Bicycles are simple devices that have been thoroughly studied ever since they were invented in the 1800s so modern scientists now know everything there is to know about how they work, right? It's all to do with the gyroscopic precession of the wheels, right? Not quite, as Fact Quickie explains in this new video.
It's surprising how interesting little mysteries like this can be and I'm surprised that this isn't settled science. I only just found out from this video.
This Veritasium video from four years ago explains and demonstrates different aspects of riding a bike, especially the steering, but acknowledges at the end that how they work still isn't fully understood, so there's no contradiction with the first video.
If it's really not gyroscopic precession, I'd like to see the wheels locked to prevent rotation and have a low friction teflon surface attached to the contact point with the ground. Also, the handlebars and stationary wheels are still able to be steered normally. Then, have the bike slid down a teflon slope to maintain speed. I'll bet it falls over immediately, which would indicate that gyroscopic precession is indeed what keeps the bike upright. Neither video suggested trying this experiment.
@Hitcore since you're a bike and moped user, I think you'll be interested in this.
It's surprising how interesting little mysteries like this can be and I'm surprised that this isn't settled science. I only just found out from this video.
This Veritasium video from four years ago explains and demonstrates different aspects of riding a bike, especially the steering, but acknowledges at the end that how they work still isn't fully understood, so there's no contradiction with the first video.
If it's really not gyroscopic precession, I'd like to see the wheels locked to prevent rotation and have a low friction teflon surface attached to the contact point with the ground. Also, the handlebars and stationary wheels are still able to be steered normally. Then, have the bike slid down a teflon slope to maintain speed. I'll bet it falls over immediately, which would indicate that gyroscopic precession is indeed what keeps the bike upright. Neither video suggested trying this experiment.
@Hitcore since you're a bike and moped user, I think you'll be interested in this.
