Just a note,

This "technique" is natural. You'd be doing it all the time, whether someone told you you were doing it or not. There is no other way to "steer" the bike around a corner.

 

It is much easier to just accept that it works and learn how to ride using the rule "push right, go right...push left go left". There have been many articlesand discussion on why this works, and the physics behind can get very complicated if explained in detail. It is a simple concept found in vector mechanics or vector mathematics where theamount of lean needed to successfully negotiate a curve is a function of he bike's speed and the radius of the curve or Tan (theta) = v^2/Rg. If that isn't confusing enough, we can look at vectors of momentum involved.

A bike going straight on a horizontal surface will have an angular momemtum pointing horizontally to the left due to the rotation of the wheels. Pushing forward on the right handgrip creates an unbalanced upward torque: Vector R (right) cross Vector F (forward) = Vector Tau (up) = Vector dL/dt (up). The initially upward torque creates an initially upward Delta L which, when added to the initial angular momemtum will give a final angular momentum which is pointing up and to the left meaning that the bike is leaning to the right. Leaning to the right and not sliding on the surface (as it might on ice) means that there is a frictional force to the right which is, of course, the centripetal force needed to change the direction of the bike.

There is also a "conical" effect on the bike's tires once the lean occurs. Just like a styrofoam cup will roll in a circle due to the conical shape of the cup, so will a bike's wheels.

If you doubt these forces, then try this. Take a bicyle wheel and hold it by the axle with the wheel between your outstretched arms. Hve a friend spin the wheel as a fairly good speed, and then push forward on one of the ends of the axle. See for yourself what happens and also note the amount of pressure it puts on your hands. You might consider wearing a long sleeve shirt to do this.

 

My step dad is a mathmetician so I will pose this question to him and post his response. I kinda have to tend to the gyroscopis theroy on this as it is the simplest way to rest my brain on it. Could it be that it also takes less effort to push rather than pull along with the gyroscopics?

MC

 

Now that's the answer Iwas looking for!!!

The instructor also replied that it just works and he don't know why. Now I can teach the teacher heheheheh!

Thanks
MC

 

Ignoring the physics for a minute and just focusing on this point ...

I would go one step further and suggest not "THINKING" about pushing or pulling anything. Just ride and make the turn.I GUARANTEE you will pushright and pull left simultaneously when you go to make a right turn!! You really don't need to think about it, it is the only way the bike will go where you want it to go.If you've never ridden a bike before in your life,you will do this"push/pull" manoever thefirst time you try to turn. Let's call it instinct.

 

I think we all learn this technique without thinking about it at all when we learned to ride a bicycle. Remember riding on the sidewalk and when you got near the edge it seemed like you could never get away from it? When you tried to "car steer" slightly away from the edge, the result was "counter-steer" and you got even closer or you went off into the grass.

My wife taught me to ride a bike and had ridden for 40 years before I started. She never had any formal riding training at all and never heard of counter-steer. She just did it without realizing what she was doing. While you can ride without understanding that forces are in play that make you turn, I think the more aware you are of what is happening between you and your bike and the road, then the better the odds you can continually improve your riding skills.

But overall I agree you don't need to know why counter-steering works, just that is does and to get out on your bike and practice it.

 

Check this vid out explains it quite well...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxM_GU7W-dE

 

I agree with this .... mostly

I feel though, that there are some instances where people get caught up in the technique and over-analyze their actions, hence making a simple manouever much more difficult than it really is.

 

We did an experiment way back in elementary school toexperience the gyroscope effect. You sit on a chair that rotates andyou holdthe axle of aspinning bicycle wheel, if you turn the wheel to the right your body and your chair will go left. You will turn opposite of which ever way you turn the wheel. It's the same effect on a bike or motorcycle, if your going at a slow speedyou turn your handle bars to make a turn, but if your at a high speed your front wheel is acting like a gyroscope and you think your just leaning into a turn but your actually counter steering. You really don't even notice that your doing it until you are made aware of it. Try going down a street over forty miles an hour and slightly push on one of the hand grips, that will open your eyes to the gyroscope effect (counter steering). Here's more information: http://www.msgroup.org/TIP048.html[/align]

 

Its very simple "Rake Geometry" starting at 15mph and higher. Check out the following URL:


http://www.msgroup.org/TIP048.html