SP Connect Bike Bundle II

The SP Connect Bike Bundle II is a complete starter kit for cyclists who use their phone as a bike computer. The system is often regarded as the European alternative to Quad Lock and is popular among road cyclists, mainly because the mount sits lower and more aero on the handlebar. You get the mount, a phone case and an anti-vibration module in one box — an advantage over Quad Lock, where the dampener must be bought separately. The twist-to-lock mechanism feels subtly different from Quad Lock: you drop the phone onto the plate, twist a quarter turn, and a spring clicks the phone into position. In our tests on Amsterdam cobbles and narrow canal streets the phone stayed completely still. The included anti-vibration adapter really matters here: Apple explicitly warns that high-frequency vibrations can permanently damage iPhone optical image stabilisation (OIS), and without damping your camera module literally shakes apart against the bricks.

The big selling point of the Bundle II is the weatherproof cover it comes with. The Netherlands sees a lot of rain, and if you ride daily with Google Maps or Komoot your phone needs to stay dry. The downside: the touchscreen is less responsive through the cover, so pinching in on a map gets fiddly. Many users only fit the cover during actual downpours. Compared with Quad Lock, SP Connect is slightly better value as a bundle since dampener and weather cover are included. The ecosystem is smaller — fewer accessories, fewer aftermarket phone models — and with each new iPhone generation it can take a while for a new case to become available. Compared with Peak Design, SP Connect is more pragmatic and cheaper, and compared with the universal Bone it is obviously far more serious and safer for your camera module.

For the sporty Dutch cyclist who rides a road bike out to Zandvoort or the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and follows Strava on the way, this is a rock-solid and aerodynamic choice.