Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount Review + Everyday Case

Peak Design is a household name among photo enthusiasts these days, and they’ve long been widely praised for their range of feature-packed bags and clever camera straps and accessories. I’ve been using the San Francisco, California-based brand’s products since 2016 when a few of us traveled to Kyrgyzstan to spend three weeks scouting the Tian Shan Traverse bikepacking route. A couple in the group used Peak Design’s Capture Clips to carry cameras at the ready on their shoulder straps, and I was a believer by the end of the trip.

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Fast-forwarding to 2020, Peak Design made some waves with the launch of their Mobile ecosystem on Kickstarter, which included a phone case and a full suite of products to accompany it, including a mobile tripod, charging stand, wall mount, motorcycle stem mount, and more. The standout piece of kit that piqued my interest was the Out Front Bike Mount, which looked like an exceptionally well-engineered accessory with an alluring mounting system. Unfortunately, the Everyday Case that it was designed for was only available to suit a handful of phones at the time, and whatever cheap phone I was using back then wasn’t among them. Peak Design raised a hefty $2,000,000 USD from more than 14,000 backers for what they called “The most capable phone case on Earth + extremely cool things that attach to it,” and I made a mental note to follow up on those claims once I had a suitable phone.

Skipping ahead once more to 2023—finally with an iPhone—I’ve spent most of the spring and summer using Peak Design’s Everyday Case, Out Front Bike Mount, and Universal Bar Mount to figure out if they’re worth their premium asking price. Find my review of all three based on several months of daily use on and off the bike below.

Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount

I’ll start by noting that I went into the testing period feeling generally hesitant about putting my iPhone on the handlebars again. My prior experiences with running a phone in that position left me feeling skeptical, especially after the last mount I used sheared off while bikepacking through the desert somewhere in Jordan, sending my phone soaring. There was sand coming out of its every nook and cranny for the rest of the time I had it, and future phones were relegated to my back pocket while riding.

Thankfully, from the moment I unboxed the Peak Design Out Front Bike Mount, it was clear that its quality is on another level relative to anything I’ve used before. Machined from lightweight anodized aluminum, the mount is rock solid and feels super sturdy in hand. From the mount to the base to the clamp, it’s impressively engineered down to the very last detail.

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At the heart of the Out Front Bike Mount’s design is the SlimLink mounting system, which Peak Design says borders on magic, a claim that’s not totally far-fetched. There’s no twisting or careful alignment required to get the mount and phone in an Everyday Case (more on that later) to connect, which is especially helpful when running a crowded cockpit. Just get them close, and once you hear the click, they’re firmly locked into place. It works via a combination of magnetic and mechanical connections, and it’s strong enough that I can lift my bike up by the phone. I was cautious during my first few rides, and it took some time for me to trust it—especially as there’s a tiny bit of built-in play—but the connection is ultra secure, even on rough singletrack. To release the phone, simply press either button on the side of the mount, and it quietly and easily pops off. You can mount your phone in portrait or landscape orientation, and it works just the same.

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The mount itself is secured to the bars using the oversized thumb screw or an Allen head bolt (no O-rings or zip ties that will inevitably break!), both of which are included and work great. I typically use the more secure Allen attachment when running it on my commuter and the twist-on mount when swapping between bikepacking rigs. It comes with three sets of composite shims that press into place for use on 22.2, 25.4, and 31.8mm bars. They’re a tad fiddly and a little hard to keep track of for a scatter-brained person like me, but they do their intended job and press securely into place. Also included is a GoPro mount that I never installed as that’s not really my thing, but it could also be used to affix a light and get it out over your handlebar bag.

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As exceptionally well made as the mount is, it’s worth considering whether the “out front” position will work with your setup before rushing out to buy one. I like to use top-opening handlebar bags when bikepacking, and while using this mount doesn’t flat-out hinder their use, it’s somewhat restrictive and makes accessing the bag’s contents a little trickier. That said, if it works for you, I find it hard to find any faults beyond the steep asking price of about $70. After hundreds of short and long rides with it, I’m as convinced by the Out Front Bike Mount today as I was by the Capture Clip back in 2016.

• Material: Machined/anodized aluminum
• Weight: 88.6 grams with Allen head and small collars
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $69.95 USD at REI
• Manufacturer’s Details: PeakDesign.com

Peak Design Everyday Case

Stepping back for a moment, a precondition for using the excellent Out Front Bike Mount or any of the other accessories in the Mobile ecosystem is having the matching Peak Design Everyday Case (or the adhesive-backed Universal Adapter, which I haven’t tried and feel less enthused about as I trust its stick-on nature less). The case is currently available for iPhone, Samsung, and Pixel, and it has a slim 2.4mm profile with a protective rubberized bumper and nylon canvas shell that hardly adds any bulk to the phone. The mount on its backside is super low-profile, and needing to use this case doesn’t feel like a sacrifice overall, with a couple of exceptions.

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When I first started using the Everyday Case, I was turned off by the fact that the side buttons felt noticeably more difficult to press with it mounted, but they’ve either broken in or I’ve become used to the marginally heavier action in the months since. Likely some combination of the two. I also assumed the case’s backing—which has a woven appearance reminiscent of Rapha’s Explore Powerweave shoes—would quickly show signs of wear, but it looks the today same as it did on day one. I’ve dropped my phone a couple of times during the testing period, and it thankfully doesn’t have any scars or cracks from either incident.

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Despite the design and engineering work that clearly went into the case to make it slender while retaining six-foot drop protection, MagSafe compatibility, and a perfect seal around my iPhone 13 Mini, the $40 Everyday Case is my least favorite part of the Mobile system. That’s not to say I dislike it entirely, but I don’t prefer the experience of using it to whatever generic case I had on there before, even if it surely does a better job of protecting my precious device and facilitates the use of the Out Front Bike Mount. In particular, my two issues with the Everyday Case are the fact that its smooth texture offers relatively little grip and the lip on the rear mount feels a little rough to the touch. These aren’t dealbreakers, but I can’t sing the same praises about the case. It gets the job done and is durable, but I’d prefer something a bit tackier that didn’t slightly bug me whenever I run my finger across the back of it.

One side benefit that I discovered about the magnet built into the back of the case is a little added peace of mind when I have my phone sitting on a metal table during a mid-ride coffee stop. I can set it on the table and not have to worry about it getting knocked off since the magnets keep it in place, and it doesn’t require much added effort to remove it when it’s time to get back on the bike. I wouldn’t buy the case for this reason, but the little bit of added insurance is nice.

Note that the Peak Design Everyday Case isn’t waterproof, and they don’t currently offer any add-ons that help it withstand inclement weather. According to the specs listed on their site, the case is “weatherproof,” though there’s zero chance I’d keep my phone on the bars while navigating in the rain. This hasn’t been much of an issue here in sunny Colorado, but it’s once instance where a dedicated GPS unit or even a cheap waterproof sleeve would likely prove superior.

• Material: Nylon canvas and polycarbonate
• Weight: ~40 grams (depending on model)
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $39.95 USD at REI
• Manufacturer’s Details: PeakDesign.com

Peak Design Universal Bar Mount

In addition to the Out Front Bike Mount, I also spent some time using the $50 Peak Design Universal Bar Mount. It’s built around the same base plate and quick-release mechanism as the former, but it uses a heavy-duty silicone attachment band rather than a rigid aluminum arm. Notably, it also stacks the mounting plate vertically over the mount rather than craning it out in a forward position.

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The mounting head rotates 360 degrees and has 32 discrete positions, allowing you to fine-tune the angle of your phone to accommodate various angles on swoopy bars, etc. To fasten it, you simply loop the band around your desired attachment point, catch one of the loops with the built-in hook, and use the little keeper to take up any excess length of silicone.

The Universal Bar Mount is quick and easy to install, going on in seconds, and I appreciate that it allows me to mount my phone on my stem for a clean and interference-free cockpit. As with the Out Front Bike Mount, the connection between the case and mount is unwaveringly solid, but I don’t love relying on a loop of silicone to keep my fragile phone secured to the bike. It never failed me during the months I used it, but it has a little play, and I could see a scenario where the silicone loop works itself off the hook and sends your phone flying, though the thick band is still infinitely more secure than the dinky O-rings or fragile zip ties found on some other mounts.

In short, I think the versatility of the Universal Bar Mount makes it a great option for quickly attaching to a stem or a handlebar of any shape, though it’s somewhat inelegant and less confidence-inspiring compared to its fully aluminum counterpart. It also doesn’t offer the same level of theft protection (for the mount itself, don’t forget to bring your phone with you!) as Out Front Bike Mount installed with an Allen head. I’d like to see a rigid attachment that stacks the mount rather than sending it out front, which would at least be useful for running on drop/flat bars with a bag.

• Material: Silicone and aluminum
• Weight: 78 grams
• Place of Manufacture: China
• Price: $49.95 USD at REI
• Manufacturer’s Details: PeakDesign.com

Some Broader Thoughts

As is likely clear by now, I’ve been impressed by both mounts and the case, and I’m curious to try some of the other pieces in Peak Design’s Mobile universe too. Technical considerations aside, I can’t close out this review without sharing some broader thoughts about using a phone for on-bike navigation and other duties.

The case for why you’d want your phone in an easy-to-access position on your handlebars is clear, but my months of having my iPhone front and center while riding brought up some deeper questions about whether I truly want my phone there, however convenient it may be. It’s largely a matter of self-control, sure, but I find myself engaging with my phone a lot more when it’s always in my line of sight rather than in my back pocket or tucked into a bag. I pull over to respond to text messages, make notes to myself, or Google random things that come to mind more often, all of which detract from the riding experience and hinder my ability to disconnect. In this way, I prefer having a GPS unit there, doing a single task. Or, sometimes even better, no device at all. Having Google Maps and all the other apps at my disposal while pedaling also has the potential to remove some serendipity from the riding experience, but I digress.

More practically, using my phone for navigation drains the battery far more quickly and has resulted in a dead device on a few occasions. Plus, having my expensive and fairly fragile phone exposed to the elements and the rough-and-tumble rigors of bikepacking makes it more prone to damage. Note that these drawbacks aren’t unique to Peak Design, but I think they’re worth taking into consideration.

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