kehoe@reed.UUCP (Dave Kehoe) (12/09/85)
Today I high-sided my bicycle. Why am I cross- posting this to net.cycle? Well, I'm wondering what physics are involved in high-siding. It all started yesterday... I was tired of riding my Specialized Touring II tires, so I put a Turbo/R on the front and a regular Turbo on the rear (these are racing tires -- the Turbo/R is a slick). Both are reasonably scuffed up -- 200 miles on the Turbo/R and 1000 miles on the Turbo. Today I tried to make a tight, fast left turn on wet pavement and felt my front wheel slide out. I expected to soon be sliding on the pavement on my left side. Instead I found myself rolling over on my back on the muddy grass off the road, with my bicycle on top of me. I wasn't hurt -- I just got up and rode away. I've dumped my bicycle dozens of times (and my motorcycle 3 times). I've always fallen on the inside. What makes a bike fall on the high side? When a motorcycle high sides, does it end up on top of the rider, or is that just peculiar to bicycles, which are a fraction of the rider's weight? -- "Why my thoughts are my own, when they are in, but when they are out they are another's." -- Susanna Martin, executed for witchcraft. Dave Kehoe tektronix!reed!kehoe (503) 230-9454 (h) 684-3314 (w)