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compass and thermometer for commuter bike

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Old 02-02-12 | 02:21 PM
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compass and thermometer for commuter bike

My friend who I work with started riding to work but wants a digitil compass and thermometer for his bike. He is an older guy and digitil is his thing.

Any recomendations?
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Old 02-02-12 | 03:03 PM
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Hey chef...
If he's a digi guy, he probably has a smartphone, which has a great digital compass app as well as current weather by location.
I have this temp gauge and compass clipped to my touring panniers.
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Old 02-02-12 | 03:11 PM
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Not Digital and you can't have them on at the same time, but these babies from Stem CAPtain are pretty cool I think.





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Old 02-02-12 | 04:49 PM
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There is a compass on the top of my bike bell. I use it on my touring bike.

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Old 02-02-12 | 05:26 PM
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The stem captians are pretty cool.
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Old 02-02-12 | 05:30 PM
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I have the watch on my commuter bike, love it. My sigma computer on my tourer has a temperature function that is not listed in the literature, but no compass. The last digital compass I had on a watch was pretty bad anyway.

garmin bike computers have lots of bells and whistles.
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Old 02-02-12 | 07:04 PM
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A zipper pull has both.. REI.. is where I got them.
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Old 02-03-12 | 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
Not Digital and you can't have them on at the same time, but these babies from Stem CAPtain are pretty cool I think.

I don't often succumb to "I just have to have it!" but when I saw this, my tandem needed it desperately. Unfortunately, my two commuting bikes are older and have quill stems, or they'd have something too. One "issue" with the thermometer is the typical inaccurate reading when it's in direct sunlight. But it's been great for an annual week long bike ride, checking morning temps to figure out what to start out wearing.
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Old 02-03-12 | 09:57 AM
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My stem cap has the cardinal points (EWNS) engraved but no compass pointer needle. It is correct twice a day.

One of the neatest little compasses is the pin on pilots button compass by marble.
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Old 02-03-12 | 10:04 AM
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I would be very skeptical about the accuracy of Stem Pilots for temperatures and compass readings. Temperatures would be inflated by sunlight, I would think, and I can't believe the compass would be accurate on a steel frame. Correct me if I am wrong, those who have used them.
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Old 02-03-12 | 12:43 PM
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.. surrounding a compass with steel anywhere close.. makes problems.

Steel ships have the 'Captains Balls' big hunks of iron on either side of the ships compass
that got adjusted to compensate .. so mag north was really mag north.

true north is a declination line read off the Nav charts.

Last edited by fietsbob; 02-03-12 at 12:48 PM.
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Old 02-03-12 | 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by MNBikeCommuter
I don't often succumb to "I just have to have it!" but when I saw this, my tandem needed it desperately. Unfortunately, my two commuting bikes are older and have quill stems, or they'd have something too. One "issue" with the thermometer is the typical inaccurate reading when it's in direct sunlight. But it's been great for an annual week long bike ride, checking morning temps to figure out what to start out wearing.
I wanted one for Father's day last year but didn't get it. Maybe this year.

It's more for the cool factor than accuracy which I figured would be suspect anytime it's in the sun. I did have an email exchange with the Stem CAPtain folks explaining that the thermometer bottomed out too soon for my commuting needs. It should start at -30 or -20 at minimum.

They haven't changed it yet.

The compass could be useful at times but it's not as nice looking as either the clock or the thermometer.
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Old 02-03-12 | 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by tarwheel
I would be very skeptical about the accuracy of Stem Pilots for temperatures and compass readings. Temperatures would be inflated by sunlight, I would think, and I can't believe the compass would be accurate on a steel frame. Correct me if I am wrong, those who have used them.
What's that?
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