Why it is impossible to balance a bicycle while it is in static?

Question

why it is easy to balance a bicycle while it is moving?

Answer 1

It is not impossible, just very hard. It is very unstable an requires excellent control (which I don't have either but I have seen it done). While it is moving the wheels act like big gyros plus when leaning on a bicycle the wheels tend to push to straighten the bicycle up. Makeing a moving bicycle a stable mechanism.

Answer 2

It's not impossible to balance a bicycle while standing still.
Many skilled riders do it on an obstacle course.
When it is moving the spinning wheels become gyroscopes.
They create a rigidity in space or gyroscopic inertia, and tends to resist changes to it's orientation, which is upright.
This makes the bicycle easy to balance. For most people.
Some just are more susceptible to gravity.

Answer 3

As already noted it is possible to balance a stationary bicycle - I am no gymnast but I can do it.

The gyroscopic effect is negligible; the mass of the wheels is far too small compared to the mass of the frame and rider. More important is the design of the steering; if you extend the axis of the steering to the ground you will find that this point is ahead of the contact point of the front tire, so the front wheel casters, and naturally turns into the direction of lean (early bikes had vertical steering joints and were consequently very difficult to balance). When you learn to ride you are just reinforcing that natural tendency to caster, which is why it is not all that difficult to ride "hands off".

Answer 4

As has been said, it's not impossible, just hard.
It is not gyroscopic stability, (as has been said),
that helps you balance a moving bicycle however.
It is the dynamic of the vehicle.
At very slow speeds, (where any gyroscopic effect of the wheels would be negligable), you maintain balance by steering into the fall and centrifugal force rights the vehicle.
It's instinctive and you don't even realise you're doing it after you learn it.
It is at higher speeds that the 'gyro` effect becomes noticable.

Answer 5

Just reiterating and summarizing, but it can be done with a little practice, it's not impossible. A frequent answer is that the wheels function as gyroscopes providing stability. While this is true, its a negligible amount. The ease of balance at high speeds come from very slight (and subconscious) turns into the direction you begin to fall, which produces a balancing centripetal force.

Answer 6

Its not impossible, just harder. The gyroscope effect that occurs when the wheels are spinning works to stabilize the bicycle. Its not in play when the bicycle is stopped.

Answer 7

Because it's TWO TIRED! ha HA!

No seriously, the spinning wheels exert the gyroscope effect, thus maintaining an upright position just as a gyroscope does when spinning.
The bicycle wheels are essentially two spinning gyroscopes.

Answer 8

A thing called angular momentum (gyroscope effect) helps.
The wheel tends to stay doing what it is doing!
Also when you are on a bicycle your mass is higher and is slow to react to an unbalancing force. Also notice that when you turn intitially you steer opposite to the way you want to go then let it fall slightly before turning the handlebars toward where you want to go! You actually use momentum to throw you to one side before turning begins