Once you get used to it, keeping your bike up becomes nearly as natural as standing on two legs. You don't even notice it anymore but you shift your weight to keep it steady as needed. The only risk is hitting something on the road that causes the tire to suddenly shift direction, but even then that something needs to be able to break the momentum so a bit of speed is enough to protect you from most pebbles and other small stuff that you won't see quickly enough to avoid. You do need more space to maneuver through.