How do bikes work?

Stealth · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:39 pm Post subject: How do bikes work?

Apparently, no one knows.

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10376

A bike will continue to essentially steer itself with no rider present and it's wheels will turn when it's about to fall over. Of course, if it hits a bump, it will fall due to the unexpected force.

Theories that have been Disproven:

The Gyroscopic Effect - This effect is where the spinning motion of the tires keeps the bike up much like how a top works. If you spin the top, the sheer spin will keep the top from falling.

The Caster Effect - This effect deals with the angle in which the tires were built on in relation to it's steering axis.

So then someone made a bike that got rid of both of these effects (See link) and the damn thing STILL stays up.

My First theory:

Bikes are roughly light, but they can be heavy. But their thin nature makes me think that when they move forward, the drag from the air is keeping the bike up. When the wheel turns, the drag is causing the wheel to realign, which gives the illusion of it steering itself.

My Second theory:

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Motherfucking Triangles! Being all three sided n' shit, who do they think they are?!