How did the bicycle inventor know two-wheel balance was possible?

[cnh1995]

I'm wondering how the inventor of bicycle knew the fact that it would be possible to maintain balance on two wheels. Most kids fall off and bruise themselves in the beginning and there's no way of learning a bicycle other than trial and error. How did the inventor figure this out?

 

[anorlunda]

Why do you think he did know in advance? People like to tinker and experiment.

 

[achan88]

I mean a wheel or any circular object stays in balance when it is rotating or moving forward on a surface. A stationary wheel will tip over as it doesn't have the momentum to keep it steady. The inventor could have figured it out by simply rolling a coin on a flat surface.

 

[A.T.]

I'm wondering how the inventor of bicycle knew the fact that it would be possible to maintain balance on two wheels.

Early two wheelers were running bikes, which are much easier to learn, hence still popular for small kids:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle#19th_Century

 

[tech99]

Early two wheelers were running bikes, which are much easier to learn, hence still popular for small kids:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle#19th_Century

As a matter of interest, MIchael Faraday was one of the first cyclists, having one of the running bicycles, which he used to ride down a nearby hill.