Simulation of Bicycle-Riding Smoothness by Bicycle Motion Analysis Model

Abstract

This study focuses on the development of equipment for measuring riding smoothness along bicycle routes. In addition, a bicycle motion analysis model was also developed and verified for conducting effective and efficient assessment of riding smoothness. Compared to motor vehicles, bicycles have a relatively simple shock absorber design. Most of the motorway smoothness indices developed for passenger cars do not satisfy the needs of evaluating bicycle routes. A test bicycle equipped with multiple sensors was developed in this study to measure the vertical acceleration while riding a bicycle. A lightweight inertial profiler was also designed and manufactured for measuring the bicycle route profile, which was used as the major input of the analysis model. Through several stages of field tests, it was concluded that the measured and calculated accelerations are fairly consistent, and the average error percentage is less than 10%. By integrating the usage of a lightweight inertial profiler and the bicycle motion analysis model, riding smoothness of bicycle route networks can be assessed effectively and efficiently.