With the approach of the 3-day Memorial Day weekend that unofficially kicks off summer, I figured it would be a good time to take a peek at a tool to encourage some of us pasty-white technophiles out into the actual outdoors. Although my legs have often been described as “cadaverous,” I realize that I probably need to break down and put on some shorts and get some fresh air for a change.

But when I’m in the great outdoors, I don’t want to be totally disconnected from the grid and I want to know where I’m going. Enter the Universal Bike Mount Holder for iPhone / iPod / PDA / GPS from USB Fever.

Normally, I ride a road bike when I want to exercise. With all the urban traffic dangers, I don’t really care too much about having a phone or GPS or MP3 player in front of me. I look at the road and all the cars that aren’t looking at me. Hellooooo! I’m wearing a neon colored clown suit here! Please share the road.

But recently I bought an el-cheapo mountain bike to piddle around the woods near our mountain cabin on. More than once I’ve gotten myself lost heading down an old logging road so this GPS mount looked like just the ticket.

The plastic mount seems fairly sturdy and is infinitely adjustable thanks to the use of a ball joint. It was simple to install and still left room on my handlebars for other attachments. (Like maybe a light or an oo-gah horn.) The foam backing cushions your devices nicely and the adjustable arms also have foam strips down the sides to allow you to cradle your tech snugly without risk of damaging the sides.

The bracket that mounts to the bike and the platform for holding your device are separate, but after the initial installation I couldn’t really see any reason to take them apart since the whole shebang removed easily from the handlebars.

There is also a plastic flap that swings down over the mounting platform to protect anything that you want to lay flat. This would be great for holding a small map or route cue sheet while on a ride through unfamiliar territory. Curiously, the package came with a picture of a very attractive Asian woman leaning over the hood of a car.

Hear that sound? That’s the sound of me not complaining.

Of course I’ve been known to leave the pictures that come with the frame displayed in my office because they are usually better looking than my own family…

Below are some pictures of the easy installation.

So clamp it on, slap in your tech and hit a dirt road somewhere for some fun. And wear a helmet.

Product photos courtesy of USB Fever

The Bike Mount Holder for iPhone / iPod / PDA / GPS is available for sale at the company website.

MSRP: $14.99

What I Like: A well-constructed easy solution to taking your phone, mp3 player, GPS etc. securely with you on a bike ride. Compared to most cycling accessories I’ve purchased (and there’s been a bunch), it is relatively inexpensive.

What Needs Improvement: May actually be too adjustable, but once you get it locked down, everything stays snugly in place.