VIDEO: What Makes a Bicycle Balance?

Here's an entertaining video about a study done to determine what lets a bicycle balance. Keep watching because it includes a fascinating prototype test bicycle, some rare vintage cycling photographs, fun animations and more.

Interestingly, bicycle historians, like my friend and author David Herlihy, believe that it was the question of balance that kept the bicycle from being invented a lot earlier than when it was.

Even in the 1800s when we had railroads and other complex machinery, people had no idea that a two-wheeled vehicle could be balanced. So they never thought to try to invent one.

The way bicycles tend to balance themselves is a wonderful thing. Often, skilled riders will avoid crashing by relaxing and letting the bicycle geometry take over, and the bike will right itself even though just seconds before it looked for sure like the rider was going to crash.

It's a good safety tip to keep in mind: If you get in a situation where you're losing control, if you can relax and not fight the bike, there's an excellent chance that it will straighten up and keep you from hitting the deck. A good way to practice is riding off-road on a mountain bike. Speeds are slower, dirt bikes are even more stable than road bikes, and the ground is more forgiving should you fall over.

Enjoy the video!
Jim

New Cycling Book: The Lost Cyclist

Just in time to race to the top of your summer bicycle reading list, noted cycling historian David Herlihy will soon publish his new work, The Lost Cyclist. While I haven't finished it yet, it's safe to say that if you enjoy a good mystery, the story of top highwheel racer and world traveler Frank Lenz, who disappeared while circling the globe on his bicycle in 1894, should captivate you.

Herlihy, who also wrote The Bicycle, A History, and who earlier almost singlehandedly showed that it was Pierre Lallement, not Ernest Michaux who first put pedals on a two-wheel device (creating the first real bicycle), has done extensive research and traveled as much as Lenz did to finally tell the tale of this daring American adventurer from Pittsburgh.

I had heard of Lenz and his disappearance but had no idea that another cyclist took it upon himself to travel around the world to try to find him. And then fought for justice in his name. I especially enjoy the photos Lenz took showing him on Lookout Rock in Tennessee, on a treacherous bridge in China and in front of the Taj Mahal. The Lost Cyclist should be in book stores around June 18. In the meantime you can learn more about the book and author here.