Single-track vehicle
Encyclopedia
A single-track vehicle is a vehicle
that leaves a single ground track as it moves forward. Single-track vehicles usually have little or no lateral stability when stationary but develop it when moving forward or controlled. In the case of wheeled vehicles, the track of the front and rear wheel usually follow slightly different paths when turning or when out of alignment.
Single-track vehicles have unique dynamics
that, in the case of wheeled vehicles, are discussed at length in bicycle and motorcycle dynamics
, that usually require leaning into a turn, and that usually include countersteering
. Single-track vehicles can roll on wheels, slide, float, or hydroplane
.
is small enough with respect to the center of mass
height to require leaning into a turn. Countersteering may or may not be required.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
that leaves a single ground track as it moves forward. Single-track vehicles usually have little or no lateral stability when stationary but develop it when moving forward or controlled. In the case of wheeled vehicles, the track of the front and rear wheel usually follow slightly different paths when turning or when out of alignment.
Single-track vehicles have unique dynamics
Vehicle dynamics
Vehicle dynamics refers to the dynamics of vehicles, here assumed to be ground vehicles. Vehicle dynamics is a part of engineering primarily based on classical mechanics but it may also involve chemistry, solid state physics, electrical engineering, communications, psychology, control theory,...
that, in the case of wheeled vehicles, are discussed at length in bicycle and motorcycle dynamics
Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics
Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics is the science of the motion of bicycles and motorcycles and their components, due to the forces acting on them. Dynamics is a branch of classical mechanics, which in turn is a branch of physics. Bike motions of interest include balancing, steering, braking,...
, that usually require leaning into a turn, and that usually include countersteering
Countersteering
Countersteering is the technique used by single-track vehicle operators, such as cyclists and motorcyclists, to initiate a turn toward a given direction by momentarily steering counter to the desired direction...
. Single-track vehicles can roll on wheels, slide, float, or hydroplane
Planing (sailing)
Planing is the mode of operation for a waterborne craft in which its weight is predominantly supported by hydrodynamic lift, rather than hydrostatic lift .-History:...
.
Wheeled
- the bicycleBicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
and all its varieties, such as tandemTandem bicycleThe tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement , not the number of riders. A bike with two riders side-by-side is called a sociable.-History:Patents related to tandem bicycles date from the late 19th...
, tallTall bikeA tall bike is an unusually tall bicycle often constructed by hobbyists from spare parts. Typically, two conventional bicycle frames are connected, by welding, brazing, or other means, one atop the other...
, and recumbentRecumbent bicycleA recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks... - the motorcycleMotorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
and all its varieties, such as scooterScooter (motorcycle)A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
and feet-forwardsFeet forwards motorcycleA Feet First Motorcycle is a class of motorcycle design that seeks to look at the two-wheeled concept afresh, and create a new form of practical personal transport... - the kick scooterKick scooterA kick scooter or push scooter, originally scooter, is a human-powered vehicle with a handlebar, deck and wheels that is propelled by a rider pushing off the ground. The most common scooters today have two hard small wheels, are made primarily of aluminium and fold for convenience...
and all its varieties - the unicycleUnicycleA unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
and monowheelMonowheelA monowheel is a one-wheeled single-track vehicle similar to a unicycle. However, instead of sitting above the wheel, the rider sits either within it or next to it. The wheel is a ring, usually driven by smaller wheels pressing against its inner rim... - the inline skate and roller skiRoller skiingRoller skiing is a non-snow equivalent to cross-country skiing. Emulating skis, elongated inline skates, with wheels at the ends, are used on tarmac. The skating/skiing action is very similar to actual cross-country skiing on snow....
when only one is in contact with the ground or when the second follows behind the first
Sliding
- the snowboardSnowboardSnowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
and monoskiMonoskiThe term monoski may refer to either of two unrelated pieces of ski equipment. It is the device used in the sport of monoskiing.The monoski, invented in the 1960s and popularized in the 1970s and '80s by monoskiers like Mike Doyle, is similar to a snowboard in that both feet are attached to one... - the skiriderSkiriderA Skirider is a kind of scooter designed to work on snow in 2002 by 2004 British inventor of the year Andrew Hubert winning Platinum for design and Gold leisure. It was invented to make the slopes more accessible to people whose physical limitations prevented them from skiing but ironically it soon...
- the ice skateIce skateIce skates are boots with blades attached to the bottom, used to propel the bearer across a sheet of ice. They are worn as footwear in many sports, including ice hockey, bandy and figure skating. The first ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, and were attached to feet with...
when only one is in contact with the ice or when the second follows behind the first
Approximately single-track
A vehicle is approximately single-track when the axle trackAxle track
The axle track in automobiles and other wheeled vehicles which have two or more wheels on an axle, is the distance between the centreline of two roadwheels on the same axle, each on the other side of the vehicle...
is small enough with respect to the center of mass
Center of mass
In physics, the center of mass or barycenter of a system is the average location of all of its mass. In the case of a rigid body, the position of the center of mass is fixed in relation to the body...
height to require leaning into a turn. Countersteering may or may not be required.
- the skateboardSkateboardA skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
and all its varieties, such as the snakeboardSnakeboardA snakeboard is a board that was invented in 1989 by James Fisher and Oliver Macleod Smith. It evolved from the original skateboard, and brought with it elements of snowboards & surfboards. These variants have a central board with two pivoting footplates attached at each end... - the surfboardSurfboardA surfboard is an elongated platform used in the sport of surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave...
- the caster boardCaster boardA Casterboard, also known as a Waveboard, is a two-wheeled, human-powered land vehicle that is closely related to the skateboard and the snakeboard. Two narrow platforms known as "decks" are joined by a "torsion bar", which consists of a metal beam, usually coated by rubber, that houses a strong...
when the rear wheel closely follows the front wheel track - the Uno dicycle