Risse Racing Mork Mount

The iPod nano has become the iPod of choice for many active types, thanks to its combination of skip-free flash storage and the iPod’s famous interface. If you’re a cyclist, Risse’s Mork Mount helps you keep your iPod accessible during your ride. (Of course, we don’t recommend listening to an iPod when sharing the road with cars and pedestrians; but for dedicated bike paths and roads, music can be a great riding companion.)

The Mount — which attaches to the handlebars of your bike via a hinged, thumbscrew-secured, aluminum mounting bracket — provides a slim, machined aluminum cradle into which you slide your iPod nano. The cradle protects the back and side of your nano, while two elastic rubber o-rings hold your iPod securely in place.

Overall, the Mork Mount is a great idea with a few minor issues. If it fits your bike, it works well: It keeps your iPod safe and secure in a location that’s relatively easy to view and access while riding. However, its mounting bracket fits only handlebars 7/8″ or less in diameter. If you’ve got thicker handlebars or — like my own bike — handlebars that vary in thickness, you’re out of luck. (The company points out that the Mork Mount also fits lawnmower handles, shopping carts, and exercise bikes; I didn’t get a chance to test it in these environments.)

There’s also no padding around your iPod; it sits directly on the Mark Mount’s aluminum surfaces. A bit of padding of some sort, however thin, would have added a bit of shock protection and also prevented the possibility of the Mork Mount itself scratching your nano. Finally, I would have liked to be able to detach the Mork Mount’s cradle from its handlebar mount. Because the Mork Mount’s rubber o-rings hold your iPod so securely, it’s easier to remove the entire Mork Mount from your bike, using the thumbscrew connector, than to remove your iPod from the mount — but then you have to carry around the handlebar mount, as well. I prefer Marware’s MultiDapt approach, used in the various SportSuit cases; the handlebar mount remains permanently attached to your bike, but you can easily detach the case.