Originally posted by boardadikt
... Get some speed and turn your bars to the right, your bike will dip and lean-turning you to the left.
Although this phenomena is true, I think it has more to do with the laws of gravity than gyroscopic effect.
Take a bicycle, and attach two pieces of rope approximately 10" in length to the end of each handlebar. Peddle up to just enough speed to balance going in a straight line. Hold the rope ends up vertically, and grasp onto the ends of the rope. Turn the handlebars to the right using the rope; the bike turns left. Turn the handlebars to the left, and the bike turns right.
By turning the handlebars, it forces the wheel/tire to change direction. The forward momentum of the bike used to be absorbed by the tire on the pavement. The tire where it contacted the pavement used to be there, but has changed direction. The forward momentum continues on, but the tire is no longer there to absorb it completely. So the bike "falls" towards where there used to be tire on pavement to absorb it. Gravity pulls the bike down slightly.
My explanation sucks, but I'm just trying to point out that when both tires are on the ground, gyroscopic effect has less to do with turning than gravity does. Now, when the front wheel is spinning up in the air, the gyroscopic effect can help "pull" the bike one way or another.
Please keep in mind that I have no practical experience doing this, but it's how I'm thinking about the whole concept at least in theory. But then again, I could be wrong! :think: