Originally Posted by
Trakhak
One thing I've learned from reading Bike Forums threads over the years - every bicycle rider who has taken motorcycle classes believes fervently that bicycles cannot be ridden without counter-steering, whereas most bicycle riders who haven't taken motorcycle classes find that hard to believe.
The simple fact that a bicycle can be steered easily from the saddle while riding no hands, both in a straight line and around corners, would seem to obviate the assertion that bikes can't be steered without counter-steering as described in the quote above, and yet . . .
Yes, bicycles can be counter-steered, but doing so is not essential.
Motorcycles can be ridden without counter-steering too, at parking lot speeds or when navigating slowly through technical terrain. I once tested a three-wheeled leaning scooter. One of the features was a lockout of the leaning function at traffic lights so that you did not have to put your foot down when stopped. When the light turned green, if you accelerated very slowly, the scooter would crawl forward perfectly vertical, and if your wheel was pointed slightly to the right, the scooter would move in that direction. In other words, not countersteering. Once you hit 5mph or so, the lockout stopped and the bike was free to lean again and from that point on it was countersteering.
Bicycles behave similarly. When you're on a mountain bike picking the best line through a field of softball sized rocks, you're not countersteering. When you've taken that first half pedal stroke, you're not countersteering. When you're slowing to a stop and aiming the bike towards a bike rack, you're not countersteering. But once you've achieved a speed above walking pace, whether you realize it not, you're countersteering.