Originally Posted by
grolby
You're misunderstanding me. I am saying there is literally no way to control the lean on a bicycle other than countersteering. You seem to believe otherwise, but I assure you this is incorrect. You say "counter-steering... is initiating the lean left by turning the bars right." Yes, but the dynamics of what is going on in initiating a lean is not different from any other aspect of bike control. Saying counter-steering is initiating the lean but not maintaining stability in the lean is just nonsense. The dynamics of what is happening are exactly the same. Which is why I think the example of initiating the lean by simply shifting weight is non-responsive. Sure, you can initiate a lean that way. But I promise you, on the road, you aren't doing it. It's much slower and less precise than using the handlebars, and you're using steering to maintain balance while leaned over just as much as when riding upright.
We need to make a distinction between regular steering and counter-steering. The
mechanism is similar, if not identical, but the dynamics are not. The context and results are opposite. To be explicit:
Regular steering: moves the bike
underneath your center of gravity.
Counter steering: moves the bike
away from your center of gravity.
Regular steering, as defined above, contributes to the bike's self-stability properties and is how you maintain your balance while riding.
Counter-steering, as defined above, does not contribute to self-stability and
unbalances you rather than restoring balance. I assure you, you can ride down the road without ever utilizing counter-steering to maintain balance.