Bike stability (Part 1)

What keeps a bike upright?

We have concluded that there are two main variables that keep a bike upright: gyroscopic wheels and centripetal force.

-gyroscopic wheels

-two gimbals perpendicular to an axis to keep each other balance

-front and back wheel act as gimbals which are perpendicular to fork, keeping the bike upright when moving

Video

-centripetal force (center seeking)

-movement towards the center

-keeps the bike upright

-when you lean or turn, centripetal force takes action and centers yourself on the bike to keep you upright while still turning

Gear ratios (Part 1)

Our group rode a bike 15 meters with different gears, affecting how many times the pedals rotated. These are the results: 

-L is left/front gear and R is right/back gear

From this data, we have concluded that the lower the gear is, the easier it is to pedal, resulting in more pedal rotations.

Preview

Check out all the hard work we've done. Be prepared for some mind blowing biking physics coming your way soon!