The Perils of Downhill Cycling | Science of Stupid: Ridiculous Fails

The electric light, the telephone, the microchip. All great inventions. But for me, the most important of all was the wheel, mainly because it led to things like this. Downhill cycling. Why use two wheels when one makes you look twice as cool?

But before you even think about pulling off a downhill wheelie, be aware that even on two wheels, it could still be perilous. What makes downhill cycling such a terrifying pursuit is that the bike isn't only powered by the cyclist's legs, but also by our old friend gravity. When a cyclist goes up a hill, he gradually gains gravitational potential energy.

When he descends, this gravitational potential energy can be converted over a very short period of time into a terrifying amount of kinetic energy. If the rider falls, that kinetic energy might be converted into heat via friction, or if they stop suddenly, dissipated via deformation. So energy is never destroyed.

It's merely transferred into something else like kinetic energy, heat, or even the sound of an impact, which is often accompanied by the sound of screaming. To investigate, we sent out some of our more reckless researchers. This guy has made a deal with gravity and built up a lot of kinetic energy.

So much so that he's able to pass cars. Except that one. The cyclist is unable to transfer enough kinetic energy into heat through the friction at its brakes. When he hits the car, his remaining kinetic energy is transferred into sound, heat, and dissipated via deformation, also known as bouncing off.

Don't worry. He was OK. All right. Let's try a gentler pace. This is more like it. A chance to take in the scenery. And his friend's bottom. He appears to make no attempt to reduce his kinetic energy.

And his linear momentum becomes angular momentum as he rotates around the axle of the front wheel. And maybe not the last. Perhaps it's safer to go downhill on three wheels with these drift trikes. Or maybe not.

It's just as well our drift trike gang are heading home on four wheels. Maybe safer just to walk.