A bicycle is easier to keep upright at speed (greater than 5 mph).

The rotation of the wheels creates a force which keeps the bike from falling over. Learning to ride at a low speed will seem safer to the novice, but is much harder, making bicycle riding an activity where being a courageous learner is greatly beneficial.

Update: Bicycles stay upright because the front wheel tends to turn into the direction the bike is falling, keeping the center of gravity over the wheels. The full description of this is complex, but the part that I would like to emphasize is faster = easier to balance on bikes.

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