The only real world issue I have heard of is one of the developers of the camera app Halide, Sebastiaan de With, does long distance off-road motorcycle rally type races. He had hooked up an iPhone to his handlebars for navigation and toasted the camera doing so. He posted on Instagram about it. On the other hand, Ewan McGregor has a show (on Apple TV called Long Way Up) where he does a several day motorcycle trip, with a lot of off-road. I think he was using an iPhone on his handlebars for navigation and no issues that they mention.
Not that I would strap my phone to my handlebars for anything more than grocery store trips, but even then I think I would be too paranoid to do so.
The cheapest Garmin Edge is $200 (I believe) and would be a good choice. The GPS is rock solid on them. It doesn’t do all the fancy stuff, but if this is just for around the neighborhood rides, it would be great.
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I just reread the Apple article you linked to, and noticed this:
Attaching your iPhone to vehicles with small-volume or electric engines, such as mopeds, scooters, and drones, might lead to comparatively lower-amplitude vibrations, but if you do so a vibration dampening mount or a gimbal is recommended to lessen the risk of damage to your iPhone and its OIS and AF systems. It is also recommended to avoid regular use for prolonged periods to further lessen the risk of damage.
If an electric motor on a drone or scooter could potentially cause issues, and even if you have a vibration dampening mount or gimbal you should avoid using it regularly because apparently the damage is cumulative, it just doesn’t seem worth the risk of mounting my new 15 Pro Max on my handlebars.
A quick Google search finds a few shops offering possible solutions, for example: ROKFORM Vibration Dampener for Motorcycle Phone Mounts - YouTube
But you’re right, you would be conducting your own rather expensive torture test. The guy in this video ran into an unexpected consequence but did not let it deter him. SOMETHING TO CONSIDER BEFORE PURCHASING A ROKFORM MOTORCYCLE CASE AND MOUNT - YouTube
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Sorry, I meant the handlebars of my bicycle. There’s no engine, but also no suspension. Maybe I’m overly cautious, but it’s not worth the risk to me.
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No, I understand, but if a damping device works for one it might work for the other. Both engine vibration and road shock are killers of fine mechanical and electronic devices. I also rode a bicycle a lot back in the day before any kind of suspension beyond air-filled tires and flexible spokes was common.
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