Weenie phones

[WeightySteve]

My current Android brick weighs 180g, and I lug it about in my back pocket every ride.

Since upgrading bike computer to GPS compatible, all I have the phone for now the bike is emergency taxi / ambulance needs. (Used to record Strava on it too, so it had it's purpose).

If anyone rings/txts me on the bike I wouldn't take any notice of it at all. So why cart it all that weight about and even have it hanging from my body.

You can get "Worlds smallest phone" (loads of sellers on Ebay etc) for around £25 and they weigh 18grams, and are about the size of your little finger.

Stick a PyG SIM in it, £5 credit, put a couple of taxi firms in its memory, charge it up, and then never even power it up again until its needed. Will last Years without a charge!

Anyone got one of these specficially as a bike phone? Do they actually work and how is signal compared to normal phones (half the time there's no signal out in the wild on the bike roads anyway).

Not having that extra 160g resting directly on my lower spine has got to be a good thing, ordered one Today.

[nibby]

why not just try and have a no2 before you go out, that should save you £25

[WeightySteve]

that's part of the getting dressed procedure

[pdlpsher1]

That's a great idea. I have an Apple iPhone 6 plus phone that I used to lug around. Now I have a Garmin 510 I always leave the iPhone at home. Having a lightweight phone for emergencies is great. I could buy two and leave one in each of my bikes. I'm waiting for actual user experience before I buy one. At $10USD each I find it hard to believe that it actually works!

[RyanH]

why not just try and have a no2 before you go out, that should save you £25

Comments like this are not in the spirit of this site.

To the OP, I think this is a clever idea, especially when racing. I crashed in a race and destroyed my last phone. I don't like to race without a phone so this would be a good compromise. The old Nokia 8210 was pretty light too. Did you see weights on these phones? A slim featureless phone would be ideal.

This one is waterproof and 66g:

[Valbrona]

I consider a waterproof phone an essential piece of kit, although the waterproofing adds a bit of weight.

I have never wanted any type of GPS device and know a number of people who sing their praises while only ever using them for trip distance ... which is something they could determine with the most basic of bike computers.

[eric]

I've used a bunch of different phones, none waterproof. I had one go bad but it was a pre-production unit which was not up to production reliability standards.

I used a Nokia 8210 for years until I started working at Palm in their cell phone division. The best Palm for bike use was the Veer, a small smart phone. Having a smart phone is useful for checking email to see why your riding buddies have not show up yet. Also for taking pictures of scenery or crash scenes for evidence. The Veer was about 85g.

Currently I'm using a Moto G. It's not as large as many of the current top of the line phones and its lighter, about 120g.

[WeightySteve]

I've never thought a water proof phone was a major requirement. Just stick it in a re-sealable bag? Extra Weight 0g.

Anyway once it arrives, I'll do some testing with it, and report back if its a usable alternative (assuming you dont need emails/fb and photos etc).

For me usable = if you can make a call on it from the same locations you can make a call from a "normal" phone.

[Timujin]

Iphone 6 + Apple watch, for when you need reminding that you should have put the rubbish out when you left!!

[nibby]

why not just try and have a no2 before you go out, that should save you £25

Comments like this are not in the spirit of this site.

Jesus!!, don't take it or yourself too seriously. Honest life is too short for that!!

It was a joke and was taken in the spirit it was intended by the OP so chill out fella.

[emcardle]

I know I'll get hate for saying this but imo when you are buying a phone to save 100 grams you've gone too far...

[WeightySteve]

I totally agree.

I will be saving 162 gramms. Different scenario entirely.

[Piefagrus]

I totally agree.

I will be saving 162 gramms. Different scenario entirely.

25 quid for 162g. Bargain.

I'm in

[McGilli]

In case this is of interest to anyone...

What I use is a Motorola F3.

It weighs 68g, is shockproof, water resistant, has weeks of battery life (stand-by) since it only uses an e-ink display, and excellent signal reception.

It can text if you really want it to - but otherwise it only does voice calls. Again since it has an e-ink display it's not meant for anything display intensive.

You can throw these things, or drop them and they are basically bomb proof.

Aside from a tiny 4mm hole in one side (charging port) it is basically water proof too. I haven't dropped it in water - but it resists sweat just fine.


So - just thought I'd let you know about it. I also take it when going hiking etc. I actually have 2 of these phones. when hiking I take both just to have an emergency emergency phone

Can find them cheap on Ebay now fully unlocked.

[uraqt]

Loved the F3, best non smartphone : )... If they still made them or if I could get a NOS one I would, my last one died : (

At one time you could get them on ebay, last year I looked and there were 2 and both wanted over $100. I just looked and there are 2 but both are damaged...

I was thinking about this ...

http://www.spareone.com/spareone/spareo ... -phone.php



C