Bikes Staying Up

By Anupum Pant

I had always thought that the only mechanism which kept bicycles upright is the gyroscopic effect from the spinning wheels. Turns out, there’s a lot more to bikes staying upright than it seems. Basically three separate mechanisms dictate this effect. One of which is the gyroscopic effect.

The other important thing that keeps a bike balanced is the fact that the rod joining the handle and the centre of the front wheel is at a slight angle. This makes the front tire touch at a point slightly behind the point that is vertically lowest… And then there are so many other things, the combination of precise ones even science hasn’t been able to figure out yet.

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