On Sat, 2 Jun 2007 08:14:21 -0400, "JimH" wrote:


"RCE" wrote in message
news

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
Forgot to mention this yesterday.

I have signed up for a MC riding course at Excalibur Motorsports in
Plainfield.

I intend to put this left/right controversy to rest once and for all
not out of disrespect for your opinions but because you are wrong.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. :)

And I would point out to all you heathens who actually believe that
left/right nonsense that up until ten or so years ago, it was thought
that the curveball didn't curve - it was an optical illusion.

EXCELSIOR!! :)

I just came back from a morning walk/jog and decided to take the bicycle
out for a ride and test the steering issue on it. Thought it would be a
good idea to check the air in the tires, but it has weird valve stems that
I've never seen before and a conventional tire gauge fitting doesn't fit
on it. I inadvertently let all the air out of the front tire fooling
around with it. The bike's a Trek Hybrid. I guess I'll have to go back
to the dealer later and get whatever I need to fill it back up.

I'll submit my steering results later.

Eisboch


Remember not to be a speed demon.................keep it to a normal speed.
;-)


Countersteering is used at any speed, above walking.

Here, learn something new - especially read the last two paragraphs...

Lean by countersteering

When riding a bicycle or a motorcycle, countersteering is a method of
initiating a turn by a small, momentary turn of the front wheel, usually
via the handlebars, in the opposite (counter) direction. Like the book
example above, this moves the pivot point (the wheels' contact patches) out
from under the center of mass to establish the lean angle for a turn. While
necessary at all speeds, the need to countersteer becomes more noticeable
as speed increases.

Hence, if a rider wants to turn to the right, he first throws the bike off
balance by momentarily pointing the front wheel slightly to the left. The
center of mass of the bike plus rider will continue in a straight line, but
the contact patches of the tires move to the left with respect to this
straight line.

Once lean is achieved

As the desired angle is approached, the rider must then steer into the turn
to maintain that angle or the bike continue to lean with gravity increasing
the rate until the side contacts the ground. As roll momentum and gravity
then tip the bike over to the side, the front wheel must be steered into
the curve, and the curve is negotiated with the proper inward lean. This
process usually requires little physical effort, because the geometry of
the steering system of most bikes is designed in such a way that the front
wheel has a strong tendency to steer in the direction of a lean.

Adjusting or exiting a turn

Once in a turn, countersteering is again required to make changes to its
shape. The only way to decrease the radius at the same speed is to increase
the lean angle, and the only way to increase the lean angle, is again to
momentarily steer opposite to the direction of the curve. To the untrained,
this can be extremely counter-intuitive.

To exit a turn, countersteer by momentarily steering further in the
direction of the turn. This tilts the bike back upright.

At low speeds

At low speeds countersteering is equally necessary, but the countersteering
is then so subtle that it drowns in the continuous corrections that are
made in balancing the bike, often falling below a just noticeable
difference or threshold of perception of the rider.

Unconscious behavior

Countersteering is indispensable for bike steering. Most people are not
consciously aware that they employ countersteering when riding their bike
any more then they are aware of the physics of walking. Their body has
learned to include the well timed countersteering jolt. They may have
learned to do so while learning to ride a bicycle in childhood. Often
people simply assume that the steering of a bike is just like the steering
of a car. Their unconscious balance skills know better.

As is well-known in bicycle racing, the countersteering phenomenon becomes
evident when there is an obstacle preventing the wheel from
countersteering, e.g., when closely overlapping wheels or riding very close
to a curb. In these situations, the only way to initiate a turn away from
the obstacle is to come into contact with it, that is, turn towards the
wheel or curb in order to avoid crashing into it.[3] Lack of understanding
of this principle leads to accidents in novice bicycle races.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering