Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!mason From: mason@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Mason) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: A question of balance - (nf) Message-ID: <1444@utcsrgv.UUCP> Date: Mon, 30-May-83 13:03:08 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.1444 Posted: Mon May 30 13:03:08 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 30-May-83 13:28:59 EDT References: <586@ucbcad.UUCP> Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto Lines: 16 I'm no physicist, BUT...someone suggested that someone else had tested the idea of gyroscopic effects helping cyclists by building a bicycle with "wheels geared to have the opposite angular momentum..." SO WHAT? adding more spinning wheels seems to me to increase the gyro effect. I was going to stay out of this discussion, but the above rankled too much...(almost like bubbles making ice float)...so now that I've started... I think that there is a substantial assistance provided by the gyro effect a) if you take a dismounted, spinning bicycle wheel and attempt to turn it there is a substantial resistance. b) when people are learning to ride they typically move VERY slowly, and are constantly making extreme corrective motions that would easily over- whelm the gyro. If you send even a novice fast down a hill, they will usually stay upright until they panic or slow down. c) all of which is not to say that I think balance is un-important. ....flames, etc welcome..../Dave (...decvax!utzoo!utcsrgv!mason)