1Q50.22 Suspended Bike Wheel

A spinning bicycle wheel with handles is supported by loops of string tied to a crossbar that is hung by a single string. Push the ends of the handles horizontally in opposite directions; the bike wheel’s angle of rotation shifts, and it precesses.

The axle of a large metal-rimmed bicycle wheel extends into two long rods, leaving the wheel free to spin. Cord connects the ends of the rods to a sturdy horizontal cross-bar above the wheel. The wheel hangs in mid-air, positioned vertically (as if on a bike). The cross-bar holding the wheel is itself suspended from the ceiling by a cord connected to its center point. The wheel is thus free to spin vertically, and the cross-bar is free to spin horizontally.

 

Location: Bike Wheel between B and C, Crossbar C1-5, Dowels BC-1