This section is intended for the scientifically challenged. We do point out that the section labled "Closure" has considerable impact on the matter of teaching children with special needs. As such, PARENTS are urged to skim the "Closure" tab if nothing else. Don't be discouraged by too many fancy terms, as your effort will pay a good reward.

With that said, "Let the good times roll!"

In this section on "Bicycle Science," we will be working towards one common point -- that the bike and rider together function as a "system." In essence, all the parts of the system are players in a sense, and they are team players. The child attempting to ride a two-wheeler must eventually become a participant. We talk frequently about "participation in steering." The foundation motor skill to bike riding is developing (and not fighting) the ability to turn into the direction of fall or lean. If a child can do this on a regular basis, we say that the child is "participating in steering." Moreover, once we see this behavior along with a willingness to pedal and keep moving, we know that the child is ready to take the next step -- a bike that is more like a regular bike, or possibly even a regular bike itself.

What Keeps a Moving Bicycle Upright?

Other variations on the same question can be phrased as

How Does a Bicycle Work?
What scientific principles keep bikes upright?
Why is it so easy to ride a bike once you have learned?
Is there an invisible wall, as hinted by C. S. Lewis in Prelandra, (1944, p. 68) that prevents a bike from falling over?

The answers to these and varied questions can be either short or long. In China tourists are told a joke that a bike falls over “Because it is two-tired.”

A friend who is a retired professor of physics, University of Illinois, quipped that a bike works,
“Because you pedal it.”

These are some of the short versions. A somewhat longer version is provided by visiting the various sub-headings in this "Bicycle Science" section.

As a guide to this section, please be advised that it was written almost like a manuscript. Unless you are going for a specific result, our suggestion is that you start with "Intro" (introduction), and then move on down the line of sub-heading tabs from left to right.

The focus on this "Bicycle Science" section will be to present the almost three decades of bicycle related research (1983 to present) performed by Dr. Richard Klein at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Disclaimer. This section on "Bicycle Science" represents a healthy bite to chew on. Chew your food slowly and enjoy. When you have mastered the contents of this section, you will be somewhere between an honorary B.S. and Ph.D. in engineering or the sciences. We don't actually award degrees, but you can feel good just the same!

Richard Klein sitting at his desk checking his e-mail.