An experimental bicycle designed to eliminate the gyroscopic effect of spinning wheels and the "trail" of the front wheel is still stable on its own, disproving conventional theory. Watch video
The 1949 movie "Jour de Fete" shows a postman frantically chasing his bicycle, which rides away on its own. It could happen. Many bicycles, even without a rider, naturally resist tipping over if they are going fast enough. Scientists and engineers have been trying to explain bicycle self-stability ever since the 19th century. Now, a new analysis says the commonly accepted explanations are at least partly wrong. The accepted view: Bicycles are stable because of the gyroscopic effect of the spinning front wheel or because the front wheel "trails" behind the steering axis, or both. If you try to tilt the axis of a gyroscope in one direction, it will turn in a different direction.
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