Anybody have a compass on the handle bars?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

sloe

New Member
Location
Banffshire
Were you thinking of one of those bobblyball dashboard stickons? Have had cause to wish for one often enough.

Suppose it depends how much steel there is nearby, nothing else would affect it.
 
OP
OP
Bigtallfatbloke

Bigtallfatbloke

New Member
yes I was...I could have used it on yesterdays ride.

Years ago when I was young I ordered such a thing mail order....when it arrived it was a compass designe dfor use in th esouthern hemishere where north is south and south is north ...bloody confusing....

They arnt that expensive so I may just try one and see.
 

MartDavis

Veteran
Location
Rugby
I've had a compass/bell which I liked except that it lied to me because of the steel handlebars. You might be alright if you have aluminium ones though. I'm going to carry a small compass in my pocket in future and have an ordinary bell.
 

orbiter

Well-Known Member
Location
Hertfordshire
I confess to using the bell with inbuilt compass too. It works fine with ally bars but I couldn't live with the look of it.

I'd never tour without a compass as they've dug me out of holes many times in strange territory. Normally I use the sun to navigate but someone keeps switching it off :?:

Pete
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
Bigtallfatbloke said:
yes I was...I could have used it on yesterdays ride.

Years ago when I was young I ordered such a thing mail order....when it arrived it was a compass designe dfor use in th esouthern hemishere where north is south and south is north ...bloody confusing....

They arnt that expensive so I may just try one and see.
I've done a bit of travelling in both hemispheres and never heard of that before!!
 
OP
OP
Bigtallfatbloke

Bigtallfatbloke

New Member
well i assumed that was what the problem, th dial told me that what I knew to be east was in fact west and vice versa....
 

snorri

Legendary Member
I find the hand held compass hooked on my belt more convenient. It can be used on the bike but also handy for finding the camp site after checking out the night life on foot. :?:
 

Andy in Sig

Vice President in Exile
No offence, but if you think that you seriously need a compass on the handle bars touring might not be for you. I could understand it if you were navigating cross country in a desert or something but otherwise no.

I keep a compass in my rack bag for those moments when I'm convinced that I've wandered off course. It's a cracking bit of kit - a marine compass mounted in a block of solid aluminium so it's completely waterproof. Cost a bloody fortune though from the duty free in Amsterdam airport.
 

Brock

Senior Member
Location
Kent
I bought a pair of discount Karrimor trainers to wear down the pub, and they came with a combined emergency whistle, LED light and compass keyring. It helped me navigate my last tour on dozens of occasions. I wouldn't dream of going without a compass in future. A pin on a cork floating in a jam jar lid of water works though. :?:
 

Brock

Senior Member
Location
Kent
I noticed that the OS 1:50 000 maps are more expensive than petrol. probably heavier too. I ended up with seven of the bloody things in my bar bag last time. Should've posted them home as I went I suppose. A decent GPS gizmo with a good base map could potentially do the job much more conveniently in my opinion.
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
I've never carried a compass when riding the bike but I'm sure they are handy if you're in an area totally unkown. However good maps are a must in such places IMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Brock said:
I noticed that the OS 1:50 000 maps are more expensive than petrol. probably heavier too. I ended up with seven of the bloody things in my bar bag last time. Should've posted them home as I went I suppose. A decent GPS gizmo with a good base map could potentially do the job much more conveniently in my opinion.

Yes, but OS maps are among the nicest things in the world.
 
Top Bottom