Interesting video on bicycle steering
- Thread starter si_c
- Start date
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kmarkn
Active Member
- Location
- Warwickshire
Interesting video, thanks. I also ride a motor scooter and the concept of 'countersteering' is widely taught when learning to ride motorbikes. In essence, to turn left you press on the left handlebar, you don't push forward on the right as you might imagine. I think the same applies to cycling, as long as you are going at a reasonable speed. Very low speed manouvering is different as I understand it.
davidphilips
Veteran
- Location
- Onabike
Know lots of cyclists and motorcyclists just take steering for granted and perhaps they get away with it but watched this video on counter steering and it shows just how important it is to understand it, the video is about a motorcycle but must have been really scary for the motorcyclist.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVE79XT8-Mg
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVE79XT8-Mg
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
Very nice little clip that! Most interesting.
ClichéGuevara
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kingston upon the River Hull
When the steering was locked both ways, would pulling a wheely have worked, or is that overly affected with locked steering too?
Toshiba Boy
N+1er
- Location
- By the beach, West Zummerzet
Watched this clip over the weekend.
Very interesting, something we all do (hopefully correctly) intuitively on our bikes (never ridden motorbikes).
Concentrated on my ride into work this morning and, lo and behold, there was the "automatic" left turn on handlebars as I leaned to the right (only taken me half a century to be conscious of this!).
Very interesting, something we all do (hopefully correctly) intuitively on our bikes (never ridden motorbikes).
Concentrated on my ride into work this morning and, lo and behold, there was the "automatic" left turn on handlebars as I leaned to the right (only taken me half a century to be conscious of this!).
CanucksTraveller
Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
- Location
- Hertfordshire
The approaching truck scenario is good for illustrating the phenomenon but that guy was riding into a collision long before the collision, and "not counter steering" wasn't even close to being his biggest mistake. He's far too fast for that road, the vanishing points are closing on him too quickly for him to be in control or able to stop when something appears around one of those vanishing points (like a fire truck). And he was making assumptions that he'd have the entire road to himself past the vanishing point. That's why he collided with the truck, he was planning on letting the bike run out left, which is a p1ss poor bit of planning and he ran out of road. Counter steering might have helped him, but backing off the speed a bit and having some lane discipline would have avoided the issue entirely.
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Well, yes. I was thinking that myself as I watched it.... along the lines of 'not sure I'd taking those bends like that'
None-the-less, the video does admirably demonstrate that his attempts to steer out of the way of the oncoming truck where having exactly the opposite of the desired effect. I note it says that the rider wasn't seriously injured - that is thankfully a blessing and, I must admit, a tad surprising. That would have been a fair old impact.
T4tomo
Legendary Member
Indeed had he backed off the throttle and leaned a bit more / kept the same lean on with reduced speed, he's have missed the truck.
Things on two wheels your steer by leaning, and as well explained in the top video, you intuitively maintain balance with very small steering input.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
I couldn't of gone to this detail but before the truck even came in to sight I knew it was poor and dangerous riding.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
I've watched the first two videos and find this very hard to believe. In fact I don't believe it.
I'm sufficiently interested I'll try to concentrate on it next time I ride to find out if it's true. In 60 years of cycling I've never observed this or heard anyone speak of it.
Thinking about turning all I do is choose my line, lean in the direction I want to go, raise my inside foot and push down on the opposite pedal if I've stopped pedalling. Cornering fast I'd be focusing on my exit point as well.
I'm sufficiently interested I'll try to concentrate on it next time I ride to find out if it's true. In 60 years of cycling I've never observed this or heard anyone speak of it.
Thinking about turning all I do is choose my line, lean in the direction I want to go, raise my inside foot and push down on the opposite pedal if I've stopped pedalling. Cornering fast I'd be focusing on my exit point as well.
