You couldn't be more wrong if you tried.
Originally Posted by
drmweaver2
The assumption here is that the magnetic field will be strong enough to be affected by steel in the bicycle (frame). Um, think about that for a minute.. People have used compasses in their cars for decades - lots more steel in the chassis than in a bike.
Vehicles use electronic compensation systems. Those who've owned them will remember that they needed to drive slowly in a circle to properly calibrate it
Originally Posted by
drmweaver2
The US Army has used compasses with their tanks since the 1910's and did not require the tanker to dismount to do so; tank = big freakin' steel object. You probably DON'T need to actually get off the bicycle to use - at least it in my experience.
Old tanks used a series of magnets to compensate (swing) magnetic compasses. Newer tanks used a higher tech version of the auto system
None of these have any similarity to bicycle compasses, which
will be significantly affected by by a steel framed touring bike. If a person lacks the situational awareness to have an idea of which direction they are headed, they should get off the bike to use the compass.