Originally Posted by
Salubrious
I've run into a phenomena that I wonder if others have encountered. I have found that if I go fast enough, the front wheel can develop enough gyroscopic action to freeze in one plane. The first time this happened, I was gripping the handlebars fairly close to the stem. I was thrown off the bike at about 25 mph and got scraped up pretty good, but glad I didn't break any bones...
The second time it happened I was gripping the bars normally. That gave me enough leverage to overcome the front wheel's desire to stay in one plane so I didn't fall down. But is scared me good (it took a month to heal up the earlier scrapes).
This is really making me think that I have to be careful not to go too fast on this bike ('72 Raleigh Superbe), but it seems like it might also be solved by less mass in the wheel circumference. Right now I am using Sun CR-18s, with Sunlite tires. Would I be better off with those Specialized Trisports?? Anyone else run into this?
Have you ever piloted a motorcycle? Countersteer to get the bike into a lean, before you reach the beginning of the curve. And do it carefully and deliberately when at high speed, don't want to slide out with an unduly abrupt maneuver. Same with a bicycle, but the action and sensation are much more pronounced on a motorcycle at speed.
Have also read that applying the front brake when deep in a lean will result in the wheel turning sidewise & almost surely you'll crash. I didn't know this explicitly, but I think it was instinctive -- at least, made it through a turn that I misjudged by just leaning the bike farther, kept my hand off the brake.