Moving bikes stay upright—but not for the reasons we thought

The phrase "just like riding a bike" is used to refer to something that, once learned, you never forget how to do. As it turns out, bikes make that easy on us. If a typical bicycle is moving forward fast enough, it tends to remain upright and steer in a straight line, even if the rider takes his or her hands off the handlebars. In fact, you can set a bicycle rolling without a rider at all, and it tends to remain upright and roll in a straight line.

Attempts to understand this stability have been around almost for as long as bicycles have existed, and most people have accepted explanations focused on gyroscopic forces and the location of the steer axis. But a team of engineers has now built a bicycle that eliminates both of these features, but still manages to stay upright.

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