Spinning with phone: sweat!

[Jens Juel]

Hi everyone,

I use my phone while spinning but I have a lot of trouble with sweat dripping on the screen (I usually have the phone at the handlebars). Does any of you have a good solution on how to protect the phone from sweat while also having it fixed/mounted on the handlebars?

[OakLeaf]

I don't use a handlebar mount, but to keep my phone dry in a jersey pocket or a running belt, I just keep it in a 4 x 6 heavy ziploc bag. The bags do wear and start to develop pinholes after a few weeks of consistent use, so it's kind of wasteful, but an actual drybag or waterproof case just makes a phone too big to fit in a pocket or belt (and I'm maybe halfway through the 100 bags I bought four and a half years ago ).

I don't think you'd want to put a ziploc in a handlebar-mounted clamp for outdoor riding - you'd have to clamp it down tighter, and it would get more vibration, meaning it would probably wear pretty quickly - but I think for indoor use it would be fine.

[Aromig]

I have a "BiKase" for my ipad that I bought at Performance Bicycles that I sweat all over, and so far the iPad is doing fine. You might check to see if they carry one for phones. It's not super secure (but I'm not going to ride with my ipad on the road anyway).

[ny biker]

If it's a regular bike on an indoor trainer, there are various products that will protect a phone when it's mounted on the bike.

http://www.rei.com/c/bike-phone-moun...-on-bike-packs

If it's a stationary/spinning bike, I'm not sure what would work. Are you looking at the phone screen while you're spinning? If not, covering the phone with a towel when you're not looking at it should protect it. I keep a microfiber towel on the handlebar when I ride indoors to deal with sweat, but a regular hand towel would probably work too.

[Crankin]

Why do you need to look at your phone? Enjoy the ride, even if it's indoors!

[rebeccaC]

Biologic’s WeatherCase works well for rain protection as well as sweat. It comes with a stem/handlebar mount that makes it easy to put on/take off the phone and holds the phone securely to the bike. There are some good bicycling phone apps for both indoor training and for road use now....and i'm sure more to come.

[OakLeaf]

If you're only using it for music and/or audio cues, another option is a waterproofed iPod Shuffle. Wouldn't cost you any more than a quality waterproof box and handlebar mount.

I have one from Underwater Audio that I use for deep water running. So it's actually submerged during my workouts. Works great.

I'm all about listening to my body and getting inspiration from my surroundings, I'm very strongly against music during outdoor running, but there is no way I would be able to keep up my cadence or avoid going out of my mind with boredom, going back and forth in the pool for an hour and a half at 4-5 minutes per lap without music.

[Crankin]

I agree, swimming is the most boring sport around (sorry, swimmers). But it sounded like the OP was on a spin bike, as opposed to a trainer, where you might be using it for music. Just wondering. I see people bringing their phones into the gym, setting them on the floor by their bike in spin class, or on the bar, even. They are not using it for music, so I am apt to judge that they can't be without their phone for an hour! Of course, I do not automatically associate phone with music. If I use the trainer at home, I have my old Ipod hooked up with the Boze radio, or I watch TV.

[Helene2013]

I use my iphone for music streaming and/or my own library, and also sometimes to look at my data when I'm using the Kinetic app. Depends which "toy" I bring on my trainer.

I don't sweat that much, at least not on my phone.

There are various options you can look at, like a phone case
Topeak has a waterproof one http://www.topeak.com/products/bags/..._drybag_ip5_bk (which I have) but using it in the sun can be an overheating problem. But it works well for me in the basement (I slit opened it as I could not find the non-proof one at a decent price).

But what works well for us is a ipad/toys like remote, etc holder on a tripod. You can make one at home very easily with either a camera tripod and getting the adapter or a DIY version out of wood. We have both and they work great and you can see/access everything at a glance/touch of finger as it is right in front of your wheel (trainer).

[rebeccaC]

I use my iphone for music streaming and/or my own library, and also sometimes to look at my data when I'm using the Kinetic app..

Helene, do you use a Kinetic smart trainer or just the app? There are lots of good apps now…. Cyclemeter, Endomondo, Cyclemaps, Strava etc. etc. etc. With ant+, bluetooth and apps you can get as much info as you need on a phone now for both indoor training and on the road.

[Helene2013]

Yes I use the new kinetic.fit with my rock and roll kinetic trainer. Their .fit app is so cool too. We match it with a sufferfest video and it works awesome.

For outdoor use, I don't "train" the same so I only pedal for the fun of it. Indoor...I workout.

For outside, I only refer to my Polar CS500+ and I don't care at all for watts, dumping of data, etc. On my Crux I don't even have a cadence (just a regular speedometer) and I'm happy. My music and jus riding keeps me happy outside. But indoor, I'm pushing to the max with a very specific program.

Outside, I never look really look at the numbers once the ride is done.

[Aromig]

I take my phone to spinning, and place it upside down next to my bike (so the light doesn't disturb anyone. Our spinning studio uses blackout shades and you spin in the dark). My phone is connected to a Bluetooth HR strap I wear. Probably not necessary, but I'm a data geek. I don't look at it during the class, but look afterwards to see if my perceived work matched what the phone recorded. But I think you're likely right that people can't do without their phone for an hour so they want it nearby.

I have a trainer at home and a spin bike at work (we have a large room where we can exercise. We have organized yoga and pilates classes three times a week, and a spin bike. Maybe we'll get a treadmill eventually). I watch movies/music videos/sufferfest videos on my ipad I can strap on the stem on my bike on the trainer and can stap on the spin bike at work right below the handlebars (I only lose one hand position, and keep the other two) and it gets all sweaty. If I'm only listening to music I set my phone/ipad on a stand near the bikes.

[rebeccaC]

My phone is connected to a Bluetooth HR strap I wear.

I'd say most people here using phones in a spin class are doing it to gather data.....makes sense to me and in most places here that's the only reason they let you have a phone in the class

[Crankin]

There are "no cell phone" posters up in the gym, but not in the spin room. I guess they could be using it for data. Since I gave up on data years ago (except for how many miles I've ridden and a quick look at my average, when I am outside), I really didn't think of that. I should, though, as all the little blinking green lights from people who have their Fitbits attached to their shoes in spin class might be enough to give someone a seizure. Our spin bikes give watts, which I also pay no attention to.

[Aromig]

as all the little blinking green lights from people who have their Fitbits attached to their shoes in spin class might be enough to give someone a seizure.

What funny timing for this post. I feel like such a dolt. For about THREE weeks I've been watching the green lights on the shoes of two ladies in the morning classes thinking "wow, that's pretty interesting. I can't imagine wearing those in spin class, but it might be helpful to have lighted shoes on my bike for those times when I'm stuck out past dusk." JUST THIS MORNING I was right next to one of these ladies as she was taking her fitbit off of her wrist and putting it on her shoe. Lightbulb goes off. It's funny - I should know. I wear a fitbit on my wrist and it shoes the time when I tilt my wrist a certain way and I try really hard NOT to do it in spinning class since its so noticeable in the dark.