A Thoughtfully Designed Bike Mount With a Secret Safety Advantage
Bikes are expensive; there's no getting around that fact, but they are also extremely sentimental, and when monetary investment is paired with the emotional, you get an item with a value far greater than a simple dollar amount can represent. Because of this, theft of a bike can be devastating, so why would you not want to keep track of your beloved bike in the most elegant way possible? Thankfully, Gradient Projects has developed the Stealthmounts, which offer a design- and function-forward solution for stashing an Apple AirTag or Android Moto Tag on your bike, with added functionality for all the major GPS cycling computers (Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, and Hammerhead).
Deven McCoy
More About Gradient Projects
The Stealthmount is offered in two flavors: an out-front mount and a pivoting spacer mount. Both options are CNC’d from aluminium and feature custom-molded receivers that discreetly stash your preferred tracker out of sight.
Gradient Projects has more than just mounts, too, and the founder, Kiran Malladi, has a few other nifty little creations on offer, including a Shop Soap made in collaboration with Four Barrel Coffee, Cargo Net clips for commuters, and 3D-printed boots for the Daysaver Essential8 tools. These other creations are made in-house at the GPHQ in San Francisco, California, whereas the Stealthmounts are manufactured in Southern China, which is probably why the finish is so precise and the price is so competitive.
Deven McCoy
Out-Front Stealthmount
Deven McCoy
The out-front option is sleek, using a CNC’d alloy arm with replaceable receivers that lock into the head, sandwiching an AirTag below the computer mount and the GPS head unit. As with all great out-front GPS mounts, it comes with multiple shims for different bar diameters and an optional three-prong mount at the bottom for attaching a light or action camera.
Details
- MSRP: $72.95 USD
- Machined aluminum head unit mount
- Glass-filled nylon shims for 31.8 mm, 26.0 mm, or 25.4 mm handlebars
- Machined aluminum action camera mount for use with a camera or light
- Blackout stickers to make your tag extra hidden
- Included receiver works with all head units with a Garmin quarter-turn interface (Garmin, Coros, and more)
Stem Spacer Stealthmount
Deven McCoy
The pivoting stem spacer mount is the minimalist option that keeps the handlebar clutter to a minimum, making it ideal for MTB and bikepacking applications. The CNC’d spacer fits neatly into the cockpit and uses the same receiver mounts to work with Garmin, Wahoo, COROS, and Hammerhead GPS bike computers.
Details
- MSRP: $52.95 USD
- Aluminum 6.5 mm spacer head unit mount with an adjustable tilt angle
- Blackout stickers to make your tag extra hidden
- Included receiver works with all head units with a Garmin quarter-turn interface (Garmin, Coros, and more)
These mounts might not be for everybody, and I know most people are trending towards a GPS watch for ride tracking, especially for mountain bike rides, but there are still many people, myself included, who use a GPS cycling computer, and having a multi-purpose mount that also serves as a secure and discrete way to store a tracker is really, really nice.
Deven McCoy
Something else that really stood out to me about Gradient Projects was the disclaimer on the website that points potential customers to the competition. Under the product details, there is a statement that reads: “We don't believe in telling you that our products are the ‘best' or ‘only’ ones out there. Here are some competitors; pick what's best for your needs!” Following that blurb, potential customers are pointed towards mounts from both K-Edge and KOM Cycling for mount options that don’t offer the benefit of storing a tracking device - and I really appreciate the honest suggestions.