The Carlisle & West Cumbria IAM have a brilliant guy who produces the newletter. He was a RN Diver, and has a Physics Degree, tought High School Science and now teaches people how to drive, ride and is a IAM Senior Observer.

His party trick is explaing the physics behind why cars & bikes corner, slip angles, reaction forces, corner forces, slip force, thrust demand, camber thrust etc etc.

He put this snippet in the monthy news letter and I though you'd be interested as people often ask how to ride in the wind. Well here's the explanaition of what happens and why...


Bike Tip of the Day:
If riding in a strong cross-wind, you would expect the bike to be blown over, off the vertical, in the same direction as the side wind blows; but it doesn�t, in fact the bike does the very opposite and leans into the wind! Why�s that?
Even on a perfectly still day, there�s an airflow created by the bike�s forward motion: this is the Head Wind.
The component of the Head Wind and Side Wind add to give a greater airflow down the windward side of the bike; this reduces the pressure to below atmospheric pressure on that side; the bike is then heeled over into the sidewind by the greater atmospheric pressure on the opposite side to the wind. It�s the same principle that provides Lift on the underside of an aircraft wing: all due to the work of 18th Century Swiss Mathematical Physicist, Daniel Bernoulli.
To stop the bike leaning into the Side Wind, stick your knee out to act as an airbrake on the windward side.


This slows the airflow enough to get rid of the negative pressure; once the air pressure on either side of the bike is equalised, the bike sits upright.


Simples!

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.