"Overheating & shutdowns: Direct sun + case + navigation = thermal warning or auto-shutdown. It happens fast in summer, especially on longer rides. Battery drain: Screen on max brightness + GPS + notifications = dead phone when you might need it for 911, directions, or a "come get me" call. Visibility & touch: Glare, sweat, and gloves make phones a hassle. Bike computers are glove-friendly and readable in direct sun."
"Vibration & weather: Long-term handlebar vibration and rain are rough on phones. Bike computers are built to live there. Safety: Your phone is your lifeline. I want mine fully charged and working if something goes wrong - not half-dead from being a GPS screen all day. Thermal resilience: Head units are designed to sit in full sun and keep going. Long battery life: 12-20+ hours depending on the model and settings. You finish the ride before the computer does."
Phones are adequate for short neighborhood loops but become unreliable on long, hot, hilly, or navigation-heavy rides. Direct sun, protective cases, and continuous navigation commonly trigger thermal warnings or auto-shutdowns. Continuous screen use, GPS, and notifications rapidly drain batteries, risking loss of phone functionality for emergencies. Glare, sweat, and gloves reduce visibility and touch reliability. Handlebar vibration and exposure to rain stress phone hardware. Dedicated GPS bike computers offer thermal resilience, much longer battery life (often 12–20+ hours), offline maps, turn-by-turn routing, and robust sensor integration for dependable navigation and safety on extended rides.
Read at Theoldguybicycleblog
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