Ok, so once again I find that what I thought I understood well, is wrong.
The clear concensus is that bicycle stability is not due to angular momentum
conservation (or angular inertia). But can it be that there is "NO"
contribution to the stability from this factor?
As a devout "lurker" I hate to actually interject, but I did not see anyone
offer "gyro stabilization" as at least a component of the ability to balance on
two points of support.
If I hold my bicycle wheel demonstrator resting on the ground with the axle
horizontal then release it, it falls over immediately.
If I set it rolling on the ground, it stays upright for a while before slowing
down and falling over. There is no feedback mechanism here where a rider would
be turning the wheel to keep the point(s) of support under the CM.
Gyro stabilization is certainly a real phenomenon (gun turrets, rockets,
binoculars etc) and it seems to me that there must be some component involved
with stabilizing a bicycle.
(But that's just my opinion; I could be wrong.)
--
Stuart Leinoff
Professor of Physics
Adirondack Community College
(518) 743-2256
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