Route Werks
Route Werks is relatively new to the cycling industry, but they have made a big splash and they have done it quite quickly. Their leap into the market was with The Handlebar Bag (read my review). The bag was very successful when they launched the Kickstarter in October 2020, and they seem to regularly sell out when new stock arrives.
Unboxing
The cycling computer mount and accessories come nicely packaged and arrived undamaged from shipping. The items shipped from Hong Kong in a padded envelop. The Out Front Mount was individually packaged in a plastic bag and placed inside of a little cardboard box. The BarFly Mount was in a small bag and the Action Cam Mount was attached to a piece of cardboard packaging and placed inside a small bag.
The Out Front Cycling Computer Mount
The Out Front Mount is meant for Handlebar Bag users that already have a Bike Mount attached to their handlebars. The Bike Mount is an aluminum accessory that attaches to the handlebars and is used as the mounting platform for the Handlebar Bag. Therefore, if a Handlebar Bag user wants to go for a ride without their bag, they will not have a place to mount their cycling computer since it mounts to the top dashboard of the bag.
Although one could purchase the Bike Mount and Out Front Mount separately and use them as their cycling computer mounting system, the Out Front Mount was designed for Handlebar Bag users in mind. As Route Werks puts it, “Love the Handlebar Bag but just going for a quick ride? The Out Front Mount creates the same familiar access to all your important tech in a compact and rugged design.” If you are not a Handlebar Bag user there are other lightweight options avaliable to carry your cycling computer and other devices.
“By attaching to the same Bike Mount as your Handlebar Bag, quick, tool-free swaps between rides are now a reality. Mount your cycling computer or phone using the same BarFly Tech Adapter and Route Werks x Quad Lock Mount as your bag. Requires a Bike Mount to attach to your bars. If you already own Handlebar Bag then you are all set.”
Below you can read a pros and cons list of the Route Werks Out Front Mount.
About the Mount
On the top side of the cycling computer mount, the BarFly Tech Adapters is attached to the Out Front Mount and on the bottom side there is an option to attach a GoPro action camera style mount. The BarFly adapter is made from a hard plastic and the Action Cam Mount is made from machined anodized aluminum.
The Action Cam Mount is a great addition to the mount. It is a lightweight mount that attaches to the Out Front Mount with two bolts (provided with mount). A lot of people do not use action cameras, but this accessory can be used to mount other things, such as a light. This removes the need of attaching a light to the handlebars, which takes up valuable space on the bars.
The Out Front Mount holding my Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS cycling computer with the Garmin quarter-turn adapter and my Light and Motion Urban 500 light.
The Numbers
| Accessory | Mass (g) | Weight (oz) |
|---|---|---|
| BarFly Garmin Adaptor w/out Bolts | 4.1 | 0.14 |
| Action Cam Mount w/ bolts | 13.1 | 0.46 |
| Out Front Mount | 65.1 | 2.29 |
| Bike Mount | 69.0 | 2.4 |
| Total | 151 | 5.3 |
Attaching the Out Front Mount
(Assuming the Bike Mount is already installed) The Out Front Mount attaches very quickly and easily to the Bike Mount. The first step is to slide the top hooks of the Out Front Mount onto the Bike Mount. Next, rotate the cycling computer mount downwards until the two mounts are touching. Lastly, flip the red lever to lock down the Out Front Mount to the Bike Mount. When properly secured, the mount firmly attaches to the handlebars.
One issue, and similar to that when attaching the Handlebar Bag, is that the mount is a bit loose the first time the red lever is locked. After locking it down, the Out Front Mount was rattling when I shook it. To fix this common issue, the bolt that connects the red locking lever needs to be tighten down. This hex bolt is tightened down using a 4 mm Allen wrench.
One thing to note though, make sure not to over tighten the hex bolt, doing so will make latching the lever to the locked position too difficult to close completely. Also, it is possible that forcing an over tightened lever closed could break the bracket or lever.
Installation of the Bike Mount
Installing the Bike Mount is quite simple. All that is needed is a 3 mm Allen wrench. Unscrew the four bolts to remove the two u-shaped brackets from the Bike Mount. Place the brackets onto the handlebars and tighten the bolts down to approximately 4 Nm (check your handlebar specifications). Then follow the above steps to attach the Out Front Mount.
Cost
Route Werks from time to time has some sales going on at their site. At the time of this posting, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales were going on and they were providing a 20% off discount with free shipping when you spend over $100 USD. Route Werks also offers a few bundles that greatly reduces the price. Below are the sale prices.
| Route Werks Product | Cost ($ USD) |
|---|---|
| Out Front Mount | 59.00 |
| Action Cam Mount | 18.00 |
| BarFly Tech Adapter | 4.95 |
| Quad Lock Integrated Mount | 29.95 |
| Bike Mount | 30.00 |
| Out Front BarFly Bundle | 65.00 |
| Out Front Quad Lock Bundle | 85.00 |
| Handlebar Bag w/ Out Front BarFly Bundle | 215.00 |
| Handlebar Bag w/ Out Front Quad Lock Bundle | 260.00 |
First Use
The Out Front Mount is very sturdy. For my first ride using the cycling computer mount, I did about a 56 km (35 mile) gravel ride with some local friends (check out my Strava ride). On the top of the mount I had my Hammer Head Karoo 2, and on the bottom a Light and Motion 500 Lumen light underneath.
This style of light is slightly a tight fit but it worked perfectly fine. I have also used a Light and Motion VIS E-800 which fits underneath with plenty of room. Both lights stay securely mounted and they did not bounce around. I definitely prefer mounting my light to the Action Cam Mount because it frees up space on my bars and I think it looks better too.
Final Thoughts
If you are a Handlebar bag user, this is a must-have much-awaited-for accessory. For rides that did not require the Handlebar Bag, users were left with little or cumbersome options for mounting their cycling computers. With the added bonus of the Action Cam Mount users can also mount a video camera or a light (though this requires a different light mounting style than a light mounted to the Handlebar bag).
As a Handlebar Bag user, I thoroughly enjoy this product. It works like it is supposed to. The cycling computer mount is rock solid and there are not worries of it detaching from the Bike Mount. Though, it is a bit pricey in my opinion, especially if you were to have to buy the Bike Mount or if you purchase the parts separately and not as a bundle, but for those who use the Handlebar Bag it is worth it.
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Pros
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Fast and easy to use
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Provides computer mounting solution for Handlebar Bag users when not using the bag
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Strong mount capable of carring multiple devices
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Cons
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Expensive
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Heavy
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Not very asthetically pleasing
Author Conflict
I purchased the Route Werks Out Front Mount with my own money. I did not receive any compensation from Route Werks to review this product. This cycling computer mount was reviewed on my own accord to provide information about the product and hopefully provide useful information to help guide you in deciding to purchase the product.
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