Originally Posted by ExMachina
But you are going somewhere on rollers! (at least from the bike's standpoint).
And in fact, if what you say were true and the gyroscopic effect were the principle stabilizer of a bike w/ spinning wheels, then riding rollers should be no harder than riding on pavement (which is not the case).
no your're not going anywhere the weight of your body + bike are not translating at all... the only difference between a bike that is stationary and one on rollers is that the wheels are turning... think about it... there is no difference... body and bike are not moving.
rollers are easier than most people think they are once you get over your initial fear... ironically i think it's actually people's perception it's forward momentum that keeps them upright that fuels that fear and they thing they need to balance more than on the road. what make rollers a little harder than on the road is that you need to concentrate more since you are limited in side to side movement by about one foot either side.... but this would make riding on the road harder as well. plus the roller on the front wheel does affect steering a little bit... gyroscopic affect is the primary factor but not the only one.