this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2024
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[–] [email protected] 77 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

That only causes part of the effect, most of it is the bike's steering countering the momentum of your fall.

You wouldn't be able to balance on a bike with just the wheel spinning, you're too heavy. That is why bikes on those indoor rollers allow the bike to move left and right a bit.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 months ago (3 children)

So biking is just falling with style?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Just like orbiting something. Satellites are constantly just falling back to earth, but with enough grace to always miss earth. I bet satellites would be great cyclists!

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago

There is an art, it says, or rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. … Clearly, it is this second part, the missing, which presents the difficulties.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

Turning a motorcycle or bike is falling with purpose! The faster you are falling (leaning over more), the faster you turn!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Just wait till OP learns that you need to counter-steer bikes to balance

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

That's always fun. Some people will swear it can't possibly work like that, but they have plenty of experience riding bikes. You wouldn't be able to turn properly at speed unless you're counter-steering, so they clearly have done this. The idea seems to be so incredibly intuitive that people don't even realize they're doing it, which is very interesting.