This is interesting..

[mickle]

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/pls/portallive/docs/1/40799703.PDF



If anyone understands it can they please explain it to me?!

 

[Carwash]

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/pls/portallive/docs/1/40799703.PDF

If anyone understands it can they please explain it to me?!

Basically it lays out a mathematical model for the motion and stability of a bicycle - it's a mathematical description of an idealised bicycle system reduced to seven dimensions (variables). So should you wish to model the motion of a bicycle in your physics simulations (!) this gives you something you can use.

(If there are any actual physicists/mathematicians here, do please feel free to correct the above!)

 

[mickle]

Basically it lays out a mathematical model for the motion and stability of a bicycle - it's a mathematical description of an idealised bicycle system reduced to seven dimensions (variables). So should you wish to model the motion of a bicycle in your physics simulations (!) this gives you something you can use.

(If there are any actual physicists/mathematicians here, do please feel free to correct the above!)

I knew that.

 

[Carwash]

I knew that.

Okay. Sorry. Wasn't sure how much you wanted explaining - that's about my limit too.

 

[asterix]

It means 'It ain't broke but we we are as sure as hell gonna fix it'.

 

[Yorkshireman]

Very interesting (but a bit 'deep' for me in many places), so I posted the link on rec.bicycles.tech (News Groups) for the attention of Carl Fogel. "jim beam" has shown interest so it may not be long before "Jobst The Wheel" puts his two pennorth (cents?) in .

 

[simon l& and a half]

it makes it quite clear that a bicycle that is stable moving forwards is not stable moving backwards. Please note, bonj, before attempting some radikal BMX stylee moves. It also discounts skidding. Where's the fun in that?

 

[marinyork]

Glossing over it, it's a quite simple treatment of a bicycle using similar methods such as extensions of Newtonian Mechanics such as Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanic e.g. Ignorable coordinates, conservative systems, euler angles and Dynamical Systems. What was it you were particularly having problems with? Section (iii) on page 11 is one of the important bits. It's sections 3 and 4 that are the bones of it really.

 

[asterix]

Glossing over it, it's a quite simple treatment of a bicycle using similar methods such as extensions of Newtonian Mechanics such as Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanic e.g. Ignorable coordinates, conservative systems, euler angles and Dynamical Systems. What was it you were particularly having problems with? Section (iii) on page 11 is one of the important bits. It's sections 3 and 4 that are the bones of it really.

So presumably these are the sort of calculations a custom builder would go through any day of the week. It's reassuring to know it's not mere guesswork.