Cell Phone Bike Cradle for Galaxy S Series

In the old days you'd put a "bike computer" and a bunch of wires and magnets on your bike to be able to get your speed, distance and other measurements. These days, apps on cell phones do the same thing, but it's hard to find a cradle to hold your cell phone securely.

This project provides the files you need to use a 3D printer to create a cradle either for a Galaxy S6 or a Galaxy S5 cell phone, and mounting instructions. The cradles hold the phone snugly, but not tightly, and hold the phones without removing the case.

The Galaxy S6 cradle is designed to hold a phone that is, including case, 144 mm tall, 72 mm wide and 10 mm deep. The Galaxy S5 cradle is designed to hold a phone that is, including case, 146 mm tall, 77 mm wide and 15 mm deep. The two phones are actually the same size, but the cases are different sizes, so the S5 case may work for Galaxy S6s with larger cases.

Use a 3D printer to print either the attached Galaxy S6 cradle or the attached Galaxy S5 cradle. Print the cradle using ABS plastic, *not* PLA! PLA will melt in the sun on a hot day! Also, enable printing with a "raft" and "support", in high resolution.

When the printing is complete, use a utility knife to remove the raft (shown at the top). It is no longer needed, but was necessary during printing to keep the dimensions stable. Also, use the utility knife to remove the support in the 4 pockets of the cradle. The support was required to print the pockets, but now that printing is complete, it is no longer needed.

Ensure that the pockets have had all the support removed. If there is an support plastic that has not be removed, use the utility knife to clean it out.

Note that the top section is "springy". Bend it back and try inserting your cell phone from the top. For the Galaxy S6, the phone with a slimline case (available cheaply on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCZGZ1Q

) will fit. For the Galaxy S5, slimline cases are not widely available, so it is designed to work with a larger case (available cheaply on Amazon here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UCZGZ1Q

) If the cell phone does not fit, look again to make sure you have removed all of the support plastic, or consider using the same cell phone case I am using.

Note: I don't have any financial or other interest in these products. I just provide the links as information.

Print the mounting piece using the attached file on a 3D printer. Like the cradle, print the mount using ABS plastic, and enable printing with a "raft" and "support" in high resolution. After it is printed, use a utility knife to remove the raft, the support and to unblock the holes in the vertical face (which are also blocked with support plastic).

Use two medium width tie wraps to attach the mount to the handlebars, with the vertical face facing toward the seat of the bicycle. To avoid the mount sliding around the handlebars, I added the third tie wrap across the tab. This may not be necessary if there is a flat spot at the top of your handlebars.

Use two small width tie wraps to attach the cradle to the mount. Make sure the loop point of the tie wrap is on the mount side. If it is on the cradle side, it may scratch your case or phone!

The cell phone cradle, if mounted correctly, will be at a 30 degree angle to the vertical, which I have found to be the most convenient.

There are many bike computer apps available. I started using this one a few years ago, and it seems to work well for me. I think I paid $5 for it. But there are lots of other ones available, and I haven't done a survey of which have the best features. Most, including this one, will display speed, distance, a map of where you rode, and have their own social network where you can upload your rides and have competitions with your friends.

In order for the apps to work, they do need you to turn GPS on, and you probably will want the display to stay on, both of which can drain your battery. If you are going for a long ride, make sure to charge your phone fully before leaving.