marzjennings
Guru
- Location
- Houston, Texas, USA
I thought some sad person was asking how to "turn on" a bike
That's how I read the subject title too and I wasn't sure if this topic was going to be NSFW, so of course I clicked on it.
Is this right? *how to turn on a bike*
- Thread starter swampyseifer
- Start date
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That's how I read the subject title too and I wasn't sure if this topic was going to be NSFW, so of course I clicked on it.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
And walking is simply a matter of controlled falling forward. If you didn't stick one foot ahead of the other you'd fall flat on your face because you're off balance. Or drunk.
or some git has tied your shoe laces together
MissTillyFlop
Evil communist dictator, lover of gerbils & Pope.
My advice for how to turn on a bike is buy her some really expensive chain lube, wax her often and talk spanners to her...
SquareDaff
Über Member
- Location
- Doncaster, South Yorkshire
BrumJim
Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
- Location
- Selly Oak, Birmingham
Why? Have you pulled?
+1 to that. It's the only real way to steer a 2 wheeled vehicle, and we do it without even realizing.
Moving the bars a very small amount to the left initiates a right-wards lean, making the bike steer right. However if you were to keep the handlebars pointing to the left, the bike would keep on leaning rightwards, and you would fall over to the right.
To prevent this, we automatically move the bars to the right (the way we want to turn) after we have initiated the lean. The bars remain in this position until we want to exit the corner, which is why it is commonly believed that you simply steer the bars right to turn right.
The affects of counter steering are far more obvious above 20mph, as below this the bike is more unstable, and hence needs less counter steering action to initiate the lean. The need for counter steering also more obvious when performing quick, sharp turns, as opposed to long sweeping bends.
Whilst we tend to do this involuntary, it is a good skill to learn to do consciously, and can come in useful when you need to swerve suddenly to avoid an object (pothole, car, etc).
Psycolist
NINJA BYKALIST
- Location
- North Essex
Since reading this thread, the matter is constantly on my mind when i'm riding. Watching for others doing it and trying to notice if I do it without thinking about it, which of course is bloody impossible. Tonight, I stood outside my local chippy, waiting for a nice bit of cod to be cooked, and as I watched the friday freak show of boy racers doing laps of the one way system, EVERY SINGLE ONE on EVERY SINGLE LAP did the 'countersteering dance' Its wierd that its SOOOOO common, but goes un-noticed by everyone, even those doing it. I can only compare it to breathing, or blinking. Its just godda be done. I hope that the next time I get on my bike I can at last, stop thinking about it. BUT, next time I get taken anywhere by car, (I dont drive myself ) I'LL BE WATCHIN HaHaHa
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
This instinctive countersteer is probably why any cyclist has problems when they get onto a trike...
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
A while back I read in the Falmouth Packet (oooh errrgh) that someone was up before the beak for pleasuring his bike in the moat of Pendennis Castle.
I may have imagined that, but I think it could be true.
I may have imagined that, but I think it could be true.
Globalti
Legendary Member
Yes, as others have written, countersteering is what most cyclists do to unbalance the bike and initiate a turn. The other way is simply to lean and allow the bike to follow.
Countersteering is also used in avoidance steering; if you are riding in a straight line along a very narrow track and you need to avoid a rock for example you will steer your wheels around it knowing that you are initiating a turn while wanting to keep in a straight line. The successful outcome of this depends on there being enough space after the rock for the exaggerated steering you will need to recover because you've just sacrificed balance to avoid the rock.
Countersteering is also used in avoidance steering; if you are riding in a straight line along a very narrow track and you need to avoid a rock for example you will steer your wheels around it knowing that you are initiating a turn while wanting to keep in a straight line. The successful outcome of this depends on there being enough space after the rock for the exaggerated steering you will need to recover because you've just sacrificed balance to avoid the rock.
Psychologists talk about something called (if I'm remembering correctly) 'unconscious competence.' Thats where I want to be. Being on the bike means far more to me than bothering my head about which direction to turn the handlebars. Ride the bike, test your limits a wee bit and it just happens.
As an example of that - as a youngster I was pretty cautious on a bike. My friends did all these skid turns. I didn't, partly because I had a big 'old man's' bike, partly because I was scared I would fall off and partly because I was worried about what it would do to my tyres. Possibly the main reason was that I never rode it enough to become good enough.
Since returning to cycling almost 2 years ago now I've had no accidents, apart from clipless moments, but have had several near misses. At least 2 of these involved spectacular evasive manoeuvres, with some skidding, one ending up at right angles to where I started, but without falling off. Now I don't have a clue what I did, but I was just ridiculously pleased to be alive, and somewhat surprised at what I had managed to do.It certainly didn't involve thinking things through, it was all intuitive, built on practice. It also gives me a bit of confidence in my own ability in a tight spot.
As an example of that - as a youngster I was pretty cautious on a bike. My friends did all these skid turns. I didn't, partly because I had a big 'old man's' bike, partly because I was scared I would fall off and partly because I was worried about what it would do to my tyres. Possibly the main reason was that I never rode it enough to become good enough.
Since returning to cycling almost 2 years ago now I've had no accidents, apart from clipless moments, but have had several near misses. At least 2 of these involved spectacular evasive manoeuvres, with some skidding, one ending up at right angles to where I started, but without falling off. Now I don't have a clue what I did, but I was just ridiculously pleased to be alive, and somewhat surprised at what I had managed to do.It certainly didn't involve thinking things through, it was all intuitive, built on practice. It also gives me a bit of confidence in my own ability in a tight spot.
Globalti
Legendary Member
*Touches wood*
After 20 years of mountain biking I feel pretty confident in bike handling; the only crashes I've had are very many low-speed tumbles, usually into grass or bushes (once into brambles, from which I had to be extricated by club mates helpless with mirth) and one fast and sudden fall on ice.
So far in 3 years of road riding I haven't had a serious fall though I'm waiting....
After 20 years of mountain biking I feel pretty confident in bike handling; the only crashes I've had are very many low-speed tumbles, usually into grass or bushes (once into brambles, from which I had to be extricated by club mates helpless with mirth) and one fast and sudden fall on ice.
So far in 3 years of road riding I haven't had a serious fall though I'm waiting....
