Why is it easier to balance a bicycle while it’s in motion?

Question

I never quite understood why it is so much easier to keep a bike balanced while riding at a certain speed, compared to riding it really slow, or while standing…

In: 540

Answer 1

When you’re in motion on a bike, there are two forces acting upon you.

Gravity
&
Velocity.

In order to balance on a bike whilst static, you need to centre your body weight directly through the centre of the bike to the floor. This is because gravity pulls you down.

In order to balance on a bike in motion, you need to centre your bodyweight broadly on the bike relative to the speed. This is because velocity pushes you forward.

In order to not fall off a bike, you need to apply more velocity than gravity to the bike and yourself.

Think of it like this… When you jump, you’re pushing yourself off the ground. How can you do this if gravity is pulling you down? Well, you’ve applied more force upwards than the force pulling you down. However, once you’ve jumped the ability to add more force going up stops, and so you must come back down.

So, back to the bike… Once you’re in motion you need to apply more force to keep yourself going forward (velocity). If you apply more force to go forward than the force pulling you down, you’ll suddenly find it much easier to balance.

This is because you’re no longer trying to balance yourself and the bike, just yourself on a bike that’s being driven forward rather than down.