A moving bicycle comes to rest after sometimes if we stop pedaling it. But Newton’s first law of motion says that a moving body should continue to move forever, unless some external force acts on it. How do you explain the bicycle case?

Question

A moving bicycle comes to rest after sometimes if we stop pedaling it. But Newton&#x2019;s first law of motion says that a moving body should continue to move forever, unless some external force acts on it. How do you explain the bicycle case?

Philoid · Accepted Answer

There is an external force of friction between the tyres and the road and in the axles of the bicycle acting which resists the motion and hence tends to stop the cycle.