Which way do you usually fall?

[sugarloafur]

I'd like to get some input on which way you typically fall off of your unicycle while riding skinnies or similar. I almost always fall to the right. I also live in the northern hemisphere. Coincidence? I think not. Read on...

I'm relating falling off of a unicycle to the coriolis effect... The coriolis effect in its most simple terms makes things in the northern hemiphere fall to the right and things in the southern hemisphere fall to the left due to the rotation of the earth. If you're looking for a more scientific explanation, wikipedia has a complicated explanation.

So, which way do you typically fall? Are you north of the equator or south? I'm interested to see the results here... does the coriolis effect make much of an influence?

[ivan]

Eh, I usually fall down.

Right and left are relative. You're looking forward and left is left and right is right. You turn 180 degrees and left becomes right and right becomes left. I don't think that coriolis effect thingy depends on the way you're facing. I'll have to read it though, but later.

[qball]

I usually fall to the right, but I would think it would depend more on the terrain you are riding on and which foot is your stronger. Also if it was based on the rotation of the earth then wouldn't you fall to the left if you were going the opposit direction? I would assume that it doesn't have anything to do with the direction you fall.

Kill

[sugarloafur]

Originally Posted by ivan

Eh, I usually fall down.

Right and left are relative. You're looking forward and left is left and right is right. You turn 180 degrees and left becomes right and right becomes left. I don't think that coriolis effect thingy depends on the way you're facing. I'll have to read it though, but later.

It doens't matter which way you're facing, oddly enough. So if you fall right, you fall right. If you fall left, you fall left.

[threeinchtire]

i did some research:
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth...=visualization

for those of you who can't understand it...

it's not that complicated.

[qball]

Well, you got me on this one, I don't really know enough about the coriolis effect. Perhaps some research is in order.......I just don't want to be the one to do it.

[Jerrick]

If I go on a ride today, Ill make sure to rcognize how I fall off.

I know when I am on a BC, I always fall off to the right, even if I lean back or fowards to much, I always lean to the right as I fall.

[sugarloafur]

Originally Posted by Jerrick

If I go on a ride today, Ill make sure to rcognize how I fall off.

I know when I am on a BC, I always fall off to the right, even if I lean back or fowards to much, I always lean to the right as I fall.

Maybe isn't not a coincidence... sounds that way so far.

[amanda.gallacher]

i tend to fall to the left and im northern hemisphere

[forrestunifreak]

Riding skinnies, I don't fall down (as in crash type fall) a certain way, however when I bail on purpose I prefer to fall out to the right....

[Chexjc]

i fall..forward? lol

[tholub]

Originally Posted by sugarloafur

I'd like to get some input on which way you typically fall off of your unicycle while riding skinnies or similar. I almost always fall to the right. I also live in the northern hemisphere. Coincidence? I think not. Read on...

I'm relating falling off of a unicycle to the coriolis effect... The coriolis effect in its most simple terms makes things in the northern hemiphere fall to the right and things in the southern hemisphere fall to the left due to the rotation of the earth. If you're looking for a more scientific explanation, wikipedia has a complicated explanation.

So, which way do you typically fall? Are you north of the equator or south? I'm interested to see the results here... does the coriolis effect make much of an influence?

There is absolutely zero chance that the coriolis effect is significant in determining the direction you fall off when you're riding a skinny. (For that matter, it does not have a significant effect on the direction the water goes down the drain, either). The difference in strength and control between your left and right leg is probably orders of magnitude larger than the coriolis effect.

[maestro8]

Originally Posted by sugarloafur

I'm relating falling off of a unicycle to the coriolis effect...

The Coriolis force is very, very small and requires a large scale phenomenon to observe any effect. It has a small effect on passive projectiles (shells, not rockets) that travel 100+ km, and it has a larger effect on weather systems that are 10s of km across. A unicyclist riding a skinny is influenced more by the wind than they are by any Coriolis forces.

[onewheelah]

well.. i have been known to fall in every possible direction.. but mostly to the right.

[sugarloafur]

Originally Posted by tholub

There is absolutely zero chance that the coriolis effect is significant in determining the direction you fall off when you're riding a skinny. (For that matter, it does not have a significant effect on the direction the water goes down the drain, either). The difference in strength and control between your left and right leg is probably orders of magnitude larger than the coriolis effect.

This was more of a joke thread... I'm aware of the magnitude (and how small it is) of the coriolis effect. I'm not trying to draw scientific conclusions on the subject.