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I'm not a physicist, more of a mathematician. I want to solve a puzzle which apparently requires the physical knowledge of how front wheel path (F) and rear wheel path (R) of one and the same bicycle are related. I found the following mathematical model:

$$F(t) = R(t) + L · R′(t)/ |R′(t)|, $$

where $L$ is the distance between front and rear axle. I don't understand the physics behind this model at all. The source where I found that model merely states that 'the model follows directly from bicycle physics'. I don't have a clue. Can anyone here explain, in terms of forces, position of front axle, its displacement, etc., how precisely this model matches the material world?

In particular, since rear wheel curve is determined by front wheel displacement over time, why do you express F in terms of R, not vice versa? I'd like to see—mathematically, explicitly and solely in terms of the resulting curves R and F, and maybe "relatives" of F (including maps; strictly speaking, a curve is just a set)—how my controlling (via handlebars) of front wheel displacement brings about rear wheel curve. The model above is implicit.

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  • $\begingroup$ Can you specify where this equation is from? This is actually exactly the opposite of what I would expect. I would have thought it makes more sense to write the trajectory of the rear wheel in terms of the direction of the front wheel. $\endgroup$
    – Amit
    Commented Dec 9 at 20:10
  • $\begingroup$ I agree. That would be my approach, too. Rear wheel position obviously is determined by front wheel position (displacement) in conjunction with thrust from behind. And the displacement of front wheel is what's controlled by the handlebars. So I don't understand the rationale of that model. The latter seems to turn the whole matter upside down. Problem is, that model is unanimously taken for granted again and again, in this thread, too. I'll just wait and see… $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 10 at 2:19
  • $\begingroup$ In summary: Natural approach seems to be to represent R in terms of F, not the other way round. $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 10 at 2:24
  • $\begingroup$ @Amit: See pnp.mathematik.uni-stuttgart.de/igt/eiserm/lehre/… and look out for 'Sherlock Holmes' puzzle. $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 10 at 22:55
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks, I've deleted my comment because I was actually about to answer, but I have to tie some loose ends first. Perhaps tomorrow :) $\endgroup$
    – Amit
    Commented Dec 10 at 23:42

4 Answers 4

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$\frac{R'(t)}{|R'(t)|}$ is a unit direction vector in the direction the rear wheel is moving.

Your formula basically says that the front wheel is exactly distance $L$ in front of the rear wheel, and "straight ahead" of it in the direction of motion.

It's not so much caused by "bicycle physics" as by bicycle geometry. If the bicycle frame is completely rigid then the front wheel will always be directly in front of the rear wheel and the rear wheel will always be pointed along the "forward" direction of the frame.

That said, in real bicycles the front forks have a slight "rake" away from the axis of rotation of the handlebars, so that when the wheel is turned the axel will no longer be exactly aligned with the frame, and therefore the model will not be exactly correct:

enter image description here

(image source: vvolt.com)

In comments you added:

Natural approach seems to be to represent R in terms of F, not the other way round.

One of the joys of learning physics is that sometimes you find out that by changing the way you think about a problem you can find a simpler or more elegant way to solve the problem. So even though writing R(t) as a function of F(t) might seem more "natural" initially, here we found a very simple way to write F(t) as a function of R(t), so we might rather reconsider what is "natural" than try to create a clumsier or more complicated model based on our initial conceptualization of the problem.

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice diagram. Makes things clear regarding bicycle anatomy. But see my comments above: Natural approach would be to express R in terms of F, not vice versa, wouldn't it? $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 10 at 2:37
  • $\begingroup$ You should edit your question post to make clear what question you want us to answer. $\endgroup$
    – The Photon
    Commented Dec 10 at 2:44
  • $\begingroup$ Done. Again, done. $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 10 at 3:02
  • $\begingroup$ In your answer you comment on my comment. I agree with your comment. Thinking can result in changing your perspective. On the other hand, it's legitimate to ask questions. So is there a model of type "R(t) = 'something in terms of F(t) and its relatives, and not R(t) and its relatives' ? $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 10 at 22:37
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    $\begingroup$ @Peterש It should be possible to make such a model, but it would be an integral equation and involve both F(t) and F'(t). $\endgroup$
    – The Photon
    Commented Dec 11 at 0:01
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The equation is an approximation to the wheel path - it ignores factors such as rake and the natural tilt that a bicycle takes when turning.

A reasonable model of a bicycle path is to consider the following:

  1. The rear wheel is mounted on a rigid frame oriented in the direction the rear wheel is moving.
  2. The front wheel is mounted at distance L forwards of the rear wheel, on the same rigid frame, but can pivot on a vertical axis.

As a result, the rear wheel is always pointing directly at the front wheel, so you can consider that at any time $t$, if the rear wheel is at a point $R(t)$, then the the front wheel is at a point distance $L$ along a line tangent to $R(t)$.

Maybe the picture below will help.

Addendum for F(t) -> R(t)

WRT the OP's question as to whether there is a solution for $R(t)$ as a function of $F(t)$, the relationship is not quite so simple. For any $R(t)$ (and its derivatives) there is exactly one solution for $F(t)$, but for any $F(t)$, $R(t)$ will depend on both $F(t)$ and some initial value for $R(t0)$. For example: consider $F(t) = (vt,0)$, i.e. the front wheel moves along teh $x$-axis at a constant velocity $v$.

A: If at $t=0$ the rear wheel is at $(-L,0)$, then the rear wheel will also track along the $x$-axis at velocity $v$.

B: If at $t=0$ the rear wheel is at $(0,L)$, then the rear wheel will initially move in the $-y$ direction and will follow a path vaguely remeniscent of an exponential decay that asymptotes to the $x$-axis at large $t$.

C: If at $t=0$ the rear wheel exactly at $(L,0)$, then the rear wheel will theoretically also track along the $x$-axis at velocity $v$. But that is an unstable equilibrium. Even the tiniest $y$ component in its initial position will result in the rear wheel curving off the $x$-axis, stopping momentarily at some $(x,L)$, and then following a path like that in B above.

Maybe another picture will help:

enter image description here enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ I agree with your explanation. When both curves are given, the relation between F and R specified above IS a major relation between the two. What motivates my question, I think, is this: Is there any simple perspective on the matter (i.e. the relation between F and R) that 'proceeds' from F to R, or derives R from F, rather than starting with R and arriving at F. $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 11 at 15:18
  • $\begingroup$ Just another thought: Having found one major relation between R and F, why stop there? Maybe there is more to discover? $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented Dec 11 at 15:28
  • $\begingroup$ I think the latter relationship is a bit more complicated. $F(t)$ is solely dependent on $R(t)$, so for any $R(t)$ there can only be one solution for $F(t)$. But any $F(t)$ will have infimitely many possible $R(t)$, depending on the initial value of $R(t0)$. $\endgroup$
    – Penguino
    Commented Dec 11 at 20:53
  • $\begingroup$ @Peterש see comment above and edit to my post. $\endgroup$
    – Penguino
    Commented Dec 12 at 2:50
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    $\begingroup$ @Amit Nope, just freehand drawn form a though experiment - using a very old copy of Illustrator :) $\endgroup$
    – Penguino
    Commented 22 hours ago
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We can gain some insight into this relation if we note that the velocity vector of the rear wheel must be at every instant proportional to the vector pointing along the body of the bike itself:

$$ \dot{\vec{R}}=\frac{\vec{F}-\vec{R}}{\left|\left|\vec{F}-\vec{R}\right|\right|}v_{\small R} \ , \tag{1}$$

where $v_{\small R}$ will have units of speed, as it is multiplied by a unit vector which is always dimensionless.

Now this allows us to also express $\vec{R}$ in terms of $\vec{F}$, which I think is what you are aiming for in your question:

$$ \vec{R} = \vec{F}-\frac{L}{v_{\small R}}\dot{\vec{R}}\ , \tag{2}$$

where I've substituted $\left|\left|\vec{F}-\vec{R}\right|\right| = L$.

Now, to see an example of how steering, i.e. setting $\vec{F}$ to be a certain curve affects the trajectory of the back wheel position $\vec{R}$, we need to choose some explicit curve for $\vec{F}$. For example, let's introduce some coordinates and let $\vec{F}$ move in a circular trajectory a distance $r_0$ from the origin:

$$ \vec{F} = r_{\small 0}(\cos\omega t\ \hat{x} + \sin\omega t\ \hat{y}) $$

So that using $(2)$ to solve for $\vec{R}$, we get a couple of differential equations:

$$ R_x(t) = r_{\small 0}\cos\omega t - \frac{L}{v_{\small R}} \dot{R_x}(t) $$ $$ R_y(t) = r_{\small 0}\sin\omega t - \frac{L}{v_{\small R}} \dot{R_y}(t) $$

There is more than one possible solution, let's focus on one of the simpler ones that doesn't involve an exponential:

$$ \vec{R} = \frac{r_0 v_{\small R}}{\omega^2 L^2 + v_{\small R}^2}\left[\left( \omega L\sin\omega t + v_{\small R} \cos\omega t \right)\hat{x}+ \left(-\omega L\cos\omega t + v_{\small R} \sin\omega t\right) \hat{y}\right],$$

and applying the normalization condition implied by $(1)$, that $\Big|\Big|\dot{\vec{R}}\Big|\Big| = v_{\small R}$ we also find that the angular frequency $\omega$ must satisfy:

$$ \omega = \frac{v_{\small R}}{\sqrt{r_0^2-L^2}}. $$

I've checked via Geogebra if this gives a sensible result, here is an example capture of what I got:

Geogebra Capture

The green track represents the front wheel, the red the back one. You can also interact with this demonstration here.

Despite clearly being a toy model, I think this is what you'd reasonably expect. For example try setting $r_0$ to the possible minimum (which I've limited to be always slightly more than $L$). In that case, the situation corresponds to spinning the bike around itself, with the back wheel remaining nearly stationary. So at least this, as a "sanity check", seems to correspond to what you'd observe in reality. Hope this helps!


An added note, to respond to your remark that this is an implicit model, and hence seems to be less useful in getting a feel for the underlying physics/dynamics. I was also slightly surprised at first, and expected it to be different.

Then I realized, the nice thing about expressing the relation that way is that it makes the minimum possible assumptions about the path that the bicycle can take. It only uses a very simple geometrical fact, which as pointed out by @ThePhoton here, is more a consequence of geometry than of dynamics/kinematics.

This is powerful because, it's a great starting point from which to begin investigating any concrete example, like the very simple one I presented here. We could make a model that introduces two different direction vectors, one that the front steering wheel is pointing along, call it $\hat{n}_{\small F}$, and a second one which is always parallel to the bicycle, $\hat{n}_{\small B}$, but then we would have a much more complicated equation involving both these vectors, and implicitly that means also the angles they make with respect to each other, which is also dependent on time of course.

Now, I'm not saying that couldn't be useful too. There are many ways to model a system. I am only stressing that it is in fact a theme in physics to find the simplest, daresay most abstract, relations first, and then add any complexity on top of that. It would inevitably mean that our starting point is more "implicit" as you say, but it also means it is very general, hence it makes for a good foundation for further development, and for the exploration of any concrete physical situation.


Recommended reference:

Bor, Gil & Levi, Mark & Perline, Ron & Tabachnikov, Serge. (2017). Tire track geometry and integrable curve evolution. 10.48550/arXiv.1705.06314.

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  • $\begingroup$ I agree. The whole idea of the above-mentioned puzzle seems to be 'The two curves (not paths or any other additional data) suffice.' to settle the question. Still, the puzzle has some specific prerequisites, and these should be stated clearly. $\endgroup$
    – Peterש
    Commented yesterday
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, one of the problems mentioned in the paper I cited, is how to construct ambiguous bicycle tracks. So those definitely exist. You may also be interested to take a look at "D. Finn. Which way did you say that bicycle went? Math. Mag. 77 (2004)", which is cited in the paper I cited.. and deals with this type of problem precisely, constructing ambiguous tracks. Also see this book, and maybe best of all this nice page $\endgroup$
    – Amit
    Commented yesterday
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enter image description here

The path is describing with the parameter s, which is the line element

thus

$$ F(s)\approx R(s+L)$$ taking Taylor series

$$\vec F(s)=\vec R(s)+\frac{d\vec R}{ds}\,L\quad,\text{with $~s=s(t)~$}\\ F(t)=\vec R(s(t))+\frac{d\vec R}{dt}\frac{dt}{ds}\,L =\vec R(t)+\frac{\dot{\vec{R}}}{|\dot{\vec{R}}|}\,L$$

with $~v=\frac {ds}{dt}=|\dot{\vec{R}}|~$

Notice this approximation is only valid if $~L~$ is much smaller then the radius of path curvature

Example : Circular Path

$$\vec R= \left[ \begin {array}{c} r\cos \left( {\frac {s}{r}} \right) \\ r\sin \left( {\frac {s}{r}} \right) \end {array} \right]\quad, \vec F=\left[ \begin {array}{c} r\cos \left( {\frac {s}{r}} \right) -\sin \left( {\frac {s}{r}} \right) L\\ r\sin \left( { \frac {s}{r}} \right) +\cos \left( {\frac {s}{r}} \right) L \end {array} \right] $$

enter image description here

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