Bar Fly 4 Road Max and MTB/CX Mounts Review

By Sheri Rosenbaum

Bar Fly 4 Road Max Mount

Hot

• Mount accessories top and bottom for dual use
• Comes standard with mounts for 7 different computer heads, a GoPro and lights
• Mount for Di2 junction box
• Carrying capacity ~ 1 lb.

Not

• Cumbersome to take light on/off for charging
• Di2 wires must be long enough to move from stem to mount
• Requires hex wrench to remove GoPro from mount

Bar Fly 4 MTB/CX Mount

Hot

• Very versatile, accommodates computer, GoPro or lights
• Mount over stem protects electronics in case of crash
• Comes standard with mounts for 7 different computer heads, GoPro and lights
• Carrying capacity ~ 1 lb.

Not

• Lost nut when attaching bracket to handlebars
• Cumbersome to take light on/off for charging
• Requires hex wrench to remove GoPro from mount

Price:  $39.95 MSRP

How obtained: Review sample from company

Availability: Online, Retail

RBR advertiser: No

Mount weight: with 31.8mm shim, Max 44g and MTB 38g

Carrying capacity: 1 lb.

Color: Black

Fits Handlebar width: 31.8mm or 35.0mm, shim provided for 31.8 bars

Versatile, Sturdy 3^rd-party Bar Mounts

I stopped by the Bar Fly booth at CABDA back in February for a walkthrough of their product line. Two bar mounts stood out as something of interest to RBR readers. They were the Bar Fly 4 Road Max and Bar Fly 4 MTB bar mounts that provide versatility to accommodate all your handlebar accessories.

Reduce the Real Estate Used for Accessories – Bar Fly 4 Road Max

Nowadays, there’s so many electronics on our handlebars that it’s sometimes hard to find room for all your accessories. With its dual side design, the Bar Fly 4 Road Max accommodates a GPS computer, GoPro, light and/or Di2 junction box.

Most manufacturers bundle a bar mount with the computer head, but for many of us with multiple bikes, we need additional mounts. The Bar Fly 4 Road Max is a great option. It provides a little more clearance then some other out-front mounts, allowing more clearance for larger head units like the Edge 1030. The mount is well constructed and sturdy with a 1 pound carrying capacity. There was no vibration in the head unit even on bumpy roads.

Protect Your Electronics with Bar Fly 4 MTB

The Bar Fly 4 MTB/CX mount is designed to place your computer head, light or camera over the top of the stem. This keeps it better protected than an out-front mount in case of a crash. It fits bars sizes 31.8mm to 35.0mm, with a shim provided in the box for 31.8 bars.

I found it easy to assemble however, I did lose the nut when I went to put the mount on the handlebars. The nut is loose and fell out and once I found it on the garage floor, it took some effort to hold it in place to thread the screw. But once the screw caught it was easy to finish from there. I’d suggest that Bar Fly encase the nut, so it has no way of falling out during installation.

I placed the mount on my fat bike see picture below, but it is great to use on cross or MTB bikes. Actually any bike you need to protect your accessories from getting knocked or damaged.

Compatible Computers

Both the Max and the MTB mounts are compatible with:

• Garmin Edge Series 200, 500, 510, 520, 800, 810, 820, 1000, 1030, Touring
• Watches 910XT, 920XT
• Polar M450, M460, V650
• Wahoo ELEMNT and BOLT
• Mio 500, 505, 505HC
• Cyclo 200, 205HC, 210, 315HC, 400, 405, 405HC, 505HC, 605HC
• Magellan 315, 505
• Powertap Joule
• Cateye Wireless Models Padrone, Strada, Micro, Velo
• Bryton 100, 300, 310, 330, 530, 10, One, 410
• Lezyne  Micro, Mirco C, Mini, Macro, Super and SuperSE  (Lezyne computer head is not included with BF4 mounts but is available for purchase)

Universal Light Mount

Both mounts use a universal light mounting system. It consists of a bracket and two rubber rings to attach the light. Then using the GoPro mounting bracket to attach the light to the Bar Fly mount. I found two issues with this mounting system. First, it required a hex wrench to attach or remove the light bracket from the mount or adjust the angle. Second, to charge your light you need to remove the rubber rings or remove the mounting bracket. Both are cumbersome and after time the rubber rings will break. To avoid using a tool or removing the rubber rings, I’d suggest the hex screw be replaced with a thumb screw.

Another concern is that some headlights can get very hot and this could affect the wear life of the rubber rings.

The GoPro uses the same mount as the light. Here too I’d like to see a thumb screw to make it easy to adjust the camera angle without needing a tool.

Bottom Line

The Bar Fly 4 MAX and MTB mounts are well made, providing versatility for all your cycling electronics. Both models are very sturdy and I saw no vibration even on bumpy terrain. Priced comparable to other mounts, the Bar Fly 4 is a great option for your second bike and gives you choices to use with a variety of cycling computers, headlights and a GoPro. Check out these mounts and other Bar Fly accessories available online or from your LBS.