Nerd alert: Riding a bike boils down to a matter of not-so-simple mathematics

kid on bike.jpgIt turns out that getting off on the right foot on a bicycle, ditching the stabilizers and speeding away from your anxious parents is actually far more complex than most people realize.

We all grew up hearing that few things are easier than riding a bike, but scientists investigating our ability to do so have discovered that this is not exactly true. 

It turns out that getting off on the right foot on a bicycle, ditching the stabilizers and speeding away from your anxious parents is far more complex than most people realize.

According to a story in the Telegraph (U.K.),  researchers from three different countries have taken more than three years to come up with a mathematical formula to mimic what most children can do naturally by the age of 10.

The complex equation, which takes into account inertia, gyroscopic and centrifugal forces as well as gravity, has 31 numbers and symbols and nine sets of brackets.

The formula boils down to this: Inertia forces + gyroscopic forces + the effects of gravity and centrifugal forces = the leaning of the body and the torque applied to the handlebars of a bike.

Or put more simply, if you do not pedal fast enough to keep moving while keeping the bike straight, you fall over.

The equation produced by scientists from universities in Holland, the USA and England has come to light during research to compile tips for parents teaching their children to ride a bike. They were hoping to help cut down on the agony suffered by youngsters when going though that rite of passage when first taking to two wheels.

Dr Arend Schwab, of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands who helped develop the equation, explains that ever since the invention of the bicycle in the 1860s mathematicians have been trying to use Newton’s laws of motion to explain its unique movement and ability to balance.

“People more than a hundred years ago were trying to figure out why a two wheeled bicycle, given forward momentum, like a push, would seem to balance by itself,” said Dr Schwab.

The meticulous mathematical account of bike riding and their continued research may eventually lead to better bike design with improved stability and safety.

Dr Schwab said: “Using our equation we can simulate the motion of a bike and predict whether it will remain stable or not, under certain conditions, such as if it goes over a bump, or is hit by a gust of wind. This equation is aimed at enabling a bike designer to change certain features and to see the overall finished effect on the bike, without having to actually manufacture it first.”

For the complete story, see the original entry.