The Silva Huntsman Compass was popular among touring cyclists for years and many bike riders still use a compass on their tours in addition to a GPS unit. The Huntsman was especially good for handlebar mounting with its 90-degree hinged design and brass safety pin. Handlebar bag manufacturers included a small fabric loop on the front of their bags through which the brass safety pin could be attached holding the compass level. This is the very compass I got in 1980 based on Eugene Sloane's recommendation. My mom sewed up the custom carrying case, which is why the compass is still fairly pristine today. Here is the text from page 231 in "The All New Complete Book of Bicycling" where Eugene Sloane recommends this compass. A Word About Compasses You can get lost on a bike trip. Even with a map. You may think you travel too slowly ever to need a compass direction. Wrong! A compass can save you hours of frustration, if by doing nothing else than confirm that you are headed in the right direction. I have been thoroughly lost in unfamiliar country, and wished earnestly at the time for a compass bearing for just such reassurance. Once, in Holland, I saw an attractive road, totally free of traffic, wending its way through farmland. I did have a compass, and so felt free to abandon my planned route for the day with the knowledge that I was at least headed in the general direction I wanted to go. I wound up at my destination pretty much on time, but I had the fun of departing from plan, on the spur of the moment, and finding much more scenic routes as a reward. A compass fastened to your bar bag can be a big comfort indeed. Touring Cyclist Shop has a fastening point on their bag for a compass, and even sells the compass (Fig. 4-14) for $11.75. This is a Silva Huntsman precision, Swedish-made compass which weighs only one ounce. In the TCS mounting position, the compass is far enough away from the bike to avoid needle deflection and wrong readings due to bike-frame attraction. It is also useful for walking tours in foreign cities not laid out in a grid pattern. As for winding country roads, a compass, as noted, is just about a "must."

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