Perceptual Thresholds for Vibration Transmitted to Road Cyclists

Ayachi, Fouaz Sofiane; Drouet, Jean-Marc; Champoux, Yvan; Guastavino, Catherine

doi:10.1177/0018720818780107

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Compared with low-intensity recreational cycling, vibration exposure and the response of the propulsive muscles are more pronounced at high cranking power levels as they occur in racing. Because reductions in vibration magnitude of 15% at the hands and lower back are already perceptible (36), technical solutions such as damping systems are getting more and more attention in sports and industry. Previous studies raised the question of the extent to which the muscles of the upper body also contribute to increased oxygen consumption with vibration (9).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Cycling-specific Vibration on Neuromuscular Performance

Viellehner

Potthast²

2020

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: This study aimed to provide an understanding of how surface-induced vibrations in cycling interfere with short-term neuromuscular performance. Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional single cohort trial. Thirty trained cyclists participated (mass = 75.9 ± 8.9 kg, body height = 1.82 ± 0.05 m, V ˙O2max = 63 ± 6.8 mL•kg −1 ⋅min −1 ). The experimental intervention included a systematic variation of the two independent variables: vibration (Vib: front dropout, 44 Hz, 4.1 mm; rear dropout, 38Hz, 3.5 mm; NoVib) and cranking power (LOW, 137 ± 14 W; MED, 221 ± 18 W; HIGH, 331 ± 65 W) from individual low to submaximal intensity. Dependent variables were transmitted accelerations to the body, muscular activation (gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, soleus, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, triceps brachii, flexor carpi ulnaris, and lumbar erector spinae), heart rate, and oxygen consumption. Results: The main findings show that the root-mean-square of local accelerations increased with vibration at the lower extremities, the torso, and the arms-shoulder system. The activation of gastrocnemius medialis, gastrocnemius lateralis, soleus, triceps brachii, and flexor carpi ulnaris increased significantly with vibration. The activation of vastus lateralis increased significantly with vibration only at HIGH cranking power. Oxygen consumption (+2.7%) and heart rate (+5%-7%) increased significantly in the presence of vibration. Conclusions: Vibration is a full-body phenomenon. However, the impact of vibration on propulsion is limited as the main propulsive muscles at the thigh are not majorly affected. The demands on the cardiopulmonary and respiratory system increased slightly in the presence of vibration.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Cycling-specific Vibration on Neuromuscular Performance

Viellehner

Potthast²

2020

Medicine &Amp; Science in Sports &Amp; Exercise

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…(3) vibration transmissibility of bicycles, bicycle components, and cycling apparel [14][15][16][17][18][19]; (4) assessments of road surfaces [20][21][22][23][24]; (5) cyclists' sensory perception [2,[25][26][27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, rigorous test protocols must be implemented when taking measurements of the vibration transmitted to a cyclist [9]. Typically, four quantities have been used: acceleration [1-3, 7-10, 12-17, 20-24, 27], force [1,9,10,17,19], power [1,3,10,11,17,18,27], and energy [18,25,26]. These quantities are measured at or as close as possible to the cyclist's hands or buttocks to relate to what is experienced by the cyclist.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been shown experimentally that both acceleration and force measurements are influenced considerably by the cyclist's natural position and sway, and as the forces at a cyclist's hands and buttocks increase, the acceleration tends to decrease [10]. In this context, the mechanical power and energy transmitted to these contact points have been used in several studies in an attempt to find an alternative quantity that is less sensitive to the cyclist's posture on the bicycle [1,3,10,11,17,18,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

On metrics to assess road bicycle dynamic comfort during impacts

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A road bicycle's dynamic comfort relates to its capacity to filter vibration generated by the road surface. Typically, four quantities have been used to assess a road bicycle's dynamic comfort, acceleration, force, power, and energy; however, little has been done to compare the effectiveness of these in distinguishing between impact events. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of these four quantities when measured at a cyclist's hands, to discriminate between small changes in the level of an impact load applied at the front wheel of a road bicycle. With a rider seated on a bicycle, acceleration and force time signals were recorded at the left and right hands using instrumented brake hoods during a series of impacts at the front wheel on a bicycle treadmill. Six derived parameters of the acceleration, force, and power time signals were considered: discrete values: maximum, peak; mean values: root-mean-square, root-mean-quad; ratio values: crest factor, shock content quotient. Integral values were used for the energy. Various criteria were developed to assess the performance of these parameters and whether they should be recommended as road bicycle dynamic comfort metrics for impact events. The criteria were related to three characteristics: the consistency of the measurements, the parameter's statistical discrimination power, and how well changes in the parameter matched corresponding changes in impact level. The energy and root-mean-square value of power were found to be the top performers and are recommended as road bicycle dynamic comfort metrics for impact events. All acceleration-based parameters are not recommended. The remaining parameters demonstrated mixed results.

show abstract

“…The perceived comfort of a given bicycle is primarily driven by two key design elements; compliance, relating in particular to the vertical stiffness, of the bicycle's frame structure and components, and the geometry of the bicycle with respect to how well the contact points (saddle, handlebar, pedals) align with their optimal position for a given user. Either parameter set can be described mathematically, yet the difficulty in quantifying the perceived comfort of a cyclist has been well documented in the literature (Petrone and Giubilato, 2013;Ayachi et al, 2018;Marcolin et al, 2018;Richard et al, 2015). The components that make up a complete bicycle provide a structural arrangement akin to springs of varying stiffness, placed in series.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design for ergonomics in the bicycle industry: an engineering design concept

Emerson

Hall

2021

IJPD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bicycle manufacturing is an industry that has taken advantage of technological developments in materials and large-scale manufacturing for high-performance products. Higher-specification bicycles typically use fibrereinforced composite frames that are optimised for structural performance and mass. Efforts have also been made to increase the comfort of a rider by increasing the vertical compliance of frames, but traditional fibre-reinforced composite moulding techniques restrict manufacturing flexibility in fitting frame geometry to match the requirements of an individual. Manufacturers typically subdivide their frames into sized-based grouping to reduce manufacturing, inventory and supply costs. For specific user fits, customised bicycles are produced, but only on a smaller scale. These improve comfort via improved geometric fit for the user, but typically do so at high cost, or by using sub-optimum material selections. In this paper, an innovative, segmented frame design concept is introduced to facilitate a design-for-ergonomics and masscustomisation approach in the high-volume, high-performance bicycle industry.

show abstract

Perceptual Thresholds for Vibration Transmitted to Road Cyclists

Abstract: A road bicycle needs to transmit at least 15% less vibration for male cyclists to detect an improvement in dynamic comfort. Dynamic bicycle comfort can be measured in terms of a new metric: power transmitted to the cyclist.

Cited by 8 publications

References 18 publications

The Effect of Cycling-specific Vibration on Neuromuscular Performance

The Effect of Cycling-specific Vibration on Neuromuscular Performance

On metrics to assess road bicycle dynamic comfort during impacts

Design for ergonomics in the bicycle industry: an engineering design concept

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About