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Navin R Johnson
10/05/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
If the bike does fall over the kids won't be able to pick it up while the Gyro is running.

Plus if it's in the front wheel then it will be equally difficult to steer the bike at low speed. If you've ever ridden a bike at very low speed you know that rapidly turning the front wheel helps you balance.
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Xagest
10/05/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
The way I was taught was that I only had one training wheel (my sister had the other half of the set). The wheel was warped, so it only touched the ground when I leaned to the right, so it acted as a nice safety net on my adult-sized bike.

My family didn't have much money back then...
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gadgetmind
10/05/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
Teaching a kid to cycle is a two step process.
1) Remove pedals, lower seat, let them scoot along on their feet and get the hang of balancing and stopping.
2) Refit the pedals and watch them blast off into the distance.

Never fails.
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romado12187
10/05/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
so when johnny goes for a spin... and the battery dies... what happens?
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Fulgrymm
10/05/09

@romado12187: Why, johnny dies with it, of course.
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hfutrell
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
One problem is that it requires just as much force to steer the bike 90 degrees as to fall completely over (change in angular momentum is the same in both cases). So good luck teaching your child to steer.
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fuchikoma promoted this comment hfutrell was starred hfutrell was unstarred

fuchikoma
10/05/09

@hfutrell: Yeah, as a motorcyclist my tires have a great deal of precessionary force, and what I wonder is - even if a kid can turn the handlebars, will this make it so that they have to countersteer as opposed to steering at low speeds?

Though mind you, I really have to pay attention to even tell which one I'm doing since it comes naturally, but I wonder if this might teach the wrong reflex for low-speed handling...
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SeymourGlocks
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
A couple of people here have already pointed out this general idea...

...but there is already a low-tech solution for learning balance before you are ready to ride a pedal-bike: scooter-bikes, like FirstBike or Like-a-Bike and other imitation brands. With scooter-bikes, kids quickly get the hang of keeping their balance while sitting on a bike saddle and can move "up" to pedalling on a bike. Much cheaper, and not the "kill flies with a cannon" overdone approach these people have dreamed up.
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900pilot
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
What happens when you turn the handlebars and precession kicks in? This may be too complex a model for me to build in my head, but won't left turns be a real bitch on this thing?

Also, brace for junior's big crash when you first put the regular wheel on and he learns real quick that it take a LOT less effort to steer a bike than he is used to.
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FrankenPC
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
Christ...let's just take this one step farther and out source bicycle riding to India.

Seriously, I didn't even have training wheels. Or a dad. I just had a crappy bike and a hill. Learn or die.

On the non-sarcastic side. For kids with coordination problems, this is a great invention.
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MaQ
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
It's great. I got a kid growing, it has come just in time !

Of course I'll buy it so that I can fiddle with it
:)
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jdale
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
"While my friends zipped around the neighborhood on two wheels, I plodded along on four, thanks to an embarrassing set of "training wheels." Good news: They're doomed."

And rightfully so. What kind of friends would make you feel so embarrassed. It is long past time you brought your revengeful doom upon them. Now that you have a gyroscopically stabilized bicycle to deliver it from, revenge can be yours!
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Tim Ballard
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
I don't understand this. It won't train the rider the skills required to balance a bike and it will just add another stage to the learning process that shouldn't be necessary. Clever in concept but questionable real life benefit.
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Kakkoii
10/04/09

@Tim Ballard: Actually it does train them the skills needed. With training wheels, a kid has a physical support system that prevents from from falling no matter what. So they don't learn the concept of balancing and speed as fast or easy.

With this tire, the kid can still fall over, but not as easy. So your kid has an easier time learning to balance on the bike.
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€hЯ!§
10/04/09

@Tim Ballard: You can turn the stability speed down so it doesn't hold up as well. You turn it all the way up the first time your kid gets on the bike and you gradually turn it down.

She explained that in the video. Did you pay attention? 0:33-0:46.
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TunaCan
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
Kids are such pussies these days. Nothing teaches you how to ride a bike better than a face full of pavement.
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NathanielDunnuck
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
A child does not need training wheels to learn to ride a bike, and they certainly do NOT need a gyroscopic wheel! Sheesh. The trick is to put the kid on a small enough bike that their feet touch the ground, let them "scoot" themselves along till they get their balance, and within minutes they learn to put their feet on the pedals and learn the breaks - all by themselves. Then, raise the seat up for them and you are done. A child can easily learn to ride a bike within an hour and there is no expense of either "training wheels" or a fancy "gyroscope" wheel.
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TheLostVikings R.O.A.C.H.
10/05/09

@NathanielDunnuck: Yup, that's how I learned to ride a bike when I was a kid too. Only difference was that I did it on a small slope, so I only had to put my feet down to brake/stop as the bike just rolled downhill by itself.
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daqman
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
Ok, I couldn't see how you could steer this thing with a gyroscope in the wheel I thought you should find it hard to turn the handlebars but I found a toy gyroscope and this works. Amazing idea!
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Jack Loftus promoted this comment Edited by daqman at 10/04/09 2:49 PM daqman was starred daqman was unstarred

mbslrm
10/04/09

@daqman: Maybe they have this thing at the back only, just like training wheels.....
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MoN
10/04/09

@daqman: didn't you notice in the video that bike was falling over when the handles started to turn?
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Phocis
10/04/09

In reply to Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel Will Eliminate Training Wheels
I saw something better than this a few years ago, i forgot what it was called. the bike had two back tiers that spread out like this "^" when the bike was going very slow, and as the rider sped up the two tires became more like this "V".

Does anyone know what it was called?
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Homerjay is utterly alone. promoted this comment Phocis was starred Phocis was unstarred

Homerjay is utterly alone.
10/04/09

@Phocis: And what makes that better?
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