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Most People Don't Know How Bikes Work

Veritasium · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Everyday physics & science demosFundamental physicsMechanical & precision engineering

What it is

Veritasium explains why bicycles are stable, arguing that gyroscopic effects are not the answer. The video shows countersteering and an experiment where riders blocked from steering the opposite way cannot turn.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN links it in threads on bikes, countersteering and control systems as the clearest demonstration of how bikes actually steer and balance.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 4 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2021, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “You will love the interesting video,”

    Interesting video on how bikes work

    Brajeshwar, 2023-03 · Strong recommendation · in “Bicycle”

  2. “I like this clip where they show bike steering to the left, without its front wheel ever going to the right side of its original path”

    Bike turning left without ever countersteering right

    whycombinetor, 2022-06 · Recommendation · in “You need to know what right-half-plane zeros are”

  3. “where they fix the steering so the handlebars can only be turned left, and people then aren't able to turn left.”

    Experiment where handlebars only turn left and riders cannot turn left

    BrianHenryIE, 2023-03 · Recommendation · in “Bicycle”

  4. “It shows what happens if you prevent the rider from performing the countersteer before leaning into a turn [1].”

    Shows what happens when riders are prevented from countersteering

    ubj, 2023-03 · Recommendation · in “Bicycle”

  5. “Veritasium did a video where they stopped him from counter-steering and couldn't steer anymore.”

    Riders blocked from countersteering cannot steer

    flavius29663, 2023-03 · Recommendation · in “Bicycle”

  6. “Here's a good video showing how a bike actually works, and the relation between steering and leaning”

    Shows how steering relates to leaning in a bike

    jasonpeacock, 2024-04 · Recommendation · in “How does this full-track, 3-wheel snow bike even turn?”

  7. “Veritasium has a quite good video on the subject”

    Explains how bicycles work, even for people who ride

    nitwit005, 2025-11 · Recommendation · in “You should write an agent”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: countersteering, balance, gyroscopic effect, physics, veritasium

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