheap Chinesey kind of way. Couldn't see any of the big names using it. Read a few reviews and people seem generally very pleased but I did see the odd build quality issue.

So, does anyone have one? Any suggestions/reviews?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Couldn't you just get some kind of waterproof big phone / tablet?

Isn't that basically the same thing? What does Car Play get you on top?

[wheelnut]

I’ve got a sena - not CarPlay as such but plays music from my phone, phone calls etc.

[KungFooBob]

Why don't you want to use your phone in a mount?

Camera damage worries?

I've got a cheap Chinese clamp thing, that fits in the OEM BMW satnag mount and provides two USB ports and holds my phone. I use google maps and stream choons to my Cardo.

[Slenver]

Why don't you want to use your phone in a mount?

Camera damage worries?

I've got a cheap Chinese clamp thing, that fits in the OEM BMW satnag mount and provides two USB ports and holds my phone. I use google maps and stream choons to my Cardo.

Could do. Main disadvantage I suppose is phones aren't usable with normal bike gloves. But yeah, also potential vibration issues, plus they're quite small.

[Slenver]

I’ve got a sena - not CarPlay as such but plays music from my phone, phone calls etc.

Me too, but that's just audio. Want satnav

[Slenver]

Couldn't you just get some kind of waterproof big phone / tablet?

Isn't that basically the same thing? What does Car Play get you on top?

Maybe. As above though, not good with gloves. These Chinese things are only like £180 for a decent-sized screen with glovable touchscreens so a better bet probably.

CarPlay doesn't do anything much a phone doesn't, but optimised for vehicle use. Simple, big buttons, reads out messages automatically and asks you to reply etc. Just a stripped-down phone OS but much better for the context.

[KungFooBob]

Some bike gloves have patches on the fingers that allow them to be used with touch screens, or you could take Gremmers up on his offer for free spots to stick on your gloves that do the same job.

For me the real advantage is google maps. It's way better than most dedicated satnavs and on a half modern phone much much quicker to load/run/recalculate.

My Tomtom 400 doesn't get used anymore... it's so slow to do anything.

[Slenver]

Some bike gloves have patches on the fingers that allow them to be used with touch screens, or you could take Gremmers up on his offer for free spots to stick on your gloves that do the same job.

For me the real advantage is google maps. It's way better than most dedicated satnavs and on a half modern phone much much quicker to load/run/recalculate.

My Tomtom 400 doesn't get used anymore... it's so slow to do anything.

Yes re gloves. It's an option.

And Google maps is the point really for getting CarPlay instead of using a Garmin.

[MrLongbeard]

I'd have your Zumo looked at before spending any money on anything new, I have one and it works flawlessly with my Android phone and Cardo comms kit, there's no reason it should fail to connect or crash out.

[Slenver]

I'd have your Zumo looked at before spending any money on anything new, I have one and it works flawlessly with my Android phone and Cardo comms kit, there's no reason it should fail to connect or crash out.

Maybe yeah. It's all very common according to posts I've read though. But even if it was more reliable, it would still be less functional than a CarPlay device.

[MrLongbeard]

I must just be lucky, either way it'd be a cold cold day in hell before I mount my phone on the handlebars

[Mr. Dazzle]

Dunno about iPhone, but my phone can do "car mode" which goes to just big dumb buttons. Worth a thought.

I have full wireless Android Auto and Car Play in my car and I don't use it FWIW, the native system is way slicker. To the point where I wonder if they've deliberately slowed AA down to make you use the Native system On the other hand, new Ferraris don't have Sat Nav because "everyone has a smart phone innit".

[Slenver]

We're segueing slightly here into whether/if/why I want to use CarPlay. You'll have to trust me, I use it constantly in the cars and I like it and it'd be perfect on the bike No, I don't want to strap my phone to the bike.

The question was more whether anyone had used any of these cheapo devices....

[Rockburner]

Why don't you want to use your phone in a mount?

Camera damage worries?

I've got a cheap Chinese clamp thing, that fits in the OEM BMW satnag mount and provides two USB ports and holds my phone. I use google maps and stream choons to my Cardo.

Could do. Main disadvantage I suppose is phones aren't usable with normal bike gloves. But yeah, also potential vibration issues, plus they're quite small.

Buy a cheapey phone, a "rugged" one if you feel the need, and some gloves with the phone-compatible fingertips. (and use wifi on the cheapey, and hotspot on your regular phone for data).

If you set things up right anyway, you shouldn't need to be touching the phone much anyway once you're riding.


I use a ulefone Armor 8Pro phone and it works well in a home-made mount (a modified Brodit), and my gloves seem to work "well enough" with it.

[Slenver]

Don't get me wrong, buying a cheap phone would actually work pretty well. But I don't see it as a better solution... it's more expensive, much smaller screen, needs a separate mount and new gloves, and wouldn't have the functionality that I want

it would also involve connecting to that rather than my actual phone so I wouldn't get any of the notifications/texts/phone calls etc that I'd want.

[Rockburner]

Don't get me wrong, buying a cheap phone would actually work pretty well. But I don't see it as a better solution... it's more expensive, much smaller screen, needs a separate mount and new gloves, and wouldn't have the functionality that I want

it would also involve connecting to that rather than my actual phone so I wouldn't get any of the notifications/texts/phone calls etc that I'd want.

Then your choices are either to bie the bullet and just use your phone, or take a punt one of these cheap Car-Play devices.

[dern]

We've got car play in the van. It's ok but I could easily live without it. It's basically a skin for accessing google maps and spotify in our case. I like google maps but it does need constant data feed. It doesn't have the 'take the long way' functionality that my garmin rider 550 has so isn't as good from that perspective. The skin for spotify is shit and navigating your music is a pain in the arse. Much easier to choose the music on the phone or just play a long playlist and then you've negated the need for it completely. I wouldn't bother with it again I don't think.

[Couchy]

Buy my africa twin it has carplay as standard

[Slenver]

Then your choices are either to bie the bullet and just use your phone, or take a punt one of these cheap Car-Play devices.

Indeed