3 ms·
While trail and gyroscopic forces both influence steering and stability, neither are required. It has been shown that a bike can still be self-balancing even wi
by jdbernard 14y ago
While trail and gyroscopic forces both influence steering and stability, neither are required. It has been shown that a bike can still be self-balancing even without trail or gyroscopic forces, though positive trail and gyroscopic forces do make it easier to balance and more stable (see http://bicycle.tudelft.nl/stablebicycle/StableBicyclev34Revised.pdf http://bicycle.tudelft.nl/stablebicycle/StableBicyclev34Revi...).
ithkuil's comment is the more accurate description of what is going on.
- barrkel 14y agoithkuil is saying the same thing as me, in a different way. I'm talking about how bikes are self-stable, he is talking about how bikes are stable with active input. Trail creates a steering feedback system. You need feedback from lean into the steering in order to create something self-stable, and trail is the simplest way of doing that.