Search

The current study employed a within-participant design to analyze the effects of head movements in three conditions (i.e., head nodding, head shaking, and no head movements) during positive (motivational) self-talk among 22 male cyclists. After the self-talk and head-movements task, physical performance (i.e., anaerobic power) was assessed using a Wingate Test for each experimental condition. Each cyclist participated individually on three separate days, completing one of the three experimental conditions each day. We hypothesized and found that the head-nodding condition resulted in greater physical performance (i.e., mean and peak power) than the no-head-movements condition. This is the first time that head nodding has been shown to improve physical performance compared with no head movements during encouraging and self-assuring self-talk. Relevantly, these findings emphasize the importance of focusing on athletes' nonverbal behavior (e.g., head movements) when engaging in positive (motivational) self-talk to perform better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating number of injuries and fatalities among cyclists is a pressing safety concern. In the United States, communities are actively seeking strategies to boost cyclist safety, with some states implementing bike-specific policies, such as stop-as-yield laws, to support cyclists. Stop-as-yield laws allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. The laws are not yet widely implemented, and their potential safety impact is a subject of debate among transportation experts and advocates. This study investigates how stop-as-yield laws can positively or negatively affect safety and provides insights and guidelines for California policymakers and safety practitioners if the law passes in California. We collected cyclist data from five states that have enacted stop-as-yield laws—Idaho, Arkansas, Oregon, Washington and Delaware—and data from some of their contiguous states without such legislation. Using an observational before-after study with comparison groups at the state level, the research examined changes in cyclist crash frequencies after the laws were implemented. Additionally, a random-effects negative binomial regression model with panel data was employed to estimate a law’s overall impact. The results did not indicate a significant change in cyclist crashes among the states with stop-as-yield laws.

Comparing the counts of cyclists travelling at specific times of day is one approach to measuring the impact of ambient light level. Here we investigate one source of variance in the magnitude of change seen in previous research—the choice of case and control hour. This was done through an analysis of cyclist flows using data from multiple automated cyclist counters in five cities (Arlington, Bergen, Berlin, Birmingham and Leeds) to determine the odds ratios (OR) for each combination of case and control hour. The results tend to reveal odds ratios above 1.0 indicating that cycling can be deterred by darkness. The odds ratios varied with the choice of case and control hour. For two cities (Birmingham and Leeds), the impact was small, with little difference in ORs between any case and control hour combination. For three cities the variance in ORs was larger. To represent the impact of darkness on cycling flows across the range of case and control hours we suggest the Mantel-Haenszel pooled odds ratio is used, in which the odds ratio for each combination of case and control hour is weighted by the total number of cyclists in that combination. This suggested a statistically significant (p<0.001) deterrent effect of darkness in all five cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

10.1119/5.0131679.1 Among cycling enthusiasts the word "everest" has also become a verb over the last few years. "To everest" means going up and down the same hill or mountain until the elevation of Mount Everest (8848 m) has been accumulated in the course of the repeated ascents. It has been suggested that considerable advantage can be obtained by having a strong tailwind on the climbs. We make a quantitative assessment and show that the effect of a tailwind is small. Using control coefficients, we furthermore assess how factors such as weight reduction, increased power output, and improved aerodynamics can enhance the performance. Editor's Note: For cyclists, "everesting" consists of cumulating the climbs of a single hill or mountain many times until the total cycled height is equivalent to that of Mount Everest. This has become a fashionable challenge for amateur and professional cyclists alike, and many physics-based recipes to improve the overall time have been proposed. This paper establishes the equations that can be used to model everesting and examines the influence of the cyclist's weight and power production, as well as the cyclist's aerodynamical coefficient during both the ascent and the descent. This makes for a nice example of undergraduate mechanics, or an illustration of how physics can help athletes improve their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimising opposing forces is a matter of interest to most cyclists. These forces arise from passage through air ('drag') and interaction with the road surface ('resistance'). Recent work recognises that resistance forces arise not only from the deformation of the tyre ('rolling resistance') but also from irregularities in the road surface ('roughness resistance'), which lead to power dissipation in the body of the rider through vibration. The latter effect may also have an adverse impact on human health. In this work we offer a quantitative theory of roughness resistance and vibration that links these effects to a surface characterisation in terms of the International Roughness Index (IRI). We show that the roughness resistance and the Vibration Dose Value (or VDV, the usual vibration dosage metric) can be expressed in terms of elementary formulae. The roughness resistance depends only on the vertical stiffness of the bicycle and the roughness index. Surprisingly, other apparently relevant parameters, such as physiological characteristics of the bicycle rider and other features of the bicycle, do not enter. For roads of moderate roughness, roughness resistance is larger than rolling resistance. For very rough roads, roughness resistance is larger than aerodynamic drag. So only on roads of high quality (in most jurisdictions, accounting for less than 10% of the total) can roughness resistance be ignored. Roughness resistance can be mitigated by reducing the vertical stiffness of the bicycle. In common with other recent reports, we find that almost any cycling activity will breach public health guidelines relating to Vibration Dose Value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports doping is a practice that continues, despite hostile public opinion and counter‐efforts to close it down. In this paper we explore the maintenance of doping in the sport of professional road cycling. While studies of controversial practices find that they often benefit from levels of acceptance and even perceived value, we supplement such research by providing one of the few studies of practices that are subject to powerful social controls. In our case, the continual threat from anti‐doping organizations means that the maintenance and disruption of doping represents a kind of dialectical pair. We utilize and extend a model of types of institutional work that has advantages as an analytical tool, exploring the support required in this setting. Sustaining work was highly dynamic, relying on distinct groups within cycling teams to marshal organizational skills and cope with disruption, while repairing internal defences and concealing activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAttractive cycling routes can effectively promote active mobility, thus reducing the twin pressures of the population boom and the greenhouse effect. However, the existing approaches for cycling route recommendation primarily concentrate on identifying the most efficient routes while ignoring the urban spatial context, which is essential to meet the user’s particular preferences. This article proposes a novel method for informed sampling and recommending cycling routes leveraging crowd-sourced trajectories with weighted-latent Dirichlet allocation (WLDA). Precisely, spatial context mapping, incorporating a weighting mechanism into LDA, latent topics mining, and cycling route recommendation based on informed sampling are introduced. We collected 1,016 cycling trajectories around Cologne, Germany, for experimental analysis. The experimental results show that the three latent topics within the trajectories, leisure, city, and green tours, are clearly presented in the line density analysis. The insightful recommendation for unfamiliar cyclists could also be actively sampled upon the WLDA model. These findings suggest that our approach could shift the route recommendation paradigm from GIS analysis to a semantic mining perspective, yielding highly interpretable results and offering novel research avenues for applying machine learning in route planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous vehicle technology is advancing, with 3D object detection based on point clouds being crucial. However, point clouds' irregularity, sparsity, and large data volume, coupled with irrelevant background points, hinder detection accuracy. We propose a two-stage multi-scale 3D object detection network. Firstly, considering that a large number of useless background points are usually generated by the ground during detection, we propose a new ground filtering algorithm to increase the proportion of foreground points and enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the two-stage detection. Secondly, given that different types of targets to be detected vary in size, and the use of a single-scale voxelization may result in excessive loss of detailed information, the voxels of different scales are introduced to extract relevant features of objects of different scales in the point clouds and integrate them into the second-stage detection. Lastly, a multi-scale feature fusion module is proposed, which simultaneously enhances and integrates features extracted from voxels of different scales. This module fully utilizes the valuable information present in the point cloud across various scales, ultimately leading to more precise 3D object detection. The experiment is conducted on the KITTI dataset and the nuScenes dataset. Compared with our baseline, "Pedestrian" detection improved by 3.37–2.72% and "Cyclist" detection by 3.79–1.32% across difficulty levels on KITTI, and was boosted by 2.4% in NDS and 3.6% in mAP on nuScenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bicyclists are recognized as vulnerable road users, with the escalating fatalities posing a safety concern. While fatal crashes involving bicyclists are often assumed to be similar, there is a crucial distinction between instant death and death occurring several days later, with the former being substantially more severe. This study delves into the analysis of bicyclists' time-to-death, spanning from immediate fatalities to deaths within 30 days, using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2015 to 2019. Employing the Haddon Matrix approach, the variables are categorized into pre-crash, during-crash, and postcrash phases. This study considers crash notification time as the key postcrash measure. An explainable XGBoost model is developed using the SHAP technique to investigate the associations between variables and bicyclist time-to-death. The results show that substantial delays in crash notification time considerably reduce bicyclists' time-to-death and increase the likelihood of early death. Specifically, hit-and-run crashes, crashes in rural areas, and crashes during late-night hours exhibit notably longer crash notification times compared to non-hit-and-run crashes, urban areas, and other hours, respectively. In such cases, when no witnesses or survivors can notify emergency responders, on-road vehicle technologies like the advanced automatic collision notification system can promptly inform responders, reducing notification delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the performance-derived parameters utilizing isolinear (ISOLIN) and isovelocity (ISOVEL) sprint cycling modes. Method: For that, 20 male trained cyclists performed 2 sprints of 7 s on an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer in ISOLIN and six sprints in ISOVEL mode with cadences between 90 and 180 rpm, each separated by 3-min. A linear function modeled the sprints within each mode to extrapolate maximal cadence (CMAX) and torque (TMAX), and a quadratic function was used to extrapolate the apex defined as optimal cadence power (OPTCAD) and peak power output (PMAX). Fifteen subjects performed another 4 sprints at ISOLIN mode on different days to verify the reliability. Results: The measures from the power-cadence relationship were not different between the ISOLIN and ISOVEL modes. Although significant differences were detected in the T-C relationship, TMAX was greater at ISOLIN than ISOVEL (p =.006). On the other hand, CMAX was higher at ISOVEL than ISOLIN (p <.001). The correlation between parameters was large to very large (r = 0.51 to 0.89). However, high limits of agreement were verified. The ISOLIN presented consistency during the trials, and the random errors were acceptable (CV = 5.3% to 11.5%). Conclusion: Using the power-cadence relationship, PMAX and OPTCAD could be detected similarly between the two sprint modes (ISOLIN and ISOVEL). Thus, the findings demonstrated that a single ISOLIN sprint test could be a suitable tool for quantifying the time course of muscle fatigue during and after cycling exercises in well-trained male cyclists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many years of research and rapid changes in the field of bicycle route choice modelling, a review of factors associated with cyclists' route choice decisions is missing. This paper reviews 33 studies that employed GPS data and statistical modelling to explain the route choice behaviour of cyclists on utilitarian trips. Factors associated with bicycle route choice are divided into network, contextual, and individual factors. Findings from this review demonstrate that a refined categorisation of model attributes is essential, as the preferences vary greatly between different route attributes. Moreover, the analysis indicates a strong influence of the local context on the attribute definitions and route choice preferences. Although some commonalities between studies w.r.t. the network factors (e.g. a preference towards bicycle infrastructure or avoidance of slopes) can be determined, many results are contradictory or intertwined with other factors. Specifically, results related to intersections, land use characteristics, and interaction with other modes of transport are not always conclusive and are strongly dependent on the local context. However, the explanation of some of the unclear effects can be facilitated by incorporating contextual or individual information in the models. Based on the analysis of the existing studies, this review encourages a joint consideration of studies employing quantitative and qualitative methods to explain cyclists' behaviour. Moreover, reporting model results in an accessible form (e.g. through relatable values or visualisation) is essential to build bridges between bicycle research and policymaking. Future research is encouraged to study cyclists' route choice decisions from the perspective of objective well-being, quantifying and modelling the influence of factors such as safety, health, energy expenditure, or noise exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove that, given an average power, the ascent time is minimized if a cyclist maintains a constant ground speed regardless of the slope. Herein, minimizing the time is equivalent to maximizing--for a given uphill--the corresponding mean ascent velocity (VAM: velocità ascensionale media), which is a common training metric. We illustrate the proof with numerical examples, and show that, in general, maintaining a constant instantaneous power results in longer ascent times; both strategies result in the same time if the slope is constant. To remain within the athlete's capacity, we examine the effect of complementing the average-power constraint with a maximum-power constraint. Even with this additional constraint, the ascent time is the shortest with a modified constant-speed--not constant-power--strategy; as expected, both strategies result in the same time if the maximum and average powers are equal to one another. Given standard available information--including level of fitness, quantified by the power output, and ascent profile--our results allow to formulate reliable and convenient strategies of uphill timetrials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power output in cycling is one of the most important factors for athletes and coaches. The cycling community has several commercial gears that can be used. One of the most used is the TACX Neo 2T (TN2T) smart trainer. The objective of this study was to investigate the metrological proprieties of the TN2T (accuracy and reliability), as well as its agreement with the Garmin Vector 3 (GV3) pedals at different power stages. The sample consisted of ten regional-level cyclists with a mean age of 45.6 ± 6.4 years, who regularly participated in regional and national competitions. Residual relative differences were found between the two devices. Both devices showed good reliability with coefficients of variation and intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.03% to 0.15% and from 0.731 to 0.968, respectively. Independent samples t-test comparison between devices showed no significant differences in all power stages (p > 0.05). Bland–Altman plots showed that more than 80% of the plots were within the 95% confidence intervals in all power stages. The present data showed that there were non-significant differences between the two devices at power stages between 100 W and 270 W, with a strong agreement. Therefore, they can be used simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was based on the ultrasound evaluation of the patellar tendon dimensions in the anteroposterior and transversal approaches in sports practitioners (cyclists and volleyball players) and non-sports practitioners. Relationships between the patellar tendon length, width, and thickness with gender, age, height, the dominant limb, and level of physical activity were evaluated. The samples included cyclists, volleyball players, and non-sports practitioners between 15 and 25 years old. Individuals were positioned supine with 30 degrees of knee flexion for bilateral measurements. Sports practitioners presented with an increased patellar tendon length and thickness. There were significant differences bilaterally between sports and non-sports practitioners (p < 0.003). The three dimensions of the patellar tendon of both limbs presented correlations with the male gender (0.336 < r < 0.601), and values of moderate-to-strong intensity in the length of the patellar tendon was directly proportional to height (0.520 < r < 0.601). There was a significant difference between the patellar tendon width and age (p < 0.025). Regarding the level of physical activity, significant differences were found between low and high levels in the three dimensions bilaterally (p < 0.004). The study results indicate that gender, age, height, and level of physical activity impact patellar tendon dimensions. However, there are no associations with the dominant limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, Social Weather Stations reported the Philippines' Metro Manila with the highest ratio of bicycle ownership among households and the highest ratio of bicycle owners to car owners in the country. Through the lens of Social Practice Theory, the researchers used Materials, Meaning, and Competencies of Filipino cyclists in understanding the cyclists' overall commute experience in Metro Manila. This study discovers the purpose of Filipino cyclists in choosing their mode of transportation and explains their views on safety, practicality, accessibility, and implementation of policies. The researchers used descriptive phenomenological research design and gathered data via online interviews. The data was analyzed using Colaizzi's Method of Data Analysis. Results show the overarching sub-themes with the three main themes based on the participants' responses: (1) Positive Synergy of Cycling, (2) Uncontrolled External Resources, and (3) User Managed Internal Resources. Cycling contains flexibility, efficiency, practicality, easy maintenance, and benefits health and environment. In addition, Filipino cyclists view their commute experience as a positive synergy especially for its practicality and its aid in health enhancement and environment refinement. Lastly, the advantages of cycling as a mode of transportation are the ease of management and the user managed internal resources. On the other hand, the disadvantages are the uncontrolled external resources including the ineffectiveness of cycling related policies and poor risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article assesses the evidence for the efficacy of bike fit and its impact on cyclist’s posture in averting overuse injuries in cycling and provides a summary of research using a biomechanical approach to give evaluations of joint kinematics, kinetics, or muscle activity. Databases were searched for published material like Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar between 1980 and 2023. Posture, bike fit, and biomechanics of cycling were few keywords used. Twenty-four published articles were included in this review. Clearance of 1–2 inches should be present between the ground and tyres when the bike is lifted while straddling it, for straight and parallel to ground top tubes and sloping top tubes, respectively. Handlebar height should be 1–2 inches below the top of the saddle. The reach of the handlebars should be measured by placing an elbow on the tip of saddle and extended fingers should touch the transverse part of the handlebars. The ball of foot should sit over the pedal axis. In cyclist’s seated position, the knee flexion angle of the extended leg at 6 o’clock position should be 25–30∘. With pedals at 3 and 9 o’clock, the front of the patella should be directly in line with the front of the crank arm. About 10 to 15∘ anterior saddle tilt significantly reduces low back discomfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D object-detection based on LiDAR point clouds can help driverless vehicles detect obstacles. However, the existing point-cloud-based object-detection methods are generally ineffective in detecting small objects such as pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, a small-object-detection algorithm based on clustering is proposed. Firstly, a new segmented ground-point clouds segmentation algorithm is proposed, which filters out the object point clouds according to the heuristic rules and realizes the ground segmentation by multi-region plane-fitting. Then, the small-object point cloud is clustered using an improved DBSCAN clustering algorithm. The K-means++ algorithm for pre-clustering is used, the neighborhood radius is adaptively adjusted according to the distance, and the core point search method of the original algorithm is improved. Finally, the detection of small objects is completed using the directional wraparound box model. After extensive experiments, it was shown that the precision and recall of our proposed ground-segmentation algorithm reached 91.86% and 92.70%, respectively, and the improved DBSCAN clustering algorithm improved the recall of pedestrians and cyclists by 15.89% and 9.50%, respectively. In addition, visualization experiments confirmed that our proposed small-object-detection algorithm based on the point-cloud clustering method can realize the accurate detection of small objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prolonged and repeated exercise performed during an ultraendurance event can induce general and cardiac fatigue known as exerciseinduced cardiac fatigue. Our objective was to find a possible correlation between the cardiac function and the autonomic cardiac function. Methods: During a multistage ultra-endurance event, a female well-trained cyclist underwent daily rest echocardiography and heart rate variability measurements to assess the cardiac function and the cardiac autonomic function. Results: The athlete completed 3,345 km at 65% of her maximum heart rate and 39% of her maximum aerobic power. A progressive improvement of the systolic function for both the left ventricle and the right ventricle was observed during the event. Discussion: Alterations were observed on the cardiac autonomic function with an imbalance between sympathetic and parasympathetic, but there was no sign of a significant correlation between the cardiac function and the autonomic cardiac function and no signs of cardiac fatigue either. Further analysis should be performed on a larger sample to confirm the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThere is a lack of research that investigates the risk factors of cycling in low- and middle-income countries. We present descriptive epidemiology of crashes that involved at least one fatal cyclist, over a three-year period (2016–2018) in Delhi, India. Next, we used an unmatched case-control approach to identify road design risk factors of cycle fatalities. Cases were road segments with at least one cycle fatality, and controls were those with none. We developed logistic regression models with cases and controls as binary outcomes to estimate the odds ratio of site characteristics. There were 167 crashes involving at least one cyclist fatality over the study period. Fatal cyclists were almost all males. They were less likely to be children or young adults and less likely to be residents of high-income localities, compared to the general population. One in ten crashes included more than one occupant on a cycle and 5% of fatal victims were pillion riders. Seventy percent crashes occurred at midblock, and majority were backend collisions. Regression shows that road width, traffic speed, and volume of heavy vehicles have strong positive effects on the fatality risk of cyclists. These results can inform strategies to design interventions for safety of cyclists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Darkness is a barrier to cycling because the risk of an accident is higher and the feeling of social safety is lower. Factors influencing the choice to cycle (e.g., socio-demographic factors) have already been studied extensively, but rarely in relation to darkness. To implement strategies for increasing bicycle use (also when it is dark), we need to know what decision factors play a role for people to cycle or not when it is dark. A mixed method approach is adopted; applying a logistic regression using data of 842 surveyed cyclists in the province of East Flanders (Belgium), supplemented a qualitative analysis using 26 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results show that knowing and using a route frequently has a positive effect on the likelihood of cycling in the dark. Elderly (and retirees) are less likely to cycle in the dark compared to youth and young adults. The latter group (ranging between 11 and 17 years old) often cycle to school while it is still dark (either or not accompanied by a parent). Whether or not one cycles alone or in group has a lower or higher propensity to cycle during the dark. People with a racing bike often cycle in groups and are less likely to cycle in the dark. Recreative and sportive cycle tours are mostly done during the day. Cyclists with an e-bike and speed pedelec have a higher likelihood to cycle in the dark compared to those who cycle on a regular bike. Women have 84% lower odds to cycle in the dark compared to men because they perceive darkness as less socially safe. Lastly, living in a rural environment has a positive impact on the odds to cycle in the dark compared to more urban environments. Establishing a cycling culture with inclusive infrastructure is essential for addressing the diverse needs of vulnerable groups and ensuring the provision of safe routes. A holistic approach is critical to effectively integrate these elements into urban planning and transport policies. • Darkness is a barrier to cycling due to a lower (sense of) safety. • More insights are required to organize effective strategies for increasing bike use. • Knowing and using a route frequently has a positive impact on cycling in the dark. • Young adults, men and electric bike owners have higher odds of cycling in the dark. • Policy interventions should focus on the actual needs of the intended target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Between 30–56 % of Australians view cyclists as less than 100 % fully human. • Posters using graphic design were more clear and memorable, but. • Posters showing cyclists in photos were more humanising than posters using graphics. • Campaigns portraying cyclists should take care in the design and portrayal of people on bikes. Although riding a bicycle is an efficient, healthy and sustainable mode of travel, in low-cycling countries there continues to be negative attitudes, harassment and aggression toward riders. Recent studies have found that part of this hostility could be due to dehumanization – the belief that cyclists are lesser humans. These beliefs are relatively common, yet we don't yet know how we could reduce or counteract dehumanizing beliefs. In this paper we hypothesize that a 'humanizing' ad campaign may improve attitudes and reduce dehumanization relative to 'non-humanizing' campaigns. Using a survey of cyclists and non-cyclists in the Australian Capital Territory, in this study we developed four version of a static campaign poster, portraying cyclists either from in front (humanizing) or behind (non-humanizing), as a photo (humanizing) or graphic design (non-humanizing). We found that posters using photographs were more humanizing than graphic design, but design had no effect on attitudes. However, photographic posters were seen as less clear, memorable and effective than graphic posters. Showing cyclists from the front vs. the back had no significant effect on dehumanization, attitudes or effectiveness. This study suggests that if the aim of a campaign is to humanize cyclists, that photographic images may help with this effort. Given the high baseline rates of dehumanizing beliefs among the population, it would be counter-productive if safety campaigns failed to humanize this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, e-scooters have been introduced in many European cities. In several places we have witnessed a rapid uptake of this new mode of transport mainly as a result of public sharing schemes. A number of incidents, injuries and even fatalities have given rise to questions regarding the safety of these vehicles. These questions are being researched mainly using official crash data and data specifying injuries and hospital treatment. Until now, the research has focused on investigating typical injury patterns and estimating risk levels. Very little is known about exactly where conflicts and crashes occur. Knowledge of hazard hotspots is crucial when investigating risk levels and improving safety for all road users. Hence, this paper develops an approach to investigating locations with potentially dangerous interactions within the active mobility system in the city of Berlin. The approach consists of explorative expert interviews, an online poll, and quantitative analyses. For the latter we combine three datasets. First, we research crash hotspots using official data. Second, we use data based on acceleration sensors from cyclists' smartphones to find locations of sudden movements. Third, we use trip data from the operators of escooter sharing systems. The information gathered is used in a conclusive expert workshop to identify hazard hotspots. Results show that many of the conflicts with pedestrians are caused by parked escooters. Second, e-scooter trips are concentrated in the inner city and along specific routes. In moving traffic, various data sources are used to identify hotspots at intersections and in areas between intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well maintained cycleways will encourage more people to cycle, as the condition of cycleways is important for the safety, accessibility and riding comfort of cyclists. Despite that, only a few models used to describe the quality of service for cyclists take the surface condition into account. Objective measuring methods are needed to enable reliable and effective assessment of surface conditions, and measurable performance criteria related to the needs of cyclists should be developed. The purpose of this study has been to test the reliability and validity of using accelerometers in smartphones to assess the riding comfort on cycleways. A smartphone application converting three-dimensional accelerometer measurements into a single indicator for cycleways has been used to assess road surfaces in two field studies, in Sweden and Norway, respectively. Both studies assessed test sections of varying quality. To relate the measurements to subjective riding comfort assessments by cyclists, recruited cyclists collected quantitative data using the app, whilst also rating their perceived riding comfort by completing a survey. Measurements were also related to standard road surface condition indicators, generated from a road surface tester equipped with 19 laser sensors: international roughness index (IRI), mega- and macro-texture. The results show that it is possible to describe the unevenness of a cycleway using the technology present in smartphones. A software application can be used to collect and analyse data from the acceleration sensors in the phone, which can then be used to describe the riding comfort of cyclists. It is mainly the unevenness in the 50-1000 mm size-range that create the greatest discomfort for cyclists, and intermittent vibrations are perceived as more uncomfortable than more evenly distributed vibrations. Therefore, IRI is not a relevant measurement for describing the riding comfort of cyclists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration and ethnic diversity are said to hamper the cultivation of social trust, as native citizens may hesitate to trust ethnic out-groups and racial minorities. This article examines trust discrimination against ethno-racial minorities in everyday interactions. In a field intervention, cyclists were approached with a request for help that required them to leave their bicycles alone for a short time. I experimentally manipulated the presence and the ethnic background of a bystander positioned close to the spot where the cyclists left their bikes behind and operationalized trust as the decision to leave the bike unlocked and unattended. I found that cyclists showed significantly less trust in the presence of ethno-racial minorities compared to natives. Furthermore, trust in the wild depends on the stakes involved, as measured by the value of the bike, and one's vulnerability to trust betrayal, as indicated by the physical stature of the cyclists. By examining a real-life indicator of trust in inter-ethnic encounters, this study advances our knowledge of the ethnic boundaries of social trust and forms of covert discrimination in anonymous and multi-ethnic societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesized that slowed oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics for exercise transitions to higher power outputs (PO) within the steady state (SS) domain would increase the mean response time (MRT) with increasing exercise intensity during incremental exercise. Fourteen highly trained cyclists (mean ± standard deviation [SD]; age (39 ± 6) years [yr]; and VO2 peak = (61 ± 9) mL/kg/min performed a maximal, ramp incremental cycling test and on separate days, four 6-min bouts of cycling at 30%, 45%, 65% & 75% of their incremental peak PO (Wpeak). SS trial data were used to calculate the MRT and verified by mono-exponential and linear curve fitting. When the ramp protocol attained the value from SS, the PO, in Watts (W), was converted to time (min) based on the ramp function W to quantify the incremental MRT (iMRT). Slope analyses for the VO2 responses of the SS versus incremental exercise data below the gas exchange threshold (GET) revealed a significant difference (p = 0.003; [0.437 ± 0.08] vs. [0.382 ± 0.05] L•min-1). There was a significant difference between the 45% Wpeak steady state _ VO2 (ss VO2) ([3.08 ± 0.30] L•min-1, respectively), and 30% Wpeak ss VO2 (2.26 ± 0.24) (p < 0.0001; [3.61 ± 0.80] vs. [2.20 ± 0.39] L•min-1) and between the iMRT for 45% and 30% Wpeak ss VO2 values ([50.58 ± 36.85] s vs. [32.20 ± 43.28] s). These data indicate there is no single iMRT, which is consistent with slowed VO2 kinetics and an increasing VO2 deficit for higher exercise intensities within the SS domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this driving simulation study, we evaluated the change in driver behaviour of forty young drivers (20 females) following the conversion of a 2-way local street into a 1-way one with a cycle lane in a typical residential neighbourhood. Twenty drivers who were also used to commuting/travelling by bicycle were selected for the study. We compared three road layouts: (i) a standard 2-way urban street with no cycle lane (baseline), (ii) a 1-way street with a cycle lane on the right side, and (iii) a 1-way street with a left-side cycle lane. Driver behavioural metrics when interacting with cyclists including overtaking speed, lateral position in the lane, and vehicle-cyclist clearance were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Speed and lateral position in the lane were also analysed in the non-overtaking phase. Significantly better driver behaviour was observed in layouts with a dedicated cycle lane, manifesting itself in greater lateral distance values for safer overtaking and better trajectory control. Drivers were more likely to stay within their lanes, eliminating the need to alter trajectory when passing cyclists, thus promoting better longitudinal and lateral control. The presence of a cycle lane significantly improves the interaction between drivers and cyclists, regardless of the position of the cycle lane, i.e., Ieftvs. right side Withrespectto the vehicle lane. Whiletheresults do not favour a particular side, designers should also consider cyclist preferences and driver expectations at intersections. Further research is crucial to validate findings and explore lane positioning effects near intersections, and greater emphasis should be placed on determining cyclist preferences in terms of infrastructure design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Improving cornering skill has the potential to improve overall cycling performance. However, clinically used balance tests do not reflect cornering performance. More cycling-specific balance tests need to be developed to better assess cycling performance. Balance is paramount to safe and successful cycling, both in competition and recreation. Balance has been investigated in the return-to-cycling context, but its relationship to cycling performance is unknown. Our study aimed to analyse the relationship between balance, measured by common clinical balance tests, and cycling performance. Seven competitive cyclists participated in this cross-sectional correlational study. We collected field-based measures of cycling performance, including mean velocity, minimum and maximum velocity, mean corner speed, average lap time, and lean angle. Also, we measured balance via the balance error scoring system, the star excursion balance test, the lateral reach test, and the modified Bass test of dynamic balance. Strong correlations between cornering performance and cycling performance (r = 0.65–0.87, p < 0.01) were detected. Weak correlations between clinical balance tests and cycling performance (r = 0.33–0.53, p < 0.05) were observed. In conclusion, our study showed that improving cornering performance has the potential to improve overall cycling performance. We also found no clear correlations between our clinical balance tests and cycling performance. These weak correlations between postural control in standing and cycling performance suggest that standing balance and balancing during cycling are distinct motor control processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to use the recreation specialization construct to examine the diversity of mountain bike riders in the US to meet their needs better, and to help strengthen the sport and the outdoor economy. At one end of the specialization continuum are Completely High Specialists, and at the other end are Completely Low Specialists. As recreationists gain skill and experience, make an activity central to their lifestyle, and invest more in equipment, they can progress in specialization. Little if any research used the construct to study the larger noncompetitive and competitive mountain biker population. The authors analyzed a nationwide mountain bike data set collected in 2018 using snowball sampling. There were 13,623 mountain bikers across the US who provided usable online surveys. Specific recommendations are provided to help mountain bikers progress in specialization. Theoretical and methodological implications are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effects of acute and multi-day low-dose sodium bicarbonate (SB) intake on high-intensity endurance exercise performance. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design, twelve recreational male cyclists (age: 31.17 ± 4.91 years; V ˙ O2peak: 47.98 ± 7.68 ml·kg−1·min−1) completed three endurance performance tests following acute SB (ASB, 0.2 g·kg−1 SB), multi-day SB (MSB, 0.2 g·kg−1·day−1 SB for four days), and placebo (PLA) intake. The high-intensity endurance performance was assessed with a cycling exercise test, wherein participants cycled on a bicycle ergometer at 95% of the predetermined anaerobic threshold for 30 min, followed by a time-to-exhaustion test at 110% of the anaerobic threshold. Data were analyzed using one-way and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Significant main effects of supplementation protocol were evident in pre-exercise bicarbonate concentrations (F = 27.93; p < 0.01; partial eta squared (η2) = 0.72; false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted p value = 0.001). Prior to performance test, blood bicarbonate concentrations were significantly higher in MSB (25.78 ± 1.63 mmol·L−1 [95% CI 26.55–28.44] (p < 0.001; FDR-adjusted p value = 0.001)) and ASB (27.49 ± 1.49 mmol·L−1 [95% CI 24.75–26.81] (p < 0.001; FDR-adjusted p value = 0.007)) compared to PLA (23.75 ± 1.40 mmol·L−1 [95% CI 22.86 to 24.64]). Time-to-exhaustion increased in MSB (54.27 ± 9.20 min [95% CI 48.43–60.12]) compared to PLA (49.75 ± 10.80 min [95% CI 42.89–56.62]) (p = 0.048); however, this increase in MSB did not reach the significance threshold of 1% FDR (FDR-adjusted p value = 0.040). No significant difference was noted in exhaustion times between ASB (51.15 ± 8.39 min [95% CI 45.82–56.48]) and PLA (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Both acute and multi-day administration of low-dose SB improves buffering system in cyclists; nevertheless, neither intervention demonstrates sufficient efficacy in enhancing high-intensity endurance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Infrastructure design influences cycling and overtaking behaviour. • Cyclists feel more distracted when engaging in cognitive tasks. • Cognitive distraction does not impair cycling behaviour in simple situations. • A simulator study assessing hands-free cognitive distraction while cycling. • The distraction and complexity levels were too low to lead to behavioural adjustments. Previous studies using a survey or field observational approach show that secondary task engagement negatively impacts cyclists' performance. Prohibiting handheld phone use, while allowing hands-free use via headphones, is applied to reduce safety critical impact of secondary task engagement. Hands-free secondary task engagement limits visual-motor distraction, but cognitive distraction might still impact cycling performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioural effects of hands-free cognitive secondary task engagement while riding alone on different kinds of cycle paths as well as when overtaking other cyclists and reacting to typical events like stopping at a traffic light or evading a pedestrian or an obstacle on the cycle way. Using the cycling simulator at the Department of Traffic and Engineering Psychology at the TU-Braunschweig, a mixed design was used with three levels of secondary task engagement as the independent between-factor: no task (NT), podcast task (PC), acoustic speech task (AS). Additionally, three types of lane markings of the cycle way and three events were varied as within-factors. N = 58 participants (36 female, 22 male) completed the experiment. In none of the situations and none of the parameters examined, an effect of secondary task engagement was found, although cyclists subjectively felt more distracted. This was not due to a lack of sensitivity to the parameters measured, as the types of infrastructure significantly influenced cycling and overtaking behaviour. In line with multiple resource theory, results suggest that secondary tasks requiring cognitive but not visual-motor resources can be done while cycling without adverse effects on behaviour. However, this might also be an effect of task difficulty and may change when the cycling task or the secondary task becomes more complex. Thus, additional studies including more complex traffic situations, are relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Study examined how safety alerts should be communicated to cyclists. • Following a field trial with 38 cyclists, a technology acceptance survey was conducted. • Alerts for high crash-risk locations and nature of risk were preferred in auditory, visual, and haptic modalities. • Alerts should reflect real-time traffic conditions and unpredictable movements of other road users. • App should run in background and communicate with other cycling and navigational apps. Bicycle-mounted crash avoidance technologies have been developed to improve cyclist safety. However, their effectiveness in alerting cyclists of potential dangers and the preferences of cyclists regarding the types and mechanisms of receiving alerts have not been examined extensively in field trials. To address this gap, this paper aims to understand how safety alerts are best communicated to cyclists. This aim was achieved by undertaking a field trial of a smartphone app, which was the user interface of an innovative Intersection Safety Alert System (ISAS). A total of 38 participants rode bicycles equipped with the ISAS in a 2-day field trial in downtown Melbourne, Australia, and then completed a technology acceptance survey. The survey data were analysed using statistical and thematic analysis methods to derive insights on how cycling safety technologies should be designed to ensure a good level of user acceptance. Results showed that cyclists would be willing to use or recommend a safety app that is free from privacy or security concerns, be able to provide alerts that can effectively notify about dangerous situations, and be effective in improving the safety for the whole cycling community. Cyclists preferred to receive simple and clear safety alerts that provided information on high-risk locations and the nature of dangers through an easy-to-use user interface that runs in the background and communicates with other cycling and navigational apps. They wanted the alerts to convey real-time and non-obvious traffic conditions and unpredictable movements of other road users. Preferences and comments regarding auditory, visual and haptic modalities of presenting alerts differed among riders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Union Cycliste Internationale has deemed transgender female athlete's ineligible for the female category due to concerns about performance advantages. We conducted a follow-up analysis on laboratory-based performance indicators of sports performance using data from a longitudinally assessed transgender woman athlete undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). We evaluated laboratory performance indicators in transgender and cisgender women athletes using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanning, handgrip strength measurement, jump testing, and cardiopulmonary exercise. Additionally, we assessed a transgender sub-elite cyclist before and after undergoing GAHT. After one year of GAHT, the transgender athlete showed declines in handgrip strength (7–13 %), countermovement jump (23–29 %), and V̇O2max (15–30 %). After 3 months, several performance indicators (absolute handgrip, peak power, relative peak power, average power, relative average power, V̇O2max and relative V̇O2max) were above the mean of cisgender female athletes, while others (Relative handgrip, countermovement jump and relative countermovement jump) were below. Similar trends were observed at 6 months and 1 year. This hypothetical analysis, although with limited evidence, suggests the transgender athlete could compete equitably in elite cycling events within the female category after one year of GAHT. Adjustments based on competition data would ensure fairness. Further analysis after an additional 12 months is recommended to assess the impact of 2 years of GAHT. An outright ineligibility for the female category for transgender women athletes would hinder a true assessment of performance fairness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the shift in policy to promote active travel, the UK's Manual for Streets (MfS) guidance proposed new approaches for priority intersections design in residential areas, promoting lower geometric visibilities for drivers on minor road arms to reduce collision severity, and the low-speed (i.e., 20 mph) limit zone policy. However, the relationship between speed, visibility, and collisions has not been explored comprehensively for these low-speed limit residential areas. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of shorter visibilities on vehicle-bicycle collisions at priority intersections in Portsmouth, UK. Using piecewise Structural Equations Modeling and Artificial Neural Network models, 120 locations in the city were analysed to understand the complex interplay between vehicles' speed, speed limits, visibilities, geometries, traffic flows, and collisions. The research question was whether shorter visibilities supported policy intentions by reducing bicycle collisions in low-speed limit areas, as MfS suggested. The results show that greater visibility 9 m back to left and right positively correlates with higher road traffic collisions. In comparison, greater left-hand visibility at 2.4 m back from minor arms has a counter-effect that improves safety. This supports the notion that shorter visibility in residential areas aid cyclist safety. This study contributes significantly to the literature by shedding light on the impact of shorter visibility on road safety. The findings have important implications for transportation policy and practice, highlighting the importance of the MfS approach for improving cyclist safety in the design of priority intersections. • The pSEM model reveals complex relationship between intersection geometries, and collisions in low-speed limit areas. • The shorter visibility distance in built-up areas correlates with fewer bicycle collisions. • The longer visibilities at 9 m back to the left and right are associated with higher bicycle collisions. • Better left-hand visibility at 2.4 m improves cyclists safety. • The policy implication of 20 mph (30 km/h) speed limits improves the safety of cyclists at intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine (LSBMD) and the femoral neck (FBMD) in male road cyclists (RC n = 39), mountain cyclists (MC n = 30) and controls (C n = 27) and to determine the factors associated with BMD in the same group of participants. Methods: BMD, fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) were measured using DXA. Calcium intake (Cal), exercise energy expenditure (EEE) and energy availability (EA) were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Samples for circulating hormones were also obtained. VO2max was estimated by a cycloergometric test. Results: After adjustment for body mass, in cyclists LSBMD (RC 0.98 ± 0.12; MC 0.98 ± 0.10 g/cm2) was significantly lower than in C (1.11 ± 0.10; p <.001), while FBMD resulted in no significant difference in cyclists compared to C (p = 0.213). EA (kcal/FFM/day) was different in cyclists and in C (p <.05). In C, EEE and EA were positively associated with LSBMD (R = 0.561, R = 0.656, respectively, p <.01), whereas only EA was associated with FBMD (R = 0.554, p <.05); a positive association between EA and FBMD was found in MC (R = 0.464, p <.05). A negative relationship between VO2max and LSBMD in RC (R = -0.418, p <.05) and a positive one between EEE and LSBMD in MC were found (R = 0.605, p <.001). CaI, free testosterone and cortisol were unrelated to BMD. Conclusion: Both the RC and MC had lower LSBMD than C, whereas no difference was found between the two groups of cyclists. The factors associated with BMD are manifold, vary in relation to the measurement site and are likely different in RC, MC and C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Social categorization among e-scooter riders and cyclists was studied. • Higher dispositional attribution ratings for ingroups than outgroups emerged. • Fine severity was higher for the ingroup than the outgroup. • Situational attribution ratings were higher for e-scooter riders than cyclists. • Results imply considerate coexistence among cyclists and e-scooter riders. Problem: In many countries, a new road user group, e-scooter riders, share the existing cycling infrastructure. The study aimed to investigate if an individual's status as a cyclist or e-scooter rider affects their social identity and whether it results in ingroup favoritism or outgroup discrimination. Method: An online experiment involving 179 cyclists and 64 e–scooter riders was conducted, where they rated the behavior of ingroup or outgroup members in six traffic scenarios. Results: Participants rated dispositional attributions as more causally relevant than situational ones across all traffic scenarios. Cyclists and e–scooter riders were inclined to judge ingroup members' rule violations more harshly than those of outgroup members in terms of dispositional attribution ratings and punishment severity. For situational attributions, few indications of ingroup favoritism were observed for the e–scooter rider group. Summary: Findings suggest initial indications of considerate coexistence, from the perspective of social identity theory, between the two modes of transport, supporting current regulations on the use of cycling infrastructure by e–scooter riders. Indications of ingroup discrimination, however, suggest that safety campaigning may target to promote courtesy within the cyclist and e-scooter rider groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engagement in physical activity, across various sports, promotes a diverse microbiota in active individuals. This study examines the gut microbiota of Colombian athletes, specifically weightlifters (n = 16) and road cyclists (n = 13), compared to non‐athletes (n = 15). Using Kruskal–Wallis tests, the physical activity level of a group of non‐athletic individuals and the sports experience of a group of professional athletes is analyzed. The median age of participants is 24 years, comprising 25 men and 19 women. The microbiota is collected using fecal samples. Participants provided these samples during their pre‐competitive stage, specifically during the concentration phase occurring two weeks prior to national competitions. This timing is chosen to capture the microbial composition during a period of heightened physical preparation. Questionnaire responses and microbial composition assessments identify disparities among groups. Microbial composition analysis explores core microbiome, abundance, and taxonomy using Pavian, MicrobiomeAnalyst 2.0, and GraPhlAn. ANCOM‐BC2 reveals differentially abundant species. Road cyclists exhibit decreased Bacteria and increased Archaea abundance. Phylum‐level variations included Planctomycetes, Acidobacteria, and Proteobacteria, while Bacteroidetes prevailed. Key families influencing gut microbiota are Bacteroidaceae, Muribaculaceae, and Selenomonadaceae. Weightlifters exhibit unique viral and archaeal community connections, while cyclists showed specialized microbial interplay influenced by endurance exercise. Correlation network analysis emphasizes distinctive microbial interactions within athlete groups, shedding light on the impact of physical activities on gut microbiota and athlete health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bicycle safety has emerged as a pressing concern within the vulnerable transportation community. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify the significant factors that contribute to the severity of cyclist injuries, yet the findings have been subject to uncertainty due to unobserved heterogeneity and class imbalance. This research aims to address these issues by developing a model to examine the impact of key factors on cyclist injury severity, accounting for data heterogeneity and imbalance. To incorporate unobserved heterogeneity, a total of 3,895 bicycle accidents were categorized into three homogeneous sub-accident clusters using Latent Class Cluster Analysis (LCA). Additionally, five over-sampling techniques were employed to mitigate the effects of data imbalance in each accident cluster category. Subsequently, Bayesian Network (BN) structure learning algorithms were utilized to construct 32 BN models after pairing the accident data from the four accident cluster types before and after sampling. The optimal BN models for each accident cluster type provided insights into the key factors associated with cyclist injury severity. The results indicate that the key factors influencing serious cyclist injuries vary heterogeneously across different accident clusters. Female cyclists, adverse weather conditions such as rain and snow, and off-peak periods were identified as key factors in several subclasses of accident clusters. Conversely, factors such as the week of the accident, characteristics of the trafficway, the season, drivers failing to yield to the right-of-way, distracted cyclists, and years of driving experience were found to be key factors in only one subcluster of accident clusters. Additionally, factors such as the time of the crash, gender of the cyclist, and weather conditions exhibit varying levels of heterogeneity across different accident clusters, and in some cases, exhibit opposing effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Mader's mathematical model, the rate of capillary blood lactate concentration (νLamax) following intense exercise is thought to reflect the maximal glycolytic rate. We aimed to investigate the reliability of important variables of Mader's model (i.e. power output, lactate accumulation, predominant phosphagen contribution time frames (tPCr)) and resulting νLamax values derived during and after a 15‐s cycling sprint. Fifty cyclists performed a 15‐s all‐out sprint test on a Cyclus2 ergometer three times. The first sprint test was considered a familiarization trial. Capillary blood was sampled before and every minute (for 8 min) after the sprint to determine νLamax. Test–retest analysis between T2 and T3 revealed excellent reliability for power output (Pmean and Ppeak; ICC = 0.99, 0.99), ∆La and νLamax with tPCr of 3.5 s (ICC = 0.91, 0.91). νLamax calculated with tPCr = tPpeak (ICC = 0.87) and tPCr = tPpeak–3.5% (ICC = 0.79) revealed good reliability. tPpeak and tPpeak–3.5% revealed only poor and moderate reliability (ICC = 0.41, 0.52). Power output and ∆La are reliable parameters in the context of this test. Depending on tPCr, reliability of νLamax varies considerably with tPCr of 3.5 s showing excellent reliability. We recommend standardization of this type of testing especially tPCr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the pursuit of optimal recovery, the significance of sleep cannot be overstated for elite cyclists, including high-level cyclists within the junior category. This study aims to assess the sleep quality of elite athletes of different categories and disciplines, including junior. The sleep quality of 112 high-level cyclists (males n = 80; females n = 32) participating in endurance and sprint disciplines was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A noteworthy 41% of both elite and junior cyclists displayed poor sleep quality. No significant differences were observed between elite and junior cyclists in terms of sleep quality, but there was a medium effect size, indicating greater sleep efficiency in junior cyclists [0.36 (0.16, 0.53)]. Gender differences were found, with females exhibiting worse PSQI scores (males = 4.00 [2.25]; females 5.00 [3.00]; p = 0.035). Endurance cyclists spent more time in bed compared to cyclists from sprinting disciplines (8:30 [1.00] and 8:00 [1:03], respectively; p = 0.019). These findings reveal poor sleep habits, even among individuals classified as good sleepers by the PSQI, emphasizing the importance of preventing sleep disorders in cyclists. This study provides valuable insights into athlete sleep quality, encompassing various categories, genders, and cycling disciplines. In conclusion, elite cyclists demonstrate suboptimal sleep quality, suggesting the potential for interventions utilizing the PSQI. These findings advocate for the incorporation of sleep quality assessments into routine evaluations for athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To verify the effects of saddle height adjustment on the perception of comfort in recreational cyclists. Methods: Fourteen recreational cyclists (8 men) underwent anthropometric measurements (body mass, height, and height [perineum to the ground]) that were used to individually adjust the saddle height of the bicycle using the LeMond method. Each participant rode a preestablished circuit with a distance of 2 km and elevation gain of 36 m at a selfselected intensity and reported the subjective perception of comfort before and after the height adjustment. Results: A significant difference (-2 cm) in saddle height (p = 0.040) was observed, as well as an increase (16%) in the perception of comfort (p = 0.044) when comparing before and after adjustment. Conclusion: Adjusting the saddle height using the LeMond method was efficient in increasing the perception of comfort of the participants. The adoption of this method demonstrated the need for a reduction in height to improve the perception of comfort of recreational cyclists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigating cyclist discomfort in shared spaces. • Varied discomfort in passing and meeting events among demographics. • Cycling experience enhances comfort for older adults. • Younger adults with e-scooter experience have lower cycling comfort. Shared spaces for active mobility prioritize the safety and comfort of vulnerable road users by segregating them from motorized vehicles. However, the diverse speed regimes of pedestrians and cyclists can lead to encounters that may affect their comfort. In addition, the very perception of comfort may vary across individuals depending on their demographics, and therefore the determinants of comfort and their effects may not be fixed across all individuals. Despite these complexities, there is limited research in understanding the heterogeneous interactions between cyclists and other road users in shared spaces. To bridge this gap, we conducted an intercept survey complemented by an experimental section involving 594 cyclists in Sweden. This study focuses on gaining insights into cyclists' experiences, particularly their comfort levels during 'passing' and 'meeting' events with other road users in shared spaces. We then used the collected data to develop a random effect latent class ordered probit model to scrutinize the determinants of cycling comfort in passing and meeting scenarios. The latent class specification is employed to account for unobserved heterogeneity in the data. Findings reveal that female cyclists generally perceive less comfort compared to their male counterparts in both scenarios. Passing events have a more negative impact on older adults, leading to less comfort compared to younger cyclists. We also found that previous cycling experience increases comfort in shared facilities, particularly for older adults. These results highlight the intricate nature of perceived comfort in interactions, particularly concerning demographic characteristics, contributing to the promotion of user diversity in shared spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyclist's posture is typically characterized by a trunk flexion position to reach the handlebar of the bike. The pelvis serves as the base of the spine, and its tilt has been associated with the degree of extensibility of the hamstring, particularly in flexion postures of the trunk. The aim of this study was to determine whether, in professional cyclists, the degree of hamstring extensibility influences the pelvic tilt maintained while seated on the bicycle with support from the three handlebar grips of the road bike, as well as in other positions of the bicycle. To evaluate pelvic tilt, all participants were measured using the Spinal Mouse system. The results revealed statistically significant differences in pelvic tilt among the six positions assessed (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, the degree of hamstring extensibility of the hamstrings presented a strong and positive correlation with pelvic tilt in standing posture (r = 0.82), Sit-and-Reach (r = 0.76), and Toe-Touch (r = 0.88). However, the degree of hamstring extensibility showed no significant correlations with pelvic tilt in any posture maintained on the bicycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]