Summary
Recently the community has been made aware that certain bicycles in use in the general community possess a potential steering instability. The issue has gained increased exposure in Queensland and Australia after the death of a 12 year old girl in 1994. In this report, the stability of bicycles is investigated. A review of the present methods of accessing bicycle instability is presented and the effect of trail on the stability of bicycles is examined by testing a variety of commonly available bicycles. While trail is shown to be indicative of bicycle stability it is recommended that it not be used in isolation asother factors can negate the benefits of large trails.
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Type: Research and Analysis Report
Sub Type: Grant
Author(s): Dr Frank Bullen
Topics: Bicycle
Publication Date: 01/01/96