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by jstanley 2979 days ago
See 2:33 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWuTcJcqAng&t=2m33s

Turning by leaning only works at all because when you lean it causes the handlebars to countersteer.

To prove it, lock your handlebars so that they can only point straight forwards, and then see how easy it is to steer. It's practically impossible.
2 comments
rplnt 2979 days ago
> To prove it, lock your handlebars

It's impossible to start going straight even. The point was that leaning will initiate the turn (no limits on method).

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baud147258 2979 days ago
> Turning by leaning only works at all because when you lean it causes the handlebars to countersteer.

That's totaly not my experience.

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komali2 2979 days ago
With all due respect, your experience, internet denizen, is overruled by reported experiment. See the video linked above.
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baud147258 2979 days ago
It's experience vs reported experiment, I don't see how one is can overrule the other. I'll check the video later.
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komali2 2979 days ago
You're right, "overrule" is probably too strong a term.

I meant it more as a comparison between anecdotal evidence vs research evidence. I.e., someone saying "I've never seen a fire, I'm not sure why we need to bother with fire drills."

Maybe better would be "why bother getting vaccinations, I've never seen a bacteria in my life."

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baud147258 2979 days ago
I've watched the video linked above in the thread and I admit that I was wrong, that I would countersteer when riding a bike, it's just that I don't realize it.

There's just one thing that I don't understand: on a bike, with the hands of the handlebar, I can turn right by leaning right, but I don't understand how leaning right would cause the countersteer left.

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komali2 2979 days ago
It should be recognized that you were willing to admit you were wrong - personally I find nothing in the world harder to do, let alone on the internet. That's awesome.

Here's another video that helped it click for me when I didn't get it either https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgUOOwnZcDU It's more "phsyics-ey"

When your hands are off the handlebar and you "lean right," the handlebars won't visibly "turn left," and if they do it will only be for the briefest moment. It only takes the tiniest countersteer to cause the "lean angle." It has to happen because your handlebars are non-rigid.

Let me know what you think after the video above. IIRC it has the "rolling cup" example, which for me works best.

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