How I Almost Lost My iPod - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

06-14-2004, 07:19 AM

A cautionary tale for those of you who have and iPod or are thinking
about buying one and using it with your bike.

Back when I first got my iPod a couple of years ago, I purchased a third
party case with a belt clip. When I got my bike last Christmas, I
started looking for iPod mounts for bikes, and found one at Marware:

<http://www.marware.com/ClipAccessories.html>

Yes, I saw the notice in red letters at the top of the page: "IMPORTANT
NOTE: THESE ACCESSORIES ARE DESIGNED FOR USE WITH MARWARE CASES ONLY."
But it sure looked like the case I had would work with the Marware bike
holder, so I ordered one. I received it, installed in on my bike, and
tried it with my iPod case. It slipped right in and seemed to be secure.
Then I took my first ride with it.

I was on our Greenway and was just getting ready to go over one of the
bridges that spans a creek that runs along most of the greenway. When my
front tire hit the bump at the edge of the bridge, my iPod shot right
out of the bike holder. Things started moving in slow motion then. It
was like time slowed to 1/20th speed. The iPod slowly arced upward
directly toward the rail on the side of the bridge. I just knew it was
going over the rail and into the drink. Instead, it hit one of the steel
supports under the rail with a loud KA-THONG, bounced back on to the
bridge, and rolled for a few feet. I picked it up, and it was still
playing, no worse for wear. I stuck it in my saddlebag and finished my
ride.

When I got back to my office, I immediately went back to the Marware
page and ordered one of their cases:

<http://www.marware.com/BASIC.html>

Now I had a case that was supposed to work with the Marware bike holder.
The case snapped into the holder with a reassuring click and seemed to
be secure. While I was riding that day on a, fortunately, low traffic
road, and hit a bump, and the iPod again jumped right out of the bike
holder and landed in the middle of the road. I retrieved it quickly,
and it was still playing. Those little suckers are tough.

When I got back to my office, I examined the bike holder and case and
saw what the problem was. The bike holder holds the case via a spring
clip, and a good vertical jar will make the clip open, giving the case
an opportunity to slide out. I took a rubber band, doubled it up, and
put it around the iPod and the bike holder. I bounced the front end of
the bike up and down, and couldn't jar it loose. I've been riding with
it for a month or so like that, and have not had any problems with the
iPod even coming loose from the bike holder, much less popping out.

Hope my experience helps prevent someone from making the same mistakes
that I did and almost losing an iPod.

Ken