Дисертації з теми "Road cyclists"

Objectives Although the lack of perceived safety is an important deterrent to cycling, available knowledge is not comprehensive enough. The aim of this research is to contribute to academic knowledge by exploring the role of road section attributes in perceived safety of cyclists and to develop a method to use the theoretical results in practice. Methods A stated choice survey is carried out to estimate the effects of selected infrastructure attributes on perceived safety. A multinomial logit (MNL) model is used to estimate the effects. Results are used to develop an infrastructure assessment tool by counting aggregate perceived safety utility values of road sections. Results Cyclists perceive the presence of dedicated cycling facilities and physical separation similarly important, while other attributes (traffic volume, speed reduction and adjacent car parking) turned out to be less important. The Subjective Safety Score can be consciously used to evaluate existing and planned road sections and compare different design alternatives. Conclusions The results give a strong support for using physically separated cycling facilities (cycle tracks for example) to engage people to cycling. Further research is recommended to explore the effects of intersection attributes and to include interaction effects of attributes as well.

O Pós-Modernismo tem sido objeto de estudo de inúmeros trabalhos acadêmicos que abordam suas características de fragmentação, heterogeneidade, convívio com ideais conflitantes e descrença na existência de verdades únicas e explicações universais (COVA, 1996a). Para definir suas estratégias, as pesquisas pós-modernas devem consideram a existência de microgrupos sociais, criados livremente pelas pessoas de acordo com suas escolhas afetivas (MAFFESOLI, 2006). Também denominados neotribos, tribos, comunidades ou grupos pós-modernos (COVA, 1996a; MAFFESOLI, 2006), eles conectam pessoas através de fatores como localidade, afinidade, emoção e paixão; possuem rituais, cultuam símbolos, além de consumirem produtos e serviços por seu valor de ligação, ou seja, por gerarem interação social entre seus membros (COVA, 1997). O objetivo principal deste trabalho é verificar se e como as características das tribos pós-modernas se aplicam aos ciclistas de estrada, compreender como ocorrem suas experiências de consumo e identificar de que forma o valor de ligação está presente em suas atividades. O Grupo Walter Tuche, que reúne no Rio de Janeiro cerca de 130 ciclistas de estrada, foi selecionado para esta pesquisa de caráter exploratório. A escolha do tema visa contribuir para a disciplina do marketing tanto do ponto de vista de mercado, quanto academicamente, face à importância de se compreender as tribos de consumo dentro da realidade pós-moderna e à escassez de estudos acerca das comunidades esportivas. Os resultados sugerem que os ciclistas do grupo possuem hábitos típicos de uma tribo pós-moderna e têm no ato de pedalar um meio de ligação social e de atribuir significado às suas vidas.
Postmodernism has been the focus of a growing number of academic studies, which research its characteristics, such as fragmentation, heterogeneity, juxtaposition of opposites and the disbelief in definite truths and universal explanations (COVA, 1996a). To define its strategies, postmodern researches should consider the existence of social microgroups, created freely by individuals, based on their emotional choices (MAFFESOLI, 2006). Also named neotribes, tribes, communities or postmodern groups (COVA, 1996a; MAFFESOLI, 2006), they bring together people through values such as locality, affinity, emotion and passion; have rituals and worship symbols, besides consuming products and services due to their capacity of creating social interactions - linking value (COVA, 1997). The main purpose of this work is to identify if and how the characteristics of the postmodern tribes apply to road cyclists, as to understand how their consumption works and verify the existence of linking values on its structure. The Walter Tuche Group, which gathers around 130 road cyclists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was selected for this exploratory research. The subject’s choice aims at contributing to the marketing discipline academically and to the sport consumption business perspective, not only due to the importance of understanding consumers’ tribes on a postmodern view, but also due to the lack of studies on sport communities. The results suggest that the cycling group members possess habits peculiar to postmodern tribes and that their members consider the act of cycling as a mean to give purposes to their lives.

In den letzten Jahren hat die Verbreitung von Elektrofahrrädern, sogenannten Pedelecs, stark zugenommen. Dies ist vor dem Hintergrund der Umweltfreundlichkeit und Gesundheitsförderlichkeit dieser Form der Fortbewegung zunächst grundsätzlich positiv zu bewerten. Gleichzeitig besteht jedoch die Sorge, dass Elektrofahrradfahrer häufiger und in schwerere Unfälle verwickelt werden könnten als Fahrradfahrer. So bieten motorgestützte Elektrofahrräder das Potential, höhere Geschwindigkeiten zu erreichen als konventionelle Fahrräder, und werden zudem vor allem von älteren Verkehrsteilnehmern genutzt. Nicht zuletzt deswegen könnten sich durch diese neue Mobilitätsform auch neue Herausforderungen für die Verkehrs-, insbesondere Radinfrastrukturen ergeben. Tatsächlich jedoch blieben die Auswirkungen auf die Verkehrssicherheit bisher weitestgehend ungeklärt. Um dieser Problematik zu begegnen, wurde im Rahmen einer Naturalistic Cycling Studie (NCS) und mehreren experimentellen Untersuchungen folgenden Fragen nachgegangen: Fahren Elektrofahrradfahrer tatsächlich schneller als nicht-motorisierte Radfahrer? Wie wirken sich diese potentiell höheren Geschwindigkeiten darauf aus, wie Elektrofahrradfahrer von Autofahrern wahrgenommen werden? Welchen Einfluss hat das Alter der Radfahrer auf die Geschwindigkeiten und auch auf deren Neigung zu Unfällen bzw. sicherheitskritischen Situationen im Verkehr? Und welchen Einfluss hat die Infrastruktur auf die gewählten Geschwindigkeiten und die Auftretenshäufigkeit von kritischen Situationen? Diese und weitere Fragen wurden in insgesamt vier Arbeiten, die in internationalen Fachzeitschriften publiziert sind (I - IV), beleuchtet. Im ersten Artikel werden die Geschwindigkeiten von Fahrradfahrern (n = 31) im Gegensatz zu Pedelecfahrern (n = 49; Motorunterstützung bis 25 km/h) sowie S-Pedelecfahrern (n = 10; Motorunterstützung bis 45 km/h) betrachtet. Als Einflussgrößen wurden das Alter und die Nutzung verschiedener Infrastrukturtypen der Probanden ausgewertet. Alle Räder wurden mit einem Datenaufzeichnungssystem inklusive Kameras und Geschwindigkeitssensoren ausgestattet, um für vier Wochen ein Bild des natürlichen Fahrverhaltens zu erhalten. Unabhängig von der Infrastruktur waren S-Pedelecfahrer schneller unterwegs waren als Fahrrad- und Pedelecfahrer. Pedelecfahrer fuhren ebenfalls signifikant schneller als konventionelle Fahrradfahrer. Die höchsten Geschwindigkeiten wurden für alle Radtypen auf der (mit dem motorisierten Verkehr geteilten) Fahrbahn sowie der Radinfrastruktur gemessen. Das Alter der Fahrer hatte ebenfalls einen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Geschwindigkeit: Unabhängig vom Fahrradtyp waren ältere Fahrer (65 Jahre und älter) deutlich langsamer als Probanden jüngerer Altersgruppen (41-64 Jahre sowie 40 Jahre und jünger). Die beiden jüngeren Altersgruppen fuhren selbst ohne Motorunterstützung (konventionelles Fahrrad) schneller als die älteren Pedelecfahrer. Genauere Analysen (wie etwa das Verhalten beim Bergabfahren) legen nahe, dass dieser Befund nicht allein der physischen Leistungsfähigkeit zugeschrieben werden kann. Es scheint vielmehr so, als ob ältere Fahrrad- und Elektroradfahrer durch die geringere Geschwindigkeit versuchen, Defizite in der Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit auszugleichen bzw. generell vorsichtiger fahren. Der zweite Artikel beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, inwieweit sich die Art und Häufigkeit von Unfällen und kritischen Situationen bei den drei verschiedenen Altersgruppen unterscheiden. Auch hier wurde auf die Daten aus der NCS zurückgegriffen, auf deren Basis eine umfassende Videokodierung durchgeführt wurde. Es zeigten sich keine Unterschiede zwischen den Altersgruppen hinsichtlich des Auftretens kritischer Situationen; weder in Bezug auf die absolute Anzahl, noch gemessen an der relativen Häufigkeit (pro 100 km). Ebenfalls keine Zusammenhänge fanden sich zwischen dem Alter der Fahrer und der Art von Konfliktpartnern oder der Tageszeit der kritischen Situationen. Auch hier scheint es so, dass Ältere keinem erhöhten Risiko unterliegen, und etwaige altersbedingte Einschränkungen kompensieren können. Bei der Betrachtung des Einflusses des Infrastrukturtyps auf das Auftreten von kritischen Situationen zeigte sich, dass, bezogen auf die zurückgelegten Wegstrecken, die Nutzung der mit dem motorisierten Verkehr geteilten Fahrbahn als relativ sicher einzustufen ist. Demgegenüber ergab sich ein erhöhtes Risiko für Unfälle oder kritische Situationen auf designierter Radinfrastruktur. Dies widerspricht der Wahrnehmung vieler Radfahrer, die diese Infrastruktur als besonders sicher empfinden. Es ist allerdings anzunehmen, dass diese Wahrnehmung nicht nur auf der vermeintlichen Auftretenshäufigkeit, sondern auch auf dem angenommenen Schweregrad einer möglichen Kollision beruht. Zwei weitere Artikel beschäftigen sich damit, wie Autofahrer die Geschwindigkeit beziehungsweise die Annäherung von Elektrofahrrädern wahrnehmen. Dies ist insbesondere in Kreuzungssituationen relevant, in denen Autofahrer abschätzen müssen, ob sie noch rechtzeitig vor einem Fahrrad abbiegen können ohne mit diesem zu kollidieren. Es wurde vermutet, dass die fehlende Erfahrung mit Elektrofahrrädern und der von ihnen erreichbaren Geschwindigkeit vermehrt zu entsprechenden Unfällen führen könnte. Der Frage wurde mit einem Experiment zur Lückenakzeptanz auf der Teststrecke (Artikel III) und einer Videostudie zu Schätzungen von Zeitlückengrößen (Artikel IV) nachgegangen. Es zeigte sich, dass Autofahrer die verbleibende Zeit bis zur Kollision für Elektrofahrradfahrer geringer einschätzten als für konventionelle Radfahrer. Zudem wählten Autofahrer bei einem herannahenden Elektrofahrrad signifikant kleinere Zeitlücken zum Abbiegen, als bei einem konventionellen Fahrrad. Dieser Effekt verstärkte sich sogar noch, wenn die Geschwindigkeit des herannahenden Zweirades zunahm. Diese Befunde legen nahe, dass die Einschätzung der Geschwindigkeit beziehungsweise Annäherung von Elektrofahrrädern durchaus risikobehaftet ist. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit helfen dabei, die Auswirkungen der steigenden Verbreitung von Elektrofahrrädern auf die Verkehrssicherheit einzuschätzen. Auch erlauben es die Erkenntnisse, Maßnahmen zur Erhöhung der Verkehrssicherheit für Fahrrad- und Elektrofahrradfahrern aller Altersgruppen abzuleiten. Damit leistet diese Arbeit einen Beitrag zur Unterstützung einer sicheren, gesunden und umweltfreundlichen Mobilität
Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are a relatively new form of transport. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate their effects on road safety. In 2012, at the beginning of this dissertation project, knowledge of e-bikes in general and their impact on road safety in particular was relatively scarce. As a starting point of this work, the influence of e-bikes on road safety was investigated compared relative to the road safety of conventional bicycles. Additionally, the influence of the age of the rider on safety is considered as a supplementary factor. Special attention is paid to the impact of the infrastructure utilised by riders and its characteristics. This cumulative dissertation consists of four research articles, labelled Paper I to IV accordingly. Papers I to IV have been published in peer reviewed journals. The synopsis provides an overview of previous research as well as a theoretical framework of the safety of cyclists and e-bike riders. Speed, and its perception through other road users (measured with experiments to gap acceptance and time to arrival (TTA) estimates) are considered as relevant factors for road safety. In Chapter 4, the research objectives are presented in detail. The methodology is clarified in Chapter 5, and in Chapter 6 and 7 the results are summarised and discussed. The implications of the results are considered in Chapter 8. In Paper I, the differences in speed between bicycles, pedelecs (pedal electric cycle, motor assistance up to 25 km/h) and S-pedelecs (pedal electric cycle, motor assistance up to 45 km/h) were investigated. Additionally the influence of infrastructure type, road gradient and the age of the rider were taken into account. Paper II is concerned with the influence of different conflict partners in crashes, and the utilisation of infrastructure on the safety of cyclists. For this purpose, safety critical events (SCE) involving cyclists were examined, with a special focus on the differences between younger, middle aged, and older cyclists. Papers III and IV focus on the perception of speed of e-bike and bicycle riders through other road users and its implications for road safety. Paper III specifically deals with the gap acceptance of car drivers at intersections in the presence of cyclists and e-bike riders with different speeds and under varying conditions (e.g. at intersections with different road gradients). Paper IV looks at drivers TTA estimates of approaching bicycles and e-bikes in combination with other influencing factors (e.g. speed, cyclist age)

Athletes regularly monitor exercise workload in an attempt to improve and maintain exercise performance. Within road cycling, workload is commonly measured using power output. Yet, it is plausible that power output during road cycling is influenced by several factors such as topography, road gradient or rider specialities. If these factors do influence power output they may influence quantification of workload demands. As such, the purpose of this thesis was to improve our understanding of external workload in professional road cycling and describe the factors which influence power output during performance analysis. Specifically, this thesis examined the power output within single stage (1 day, Study One) and multi-stage races (4-21 days, Study Two, Three and Four). The within seasonal changes in power output of professional cyclists were also examined (Study Five). Study One calculated the frequency distribution of maximal power output (POpeak) values during road cycling events over different topography categories and analysed the power output 600 s prior to POpeak using a new time series analysis called changepoint. Changepoint estimated the four largest statistical changes in power output to find distinct segments. Seven professional male road cyclists (mean ± SD: age 29.5 ± 2.8 y, mass 69.7 ± 5.5 kg, height 182 ± 5 cm) participated in Study One and were all members of a single professional cycling team. It was found that a greater frequency of POpeak values (54%) occurred during flat stages in the final 80 to 100% of race time compared with the previous 0 to 80% race time. Using changepoint, power output was lower (P <0.05) in segment four compared with POpeak in all topography categories (flat: 235 vs. 823 W, semi-mountainous: 157 vs. 886 W and mountainous: 171 vs. 656 W). These results demonstrate that POpeak values occur at differing time points depending on the topography category and that changepoint demonstrated its ability to analyse power output data. Study Two calculated the maximal mean power (MMP) of professional cyclists from grand tour events. The MMP was examined across various topographies and rider specialities. Study Two also examined the percentage of race time spent in different power output bands between topographies, road gradients and rider specialities. Thirteen male professional cyclists (mean ± SD: age 25 ± 3 y, mass 69 ± 7.5 kg, height 178 ± 0.5 cm) participated in Study Two. MMP for durations longer than 1200 s were greater in semi-mountainous and mountainous stages, when compared with flat stages (1200 s: 5.1 ± 0.2, 5.2 ± 0.3, 4.5 ± 0.3 W·kg-1 respectively; P <0.05). Sprinters and climbers spent greater percentage of race time at a power output greater than 7.5 W·kg-1, when compared with general classification riders and domestiques (11.3, 11.4, 7.1 and 5.3%, respectively; P <0.05). A greater proportion of race time was spent at a power output above 3.7 W·kg-1 when cycling at a road gradient greater than 5% (P <0.05), compared with road gradients 0 to 5% and less than 0%. In conclusion, caution should be taken when comparing MMP between different races of varying topography or rider specialities. It was found in Study Two that MMP differs between flat and mountainous stages. Given that critical power (CP) can be estimated from MMP values during competition it is plausible that such differences will influence CP estimation. It is also plausible that difference in MMP between flat and mountainous stages is because cyclists are able to produce greater power output uphill rather than on flat gradients. As such, Study Three examined the use of MMP in the estimation of CP when calculated from stages of differing topographies. Also, Study Three compared estimated CP from a flat (mean gradient 0.4%) and uphill (mean gradient 6.2%) field-based test. Data from thirteen professional male road cyclists (age 29 ± 4 y, height 171 ± 0.9 cm, mass 67 ± 8.2 kg) were analysed. No differences (P >0.05) were observed in estimated CP between topography categories. However, a large effects size (d = 0.8) was observed in CP between flat stages and both semi-mountainous and mountainous stages. Estimated CP was 11.6% lower in flat field-based test, compared with the uphill field-based test (5.0 vs. 5.6 W·kg-1). Study Three demonstrates a large difference between estimated CP from alternative topography categories and from two different gradient specific field-based tests. With an 11.6% difference in CP observed in Study Three between 0 and 6.2% road gradients, Study Four investigated the magnitude of change in 1 and 5 min MMP from grand tour mountain stages. Road gradients of -5% to +5% were compared chronologically from lowest to highest. Seven professional male road cyclists (age 30 ± 4 y, height 169 ± 8 cm, body mass 69 ± 9 kg) from two professional cycling teams were analysed. In total 50 mountainous stages were analysed in Study Four from grand tours between 2011 and 2016. Power output from road gradient -1% was lower (P <0.001) in both 1 and 5 MMP compared with 0% (2.4 to 3.3 and 2.2 to 3.1 W·kg-1, respectively). Power output from road gradient 1% was lower in both 1 and 5 MMP compared with 2% (3.6 to 4.2 and 3.4 to 4.1 W·kg-1; (P <0.05)). These results highlight the need to consider road gradient when using power output for cycling performance analysis. Study Five described the within-season external workloads of professional male road cyclists for optimal training prescription. Four professional male cyclists (mean ± SD: age 24 ± 2 y, body mass 77.6 ± 1.5 kg, height 184 ± 4.3 cm) from the same professional cycling team were monitored for 12 months. Within three seasonal phases (phase one: Oct-Jan, phase two: Feb-May and, phase three: June-Sept), the volume and exercise intensity during training and racing was measured. Total distance (3859 ± 959 vs 10911 ± 620 km) and time (240.5 ± 37.5 vs 337.5 ± 26 h) was lower (P <0.01) in phase one compared with phase two, respectively. Total distance decreased (P <0.01) from phase two compared with phase three (10911 ± 620 vs 8411 ± 1399 km, respectively). Mean absolute (236 ± 12.1 vs. 197 ± 3 W) and relative (3.1 ± 0 vs. 2.5 ± 0 W·kg-1) power output was higher (P <0.05) during racing compared with training, respectively. These results highlight the importance in acknowledging the difference in volume and intensity changes during a season. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that cycling power output is affected by multiple factors including topography, road gradient and a rider’s speciality. Caution should be taken when interpreting cycling performance analysis using power output measures such as MMP and CP.

Cross-country (XC) mountain bike (MTB) riding is a new cycling discipline and research examining the physiological demands of MTB racing is limited. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively measure physiological characteristics, to identify the performance demands of XC and time trial (TT) MTB racing and to simulate a field MTB race in the laboratory to measure the physiological responses associated with racing. Twelve male and four female elite MTB cyclists volunteered to take part in this study. Subjects completed maximal aerobic power and, anaerobic power and capacity tests. MTB race data was collected during TT and XC competitions with SRM MTB power cranks fitted to the subjects MTB. Five male MTB cyclists (V . O2max 72.0 +/- 4.6 ml/kg/min-1, maximum power output (MPO) 5.40 +/- 0.30 W/kg-1, maximum heart rate (HRmax) 189 +/- 7 bpm) performed two laps of a MTB course in the field using their race bikes with MTB SRM power cranks fitted. A laboratory MTB race simulation was performed using a wind braked ergometer. Cyclists attempted to match the average and peak power output (W/kg-1) achieved in the field trial in the laboratory. Power output (PO), heart rate (HR) and cadence (revolutions per minute, rpm) were measured during field and laboratory trials, while oxygen uptake (V . O2) was determined only during the laboratory simulation. Results showed TT MTB racing is significantly shorter in duration and distance than XC racing and significantly higher for power output and heart rate, with more time spent above anaerobic threshold (16.0 +/- 2.4 and 22.8 +/- 4.3% time) and MPO (38.4 +/- 5.2 and 26.5 +/- 9.4% time) than XC racing (p<0.05). Mean power output and heart rate between the field and laboratory trials were similar (4.18 +/- 0.55 and 4.17 +/- 0.15 W/kg-1 respectively, 175 +/- 9 and 170 +/- 8 bpm). Time spent below 2 W/kg-1 and above 6 W/kg-1 for the field and laboratory trials accounted for ~32% and ~30% of the total time, respectively. During field and laboratory trials, cyclists utilised 77.8 and 77.3% of MPO, 93 and 90% of HRmax, respectively. There was a significant difference between mean cadence in the field and laboratory trials (60.3 +/- 9.1 and 75.2 +/- 7.0 rpm, respectively, p<0.05). The cadence band of 60-69 rpm showed a significant difference between the time spent in that band from the field (14.6%) to the laboratory (4.6%). The time spent above a cadence of 80 rpm in the field was 29.8% compared to the laboratory at 62.0% of the time. Mean and peak V . O2 for the simulation was 57.5 +/- 3.3 and 69.3 +/- 4.4 ml/kg-1/min-1 respectively, with cyclists sustaining an average of ~80% V . O2max. In summary, MTB competition requires multiple short-high intensity efforts and places high demands on both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. The power output and heart rate responses to a MTB field race are similar when simulated in the laboratory, although in the laboratory higher cadences are selected for the higher power outputs than the field.

Despite many studies describing the physiological characteristics of professional road cyclists and recent work describing the demands of competition, there is a paucity of similar information regarding elite mountain bike (MTB) cyclists. The aim of the present work was to describe the physiological characteristics and the demands of competition for successful MTB cyclists relative to successful road cyclists. Internationally competitive cyclists from both disciplines (seven MTB and seven road) completed the following laboratory tests: anthropometric measurements, an incremental cycle ergometer test and a 30 minute laboratory time trial. In addition, the power output profile obtained in the field from a world-class MTB cyclist riding a simulated race were compared to successful road cycling performances (placing top 3) in flat (FLAT), semi-mountainous (SEMO), high-mountainous (HIMO), individual time trial (ITT) and criterium (CRIT) road races. Due to conversion problems, 6 sentences have been omitted. For full abstract, see 01front.pdf. These results indicate that success in international MTB racing requires high power-to-weight characteristics complemented by a light and lean physique. MTB racing is associated with greater torque at the pedal crank, a more constant effort with less time at lower power outputs and a higher frequency of highintensity surges than road racing. Therefore coaches should take into account these unique MTB racing characteristics when devising training programs for elite athletes.

Pedestrians and bicyclists are the most vulnerable road users and suffer the most severe consequences when crashes take place. An extensive literature is available for crash severity in terms of driver safety, but fewer studies have explored non-motorized users' crash severity. Furthermore, most research efforts have examined pedestrian and bicyclist crash severity in urban areas. This study focuses on state roads (mostly outside major urban areas) and aims to identify contributing risk factors of fatal and severe crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists in state roads. Two ordinal regression models were developed (one for pedestrian and the other for bicyclist crashes) to examine crash severity risk factors. Additional models were developed to investigate road and traffic characteristics that could increase the likelihood of fatal crashes. In the model for pedestrian crash severity risk factors such as age, vehicle type and movement, light conditions, road classification, traffic control device, posted speed limit, location of the pedestrian and wet road surface during clear weather conditions are statistically significant. The bicyclist crash severity model indicates that age, crash location, vehicle movement and alcohol intoxication during dark conditions are statistically significant. In terms of road characteristics and traffic conditions, the models suggested risk factors such as arterials, light conditions, posted speed limit, roadways, and high heavy vehicle volume, increased the odds of a crash being fatal. The results seem to suggest that besides improvements in roadway characteristics, additional countermeasures to reduce crash severity for vulnerable users should include separation of vulnerable users from traffic, educational campaigns, more strict control of alcohol intoxicated drivers, and protection strategies of senior pedestrians.

Sprint cycling ability is a key determinant of road cycling performance, with many races designed specifically for sprinters. The ability to excel in the final sprint is relevant for both individual riders and teams. Despite the importance of sprints within professional road cycling, the characteristics of professional road sprints and sprinters have yet to be extensively described. Thus, the overall objective of the five research studies contained within this doctoral thesis was to describe road cycling sprint performance and improve the general understanding of the physical, technical and tactical factors associated with such performances. The first two descriptive field studies document the physical and physiological demand of sprint races during actual road cycling competitions. Specifically, Study 1 was designed to quantify the demands of sprinting in the male professional category. Seventeen competitions from six male professional cyclists (mean ± SD: age, 27.0 ± 3.8 y; height, 1.76 ± 0.03 m; weight, 71.7 ± 1.1 kg) who placed Top 5 in professional road races were analysed. Calibrated SRM power meters were used to monitor power output, cadence and heart rate. Data were averaged over the entire race, different durations prior to the sprint (60, 10, 5 and 1 min) and during the actual sprint. Variations in power during the final 10 min of the race were quantified using Exposure Variation Analysis. Power, cadence and heart rate were different between various phases of the race, increasing from 316 ± 43 W, 95 ± 4 rpm and 88 ± 3 % of maximal heart rate in the last 10 min to 487 ± 58 W, 102 ± 6 rpm and 96 ± 2 % of maximal heart rate in the last minute prior to the sprint. The peak power during the sprint was 17.4 ± 1.7 W∙kg-1. Exposure Variation Analysis revealed a significantly greater number of short duration and high intensity efforts in the final five minutes of the race, compared with the penultimate five minutes (p=0.01). These findings quantified the power output requirements associated with high level sprinting in men’s professional road cycling and highlighted the need for both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. In Study 2, the characteristics of successful road sprints in professional and under 23 y male cycling races were compared. As in Study 1, Study 2 also described the exercise intensity for the sprinters throughout final 10 min of the race. Nine successful (Top 3) sprints performed by a professional (PRO: 23 y, 1.76 m, 71.8 kg) and an under 23 (U23: 18 y, 1.67 m, 63.2 kg) cyclist sprinter were analysed in this study. No statisticaldifferences were found between PRO and U23 in the absolute peak power, mean power, duration and total work during the sprint (PRO: 1370 ± 51 W, 1120 ± 33 W, 14.5 ± 2.4 s, 16.2 ± 2.6 KJ; U23: 1318 ± 60 W, 1112 ± 68 W, 12.8 ± 1.1 s, 14.2 ± 1.4 KJ). However, the intensity of the race recorded in the last 10 min prior to the sprint was significantly higher in PRO compared with U23 (4.6 ± 0.3 and 3.7 ± 0.2 W·kg-1, respectively). Race duration, total elevation gain (TEG) and mean power were similar between PRO and U23. In conclusion, the physiological demands leading into road sprints (intensity of the last 10 min) were found to be higher in PRO compared to U23 races. Nevertheless, a similar sprint power output (> 2500 W·Ap-1 or > 15.5 W·kg-1 for approximately 14 s, with a peak power output > 3100 W·Ap-1 or > 19 W·kg-1; where Ap is Projected Frontal Area) indicates that sprint characteristics may be similar in PRO and U23. As a result of the findings observed in the first two studies of this thesis, Study 3 was designed to better understand the effects of variable and non-variable exercises that replicate the intensity of the final portion of road competitions on maximal sprint performance. In this laboratory trial, ten internationally competitive male cyclists (age, 20.1 ± 1.3 y; height, 1.81 ± 0.07 m weight, 69.5 ± 4.9 kg; and VO2max, 72.5 ± 4.4 ml·kg-1·min-1) performed a 12-s maximal sprint in a rested state and again following: i) 10 min of non-variable cycling, and ii) 10 min of variable cycling. Variable and non-variable trials were conducted in a randomized, crossover fashion. The intensity during the 10 min efforts gradually increased to replicate the pacing observed in final sections of cycling road races. During the variable cycling subjects performed short (2 s) accelerations at 80% of their peak sprint power, every 30 s. Mean power output, cadence and heart rate during the 10 min efforts were similar between conditions (5.3 ± 0.2 W∙kg-1, 102 ± 1 rpm, and 93 ± 3 %, respectively). Post exercise blood lactate concentration and perceived exertion immediately after exercise were also similar (8.3 ± 1.6 mmol∙L-1, 15.4 ± 1.3 (6-20 scale), respectively). Peak and mean power output and cadence during the subsequent maximal sprint were not significantly different between the three experimental conditions (p≥0.14). These results indicate that neither the variable nor the non-variable 10 min efforts performed within this study impaired the sprint performance in elite competitive cyclists. Due to the importance of the elevation gain variable in road cycling, the fourth study of this thesis was methodological and investigated the consistency of commercially available devices used to measure the TEG during races and training. This chapter was separated in two observational validation studies. Garmin (Forerunner 310XT, Edge 500 Edge 750 and Edge 800; with and without elevation correction) and SRM (Power Control 7) devices were used to measure TEG over a 15.7 km mountain climb performed on 6 separate occasions (6 devices; Study 4a) and during a 138 km cycling event (164 devices; Study 4b). TEG was significantly different between Garmin and SRM devices (p The final study of this thesis was an analysis of technical and tactical factors that influence sprint performance in professional competitions; particular focus was put on the TEG which was a factor identified as a potential cause of fatigue. More specifically, the subject of Study 5 was the highest international ranked professional male road sprint cyclist during the 2008-2011 seasons. Grand Tour sprint stages were classified as WON, LOST, or DROPPED from the front bunch prior to the sprint. Video of 31 stages were analysed for mean speed of the last km, sprint duration, position in the bunch and number of teammates at 60, 30, and 15 s remaining. Race distance, TEG and mean speed of 45 stages were determined. Head-to-head performances against the 2nd to 5th most successful professional sprint cyclists were also reviewed. Within the 52 Grand Tour sprint stages the subject started, he WON 30 (58%), LOST 15 (29%), was DROPPED in 6 (12%) and had one crash. Position in the bunch was closer to the front and the number of team members was significantly higher in WON compared to LOST at 60, 30 and 15 s remaining (p In conclusion, the general findings of this thesis were as follows: as expected, exercise intensity significantly increases in the last 10 min of relatively flat road races; there is a significantly greater number of short duration and high intensity efforts in the final 5 min of competitive road cycling races when compared with the penultimate 5 min; sprint duration and peak power output does not differ between PRO and U23 races and is approximately 13 s and 17 W∙kg-1, respectively; the physiological demands in the 10 min before the sprint are higher in PRO compared to U23 races; neither a variable nor a non-variable 10 min lead up effort appears to impair the sprint performance of elite competitive cyclists; measurements of elevation gain are consistent within devices of the same brand, but differed between brands or when different settings were used; and technical and tactical aspects of road sprinting are related to performance outcomes.

Male and Female, Cyclist and Driver Perceptions of Crash Risk in Critical Road Situations. Governments are promoting cycling but many Australians, particularly women, do not ride because they perceive it to be too risky. This research compared the risks perceived by female and male, cyclists and drivers in specific on-road situations, accounting for factors such as travel patterns and experience, perceived skill, and risk taking behaviours. Compared to their male counterparts, female cyclists and drivers gave similarly elevated perceptions of risk. These differences are not completely accounted for by cycling patterns or perceptions of skill. Thus, these gender differences are not specific to cycling, but may reflect wider differences in risk perception.

Traffic is a complex environment in which many actors take part; several new technologies bring promises of reducing this complexity. However, cyclists—a particularly vulnerable road user group—have so far been somewhat put aside in these new developments, among them being Cooperative Intelligent Traffic Systems (C-ITS) and their aspects of human–computer interaction. This master’s thesis of industrial design engineering presents five multimodal collision warning signals for cyclists—future ones in these supposed C-ITS—using a novel application of bone conduction headphones (BCH) via sensations of both sound and touch. The thesis project was conducted as a complementary subset of the larger research project ‘V2Cyclist’ orchestrated by RISE Interactive. V2Cyclist set out to adapt the wireless V2X-protocol for cyclists by developing a physical prototype in the form of a bicycle helmet and corresponding human–computer interface. A significant part of the theoretical framework for this thesis was multiple resource theory: tasks in a different modality can be performed more effectively than in one already taxed attentively. Literature on human factors was also applied, particularly with regards to the perception of sound; evidence suggests that humans evolved a perceptual bias for threatening and ‘looming’ sounds that appear to encroach our peripersonal space; ethological findings point toward the association with low-frequency sounds to largeness. Sound design techniques usually applied to more artistic ends, such as synthesis and mixing, were repurposed for the novel, audiotactile context of this thesis. The thesis process was rooted in design thinking and consisted of four stages: context immersion, ideation, concept development, and lastly evaluation; converging and diverging the novel design space of using BCH in an audiotactile, i.e. bimodal way. The divergent approach generated a wide range of ideas. The later convergent approach did not result in one, definite design as further evaluation is required but also due to unknowns in terms of future hardware and network constraints. Given the plurality and diversity of cyclists, it may well follow that there is no optimal collision warning design in the singular. Hence, a range of five different solutions is presented. Each of the five multimodal collision warnings presents a different approach to conveying a sense of danger and urgency. Some warning signals are static in type, while others are more dynamic. Given the presumed rarity of collision warnings, multiple design techniques and rationales were applied separately, as well as in combination, to create different warning stimuli that signaled high urgency in an intuitive way. Namely, the use of: conventions in design and culture; explicitness in the form of speech; visceral appeal via threatening and animalistic timbres; dynamic and procedurally generated feedback; multimodal salience; crossmodal evocation of ‘roughness;’ size-sound symbolism to imply largeness; and innately activating characteristics of looming sounds.
Trafiken är en komplex miljö med många deltagare; diverse ny teknik gör anspråk på att underlätta denna komplexitet. Men, cyklister—en särskilt utsatt grupp av trafikanter—har hittills hamnat i skymundan för sådana utvecklingar. Vidare, aspekten av användbara gränssnitt för cyklister inom sådana uppkopplade och samverkande trafiksystem (C-ITS) har utforskats desto mindre. Det här examensarbetet inom Teknisk design presenterar fem multimodala kollisionsvarningar avsedda för cyklister—framtida sådana i dessa C-ITS—genom en ny och bimodal användning av benledande hörlurar via både ljud och vibrationer. Examensarbetet genomfördes i koppling till forskningsprojektet V2Cyclist, orkestrerat av RISE Interactive, vars projektmål var att anpassa det trådlösa kommunikationsprotokollet V2X för cyklister via en fysisk prototyp i form av en cykelhjälm och parallellt utveckla ett tillhörande användargränssnitt. En viktig del av det teoretiska ramverket för det här examensarbetet grundar sig på multiple resource theory: uppgifter kan utföras mer effektivt i en annan modalitet än i en som redan är belastad med uppmärksamhet. Mänskliga faktorer och teori om vår uppfattning användes; bevis pekar på att människor har evolutionärt utvecklat en bias för hotande ljud som upplevs inkräkta på vårt närmsta personliga revir; etologiska rön visar på en koppling mellan lågfrekventa ljud och ‘storhet.’ Tekniker inom ljuddesign vanligtvis använda till mer artistiska ändamål, såsom syntes och mixning, användes här till godo för att utforska den nya och bimodala designrymden. Processen för arbetet grundade sig i design thinking och bestod av fyra faser: kontextfördjupning, idégenerering, konceptutveckling, och utvärdering. En ny och tidigare outforskad designrymd beståendes av en bimodal, ljudtaktil användning av benledande hörlurar divergerades och konvergerades. Ett initialt utforskande angreppssätt gav upphov till en bred mängd av idéer. Ett senare renodlande angreppssätt gick, dock, inte hela vägen till endast en optimal lösning, då vidare utvärdering krävs men också på grund av okända teknologiska begränsningar. Dessutom, givet cyklisters stora mångfald, kan det möjligtvis följa att det inte finns någon enskild design av den optimala kollisionsvarningen. Ett spann på fem olika lösningar presenteras därmed. Fem koncept för multimodala kollisionsvarningar presenteras där varje variant uttrycker fara och kritiskhet på olika sätt. Vissa är statiska i typ, medan andra verkar mer kontinuerligt och dynamiskt. Det antogs att kollisionsvarningar sker sällan. Olika designtekniker och motiveringar har använts, ibland i kombination med varandra, för att skapa kollisionsvarningar vars avsikter omedelbart förstås: normer inom design och kultur gällande ljud; uttalad kommunikation i form av tal; anspråk på människors biologiska intuition via hotfulla och djurliknande klangfärger; dynamisk och procedurellt genererad feedback; multimodal effektfullhet; korsmodal känsla av grova texturer; size-sound symbolism för att antyda ‘storhet;’ samt de naturligt aktiverande egenskaperna hos looming sounds.

This licentiate thesis deals with traffic safety of pedestrians and cyclists, especially children, in urban areas. The aim is to develop a method based on video recordings to describe road safety and mobility for pedestrians and cyclists, especially children, at intersections in urban areas. It is tested using empirical data from intersections in Borås, Sweden. The amount of incidents and conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists are lower for all age groups after reconstruction. Before reconstructions the share of car drivers giving way were low independent of the pedestrians age. The design of an intersection influences the different road users’ behaviour. At intersections where more pedestrians walk on the marked zebra crossing the children are benefited the most.

Godkänd; 2001; 20061101 (ysko)

Introduction Regular cycling has been shown to improve health and well-being and has a role in tackling obesity and inactivity. Cycle collisions, particularly those involving motorised vehicles, can lead to significant mortality and morbidity and are currently a barrier to wider uptake of cycling. There is evidence that the conspicuity of cyclists may be a factor in some injury collisions. Low-cost, easy to use retro-reflective and fluorescent clothing and accessories (’conspicuity aids’) are widely available. Their effectiveness in reducing the risk of cycling collisions is currently unknown. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the use of conspicuity aids and risk of collision or evasion crashes for utility and commuter cyclists in an urban setting in the UK. Methods A matched case-control study was undertaken. Cases were adult commuter and utility cyclists who were involved in a crash resulting from a collision or attempted evasion of a collision with another road user. Cases were recruited at a large UK emergency department. Controls were commuter and utility cyclists matched by time and day of travel, season and geographical area of cycling. Controls were recruited at public and private cycle parking sites. Data on the use of conspicuity aids, crash circumstances, participant demographics, cycling experience, safety equipment use and journey characteristics including an estimate of the bicycle crash risk for each chosen route (the number of previous crashes per 100 million kilometres travelled by bicycle calculated for each participant route) were collected using self-completed questionnaires and maps. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of the risk of a crash involving a collision or evasion of a collision with another road user when cyclists reported they were using any item of fluorescent or retro-reflective clothing or equipment vs. none. Unconditional logistic regression was used to analyse associations between participant characteristics and conspicuity aid use. Continuous variables were dichotomised where there was a non-linear relationship to the bicycle crash outcome variable or the primary exposure variable. The sensitivity of the study models to selection, recall and information biases and the effect of missing data was assessed using independent records of conspicuity aid use by potential participants during recruitment. Observations of conspicuity aid use within the study source population at sites across the study catchment area were also conducted by the researcher during the recruitment phase. Results There were 76 cases and 272 controls cyclists who were eligible for inclusion in the primary analysis (response rate of 13% and 54% respectively). The proportion of cases who reported using any item of fluorescent or reflective materials on their clothing or equipment (excluding bicycle mounted reflectors) was higher than for matched controls (cases users 69.7%; 95% CI 58.1% to 79.8% vs. control users 65.4%; 95% CI 59.5% to 79.1%). The unadjusted odds ratio for a collision or evasion crash when using conspicuity aids, was 1.2 (95% CI 0.66 to 2.17). Two alternative modelling strategies were employed. After adjustment for confounding from age, gender, socio-economic deprivation, number of years of cycling experience, bicycle crash risk along each route and cycle helmet use the odds ratio was 1.77 (95% CI 0.74 to 4.25). After adjustment for confounding from age, gender, socio-economic deprivation, bicycle crash risk along each route and history of previous cycle crash involvement the odds ratio was 2.4 (95% CI 1.06 to 5.7). The odds ratio was not significantly affected by adjustment for possession of a driving licence, reported bicycle safety training in childhood, psychometric associates of risk taking behaviour, cycle helmet wearing, years of experience of cycling, distance or number of trips cycled in the previous seven days, type of bicycle, the use of bike-mounted lights or reflectors, weather or lighting conditions, familiarity with the route or alcohol consumption within 8 hours prior to the recorded journey. There was a significant difference between the measure of bicycle crash risk along each route for cases and controls with controls reporting travelling on routes with lower objective bicycle crash risk (median (IQR); cases 378.5 (232.4 to 548.3) vs. controls 268.5 (192.6 to 464.5); p= 0.006). There were no significant differences in route risk for users vs. non-users of conspicuity aids (route risk median (IQR) for conspicuity aid users vs. non-users; 308.1 (198.0 to 504.3) vs. 272.3 (203.7 to 413.4; p= 0.22). Conspicuity aid use was associated with increased length of participant route (unadjusted OR 3.25 for reported route greater than median; 95% CI 2.04 to 5.17 p<0.001), higher numbers of police-recorded bicycle crashes (unadjusted OR 2.26 for greater than median; 95% CI 1.43 to 3.55; p<0.001) and lower numbers of observed cyclists on each route (unadjusted OR 0.999; 95% CI 0.998 to 1.000 p=0.015). Route risk data were missing for 50 participants (15 cases and 35 controls). Validation of the primary exposure showed that there was moderate agreement between participants’ self-reports and independently collected data (kappa 0.42; 95% CI 0.32 to 0.51) but independent data were collected on only 4 eligible cases. Self-reported use of conspicuity aids was higher amongst cases and controls in this study than that observed for cyclists in the study area during the recruitment period (23%; 95% CI 22% to 24%). Discussion The results of this study show a non-significant increase in the odds of a crash for users compared to non-users of conspicuity aids whilst cycling. This association was increased after adjustment for confounders but most models generated to adjust for confounding remained insignificant. No reduction in crash risk could be demonstrated. This is not consistent with the large body of evidence suggesting that conspicuity aids increase the distances from which wearers can be detected and recognised by drivers in a variety of settings. There was evidence that cases were cycling along routes with greater exposure to traffic danger than controls although there were many participants with missing data for this variable potentially introducing a further source of bias. The route risk estimates did not vary significantly between conspicuity aid users and non-users. Residual confounding may have occurred if conspicuity aid users were taking more risks when encountering similar traffic conditions to non-users. This could not be measured but may go some way to explaining these results. If cyclists over-estimate the likely effect of their conspicuity aid use this could result in over compensation and a net increase in crash risk. Adjustment for route risk may have introduced bias by the loss of some participants from the analysis or by acting as a positive suppressor variable increasing the influence of uncontrolled confounding if conspicuity aid use were leading to risky riding over and above the objective risk arising from differing road and traffic conditions. The association between the odds of crash and travelling on roads with higher incidences of previous cycle crashes and fewer cyclists provides support for the “safety in numbers” effect reported in other studies. Differential selection and misclassification biases may also have resulted in over representation of conspicuity aid users amongst cases compared to controls. Social expectation from involvement in a collision crash may have resulted in cases who were not using conspicuity aids being less likely to participate than controls who were non-users. For similar reasons cases may have been more inclined to over-estimate their conspicuity aid use than controls.

En réponse au nombre toujours élevé de décès provoqués par les accidents routiers, l'industrie automobile a fait de la sécurité un sujet majeur de son activité global. Les radars automobiles qui étaient de simples capteurs pour véhicule de confort, sont devenus des éléments essentiels de la norme de sécurité routière. Le domaine de l’automobile est un domaine très exigent en terme de sécurité et les radars automobiles doivent avoir des performances de détection très élevées et doivent répondre à des nombreuses contraintes telles que la facilité de production et/ou le faible coût. Cette thèse concerne le développement d’algorithmes pour la détection et la localisation de piétons et de cyclistes pour des radars automobiles de nouvelle génération. Nous avons proposé une architecture de réseau d'antennes non uniforme optimale et des méthodes d'estimation spectrale à haute résolution permettant d’estimer avec précision la position angulaire des objets à partir de la direction d'arrivée (DoA) de leur réponse. Ces techniques sont adaptées à l'architecture du réseau d'antennes proposé et les performances sont évaluées à l'aide de données radar automobiles simulées et réelles acquises dans le cadre de scénarios spécifiques. Nous avons également proposé un détecteur de cible de collision, basé sur la décomposition en sous-espaces Doppler, dont l'objectif principal est d'identifier des cibles latérales dont les caractéristiques de trajectoire représentent potentiellement un danger de collision. Une méthode de calcul d'attribut de cible est également développée et un algorithme de classification est proposé pour discriminer les piétons, cyclistes et véhicules. Les différents algorithmes sont évalués et validés à l'aide de données radar automobiles réelles sur plusieurs scenarios
In response to the persistently high number of deaths provoked by road crashes, the automotive industry has promoted safety as a major topic in their global activity. Automotive radars have been transformed from being simple sensors for comfort vehicle, to becoming essential elements of safety standard. The design of new generations automotive radars has to face various constraints and generally proposes a compromise between reliability, robustness, manufacturability, high-performance and low cost. The main objective of this PhD thesis is to design algorithms for the detection and localization of pedestrians and cyclists using new generation automotive radars. We propose an optimal non-uniform antenna array architecture and some high resolution spectral estimation methods to accurately estimate the position of objects from the direction of arrival (DOA) of their responses to the radar. These techniques are adapted to the proposed antenna array architecture and the performance is evaluated using both simulated and real automotive radar data, acquired in the frame of specific scenarios. We propose a collision target detector, based on the orthogonality of angle-Doppler subspaces, whose main goal is to identify lateral targets, whose trajectory features represent potentially a danger of collision. A target attribute calculation method is also developed and classification algorithm is proposed to classify pedestrian, cyclists and vehicles. This classification algorithm is evaluated and validated using real automotive radar data with several scenarios

The aim of my diploma thesis is to design a local through road in town Uherský Ostroh. The thesis focuses also on a new design of the width layout of the road, consecutive of walkways, creation of a common track for pedestrians and cyclist, design of parking place intended for visitors of the local hockey arena, entrances to particular houses and urban vegetation.

With growing global concern to reduce CO2 emissions, the transportation modal shift from car to bicycle is an encouraging alternative, which is getting more popular in Europe and North America, thanks to very low impact on the environment. On the other hand, the infrastructure for cyclist should be improved, since cyclists are vulnerable road users and with an increase in the number of cyclists the concern for their safety also gets increased. In this thesis, the analysis of accidents in which cyclists have been involved and understanding the reason for these accidents have been discussed, then the necessary requirements to design and implement a safe bicycle network is introduced. The study focuses on the drivers’ behavior in terms of interaction with cyclists when there is a presence of a cyclist crossing. Therefore the road safety investigation on cyclist infrastructure was made with observing drivers’interaction with cyclists. Then the time-based surrogacy measures used to investigate the safety level of the cylist, in particular PET (Post Encroachment Time) and TTC (Time to Collision) between driver and bicyclist were determing keeping in mind the right-angle collision. Furthermore we tried to find the reaction time of the drivers especially on signals and also with the presence of cyclist on the crossing to understand the time which is needed for the driver to stop the car. All of this data could be later useful for the reconstruction of the accidents. Understanding the instants at which driver applies the brakes was made possible by installing a V-Box device inside our test vehicle which also used to determine measures such as speed, distance and other important. Finally using mobile eye tracker the driver visual behavior when arriving the crossing point where observed and results showed that at number of situations driver’s gaze was distracted and only cyclist became an important focus only when he was at a considerable length from the crossing.

In Europe, the use of electric bicycles is rapidly increasing. This trend raises important safety concerns: Is their use compatible with existing infrastructure and regulations? Do they present novel safety issues? How do they impact other traffic? This study sought to address these concerns, using instrumented electric bicycles to monitor e-cyclists’ behavior in a naturalistic fashion. Data was collected from 12 bicyclists, each of whom rode an instrumented bicycle for two weeks. In total, 1500 km worth of data were collected, including 88 critical events (crashes and near-crashes). Analysis of these critical events identified pedestrians, light vehicles and other bicycles as main threats to a safe ride. Other factors also contributed to crash causation, such as being in proximity to a crossing or encountering a vehicle parked in the bicycle lane. A comparison between electric and traditional bicycles was enabled by the availability of data from a previous study a year earlier, which collected naturalistic cycling data from traditional bicycles using the same instrumentation as in this study. Electric bicycles were found to be ridden faster, on average, than traditional bicycles, in addition to interacting differently with other road users. The results presented in this study also suggest that countermeasures to bicycle crashes should be different for electric and traditional bicycles. Finally, increasing electric bicycle conspicuity appears to be the easiest, most obvious way to increase their safety.

In the last several years, there has been growing worldwide interest in making streets safer for all users--pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. One approach, shared space, is a traffic calming technique as well as urban design concept. This technique strives to fully integrate the roadway into the urban fabric by removing elements such as lane markings, curbs, and traffic signs. By removing these elements and creating a more plaza-like space, these sites become ambiguous and no user group as priority. The technique is relatively new, and the majority of existing research concerns pedestrians only. This mixed methods research focused on six intersections in England with the goal of understanding how bicycle riders perceive and travel through shared space intersections. Using video observations of the six sites in three cities, three shared and three control, this project analyzed the variations in the paths cyclists rode through the intersections. Data were collected on several variables related to both the cyclists and their interactions with the site itself such as helmet use and riding through crosswalks. Path analysis required the development a new evaluative variable in order to compare individual paths by how much deviation there was in each path ridden as compared to other cyclists. Site-specific surveys addressed the perceptions, bicycling experience, demographics, and path and route preferences by cyclists at both shared space and control intersections. The analysis indicated that cyclists rode similarly through both shared and control intersections, and that a large percentage of riders preferred to ride farther from motor vehicles when given the space to do so. This project offered further insight in how to best design shared space projects for nonmotorized users by looking at the spatial layout and the elements that most influenced a rider’s path choice. Results indicated that, in these cases, shared space was not the panacea for nonmotorized users as some literature suggests, but nonetheless appeared to be a valid form of traffic calming. This research offered further insight in how to best design shared space projects for nonmotorized users by looking at the spatial layout and the elements that most influenced a rider’s path choice.

 

This study is an analysis of the traffic situation for pedestrians and bicyclist, unprotected road users, in Accra’s Central Business District. A Swedish method, Calm streets, is used to identify conflicts in the mixed traffic situation. The findings reveal a large amount of conflicts between unprotected road users and motor vehicles. These conflicts cause congestions which have negative implications on the environment, health and economy.

In addition an assessment of the quality of and access to pedestrian and bicycle facilities were conducted. This assessment indicates that the quality and access to the facilities are in general low, especially for the disabled, elderly and children. A larger Traffic Network Analysis and a Cost Benefit Analysis are needed to address these problems for stakeholders and decision makers.

 

Diploma thesis Selected measurements of the motion of bicycles – braking and ridein the curve analyses problematic manoeuvres of bicycle riders according to the most typical accidents including bikes. There will be given statistics of bikers´ participation on accident amount that happened within last few years. The measurements of bicycles moving around bands of specific radiuses as a situation of most bicycle accidents will be described in the next part of this thesis. There will be also specified the values of average bicycle speeds when driving in curves with various radiuses according to types of bicycles, sex and experiences of the riders and will be an output of this thesis. Further on there will be measurements of braking in the direct line on various surfaces with different types of bikes and different brakes used.

The purpose of this study is to compare the safety of cyclists in five bicycle facility layouts in signalized intersections at various traffic volumes in order to assess if some layouts are better than others with regards to cyclist safety and to develop methods to facilitate this comparison. The five layouts included two full-length bicycle tracks with and without separate right-turning lane, two truncated bicycle tracks – one in which cyclists and right-turning vehicles merge in the right-turning lane, one continued into a narrow bicycle lane – and a recessed bicycle track. Using two different definitions of traffic conflicts the safety of cyclists in each layout is calculated as the risk of a cyclist being involved in a conflict with left- and right-turning vehicles at low, medium and high vehicle volumes, respectively. In total, around 35,500 left-turning vehicles, 38,000 right-turning vehicles and 16,000 cyclists going straight ahead were observed, resulting in 12 left-hook and 25 right-hook traffic conflicts for the reaction-based indicator and 25 left-hook and 80 right-hook traffic conflicts for the time-based indicator. The results show that regardless of which of the two conflict indicators were used, the number of conflicts was too small to make firm conclusions about which layout is safest for cyclists at various traffic volumes, although the study was based on 80 h of video recordings from each of the five intersections. However, a recessed bicycle track seems to be safer than the other geometric layouts. In order to facilitate the detection of conflicts, we developed watchdog video analysis software to reduce the amount of video. This software compressed 400 h of video into 64 h, i.e. 16% of its original length. The use of this software is particularly important to provide enough conflicts for an analysis if even larger traffic conflict studies should be carried out.

Die gesundheitsschädliche Wirkung unreiner Luft ist Gegenstand unzähliger Studien und wurde bereits hinreichend nachgewiesen. Der Straßenverkehr ist dabei eine der wesentlichsten Schadstoffquellen, denen der Mensch im Alltag ausgesetzt ist. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Schadstoffbelastung von Nutzern des Straßenverkehrs vertiefend abzubilden. Im Rahmen eines Literaturreviews werden insgesamt 50 wissenschaftliche Studien analysiert. Obwohl sich viele Studien mit dem Vergleich der Verkehrsmittel bezüglich der Immissionsexposition auseinandersetzen, widersprechen sich ihre Ergebnisse je nach Schadstoff regelmäßig hinsichtlich der Reihenfolge der Verkehrsmittel oder auch grundsätzlich bezüglich der Signifikanz der Verkehrsmittelwahl. Ursache dafür sind die zahlreichen Einflussfaktoren, die sich von Arbeit zu Arbeit unterscheiden und eine Vergleichbarkeit der Messergebnisse stark erschweren. Trotz einer steigenden Anzahl an Studien zum Thema mangelt es den Messmethoden an einem strengen Qualitätsstandard sowie einer ausführlichen Dokumentation der Messbedingungen. Eine Verallgemeinerung und Vergleichbarkeit der Forschungsergebnisse untereinander ist damit bislang nicht gewährleistet. Die Betrachtung der Luftqualität bildet die wissenschaftliche Grundlage, um Grenzwertüberschreitungen aufzuspüren, Gegenmaßnahmen zu erarbeiten und diese auf ihre Wirksamkeit zu kontrollieren. Die Werte stationärer Messeinrichtungen geben dabei ein nur unzureichend genaues Bild über die Immissionen, denen die Nutzer des Straßenverkehrs ausgesetzt sind. Um ein realistischeres Bild über die Immissionsbelastung von Verkehrsteilnehmern zu gewinnen, wird mittels eines mobilen Messgeräts die PM10-Belastung für Radfahrer in Teilen des Dresdner Straßennetzes bestimmt. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die gemessene Schadstoffkonzentration sowohl räumlich innerhalb einer Messstrecke als auch zeitlich im Laufe des Tages variiert. Um den weitestgehend emissionsarmen Rad- und Fußverkehr weiter zu fördern und auszubauen, ist es nötig, die Schadstoffbelastung dieser Verkehrsteilnehmer noch besser zu verstehen und quantifizieren zu können. Nur dann sind Verkehrsplaner und Entscheidungsträger in der Lage, eine Infrastruktur zu schaffen, die ihre Nutzer so wenig wie möglich gesundheitlich beeinträchtigt.

Chaque année, des millions de personnes meurent et beaucoup d'autres subissent des séquelles graves à la suite d'accidents de la route. Malgré une multitude d’initiatives, le nombre de cas mortels et d'accidents graves augmente chaque année en engendrant des problèmes préoccupants à la fois sociaux, économiques et sanitaires. En raison de leur nombre élevé et de l'absence de protection personnelle, plus de la moitié de ces décès concerne les usagers vulnérables (en anglais, vulnerable road users - VRU) regroupant les piétons, cyclistes et motocyclistes. Les appareils mobiles, combinés à la technologie de Fog Computing (ou informatique géodistribuée, ou même informatique en brouillard), représentent une solution réaliste à court terme pour les protéger en les avertissant de l’imminence d'un accident de circulation. L’omniprésence des appareils mobiles et leurs capacités de calcul élevées font de ces appareils un élément important à considérer dans les solutions de sécurité routière. Le Fog Computing offre des fonctionnalités adaptées aux applications de sécurité routière, puisqu’il s’agit d’une extension du Cloud Computing permettant de rapprocher les services informatiques, le stockage et le réseau au plus près des utilisateurs finaux. Par conséquent, dans cette thèse, nous proposons une architecture réseau sans infrastructure supplémentaire (PV-Alert) pour des fins de sécurité routière et reposant uniquement sur les appareils mobiles des VRU et des conducteurs sur la route avec l’aide du concept de Fog Computing. Les données géographiques et cinématiques de ces appareils sont collectées et envoyées périodiquement au serveur fog situé à proximité. Le serveur fog traite ces données en exécutant un algorithme de calcul de risque d’accident de circulation et renvoie des notifications en cas d'accident imminent. L’évaluation de cette architecture montre qu’elle est capable de générer des alertes en temps réel et qu’elle est plus performante que d’autres architectures en termes de fiabilité, d’évolutivité et de latence
Annually, millions of people die and many more sustain non-fatal injuries because of road traffic crashes. Despite multitude of countermeasures, the number of causalities and disabilities owing to traffic accidents are increasing each year causing grinding social, economic, and health problems. Due to their high volume and lack of protective-shells, more than half of road traffic deaths are imputed to vulnerable road users (VRUs): pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Mobile devices combined with fog computing can provide feasible solutions to protect VRUs by predicting collusions and warning users of an imminent traffic accident. Mobile devices’ ubiquity and high computational capabilities make the devices an important components of traffic safety solutions. Fog computing has features that suits to traffic safety applications as it is an extension of cloud computing that brings down computing, storage, and network services to the proximity of end user. Therefore, in this thesis, we have proposed an infrastructure-less traffic safety architecture that depends on fog computing and mobile devices possessed by VRUs and drivers. The main duties of mobile devices are extracting their positions and other related data and sending cooperative awareness message to a nearby fog server using wireless connection. The fog server estimates collision using a collision prediction algorithm and sends an alert message, if an about-to-occur collision is predicted. Evaluation results shows that the proposed architecture is able to render alerts in real time. Moreover, analytical and performance evaluations depict that the architecture outperforms other related road safety architectures in terms of reliability, scalability and latency. However, before deploying the architecture, challenges pertaining to weaknesses of important ingredients of the architecture should be treated prudently. Position read by mobile devices are not accurate and do not meet maximum position sampling rates traffic safety applications demand. Moreover, continuous and high rate position sampling drains mobile devices battery quickly. From fog computing’s point of view, it confronts new privacy and security challenges in addition to those assumed from cloud computing. For aforementioned challenges, we have proposed new solutions: (i) In order to improve GPS accuracy, we have proposed an efficient and effective two-stage map matching algorithm. In the first stage, GPS readings obtained from smartphones are passed through Kalman filter to smooth outlier readings. In the second stage, the smoothed positions are mapped to road segments using online time warping algorithm. (ii) position sampling frequency requirement is fulfilled by an energy efficient location prediction system that fuses GPS and inertial sensors’ data. (iii) For energy efficiency, we proposed an energy efficient fuzzy logic-based adaptive beaconing rate management that ensures safety of VRUs. (iv) finally, privacy and security issues are addressed indirectly using trust management system. The two-way subjective logic-based trust management system enables fog clients to evaluate the trust level of fog servers before awarding the service and allows the servers to check out the trustworthiness of the service demanders. Engaging omnipresent mobile device and QoS-aware fog computing paradigm in active traffic safety applications has the potential to reduce overwhelming number of traffic accidents on VRUs

碩士
國立彰化師範大學
應用運動科學研究所
94
Purpose: To investigate the effects of road race for elite cyclists on antioxidant capacity and muscle damage. Methods: Ten elite cyclists (age =21.4 ± 1.9 years、height =164.4 ± 2.1 cm、body mass =57.6 ± 2.9 kg、body mass index (BMI) =21.2 ± 0.6 kg/m2 ) were recruited during the 2005 National Cycling Road Race Championship. They spent 175.7 ± 4.5 min (7-Km time trial：11.8 ± 0.3 min and 100-Km road race：163.4 ± 4.3 min) to finish the race. The blood samples were collected 2 hours before the race (pre), immediately after the race(0 h), 3, 7, 24, 72, and 120 hours after the race to determine superoxide dismutase (SOD), total glutathione (TGSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PC), uric acid (UA), and nitric oxide (NO). Results: The plasma CK increased 93.66% and 91.08% significantly at 3 and 7 hours after race and the plasma LDH was significantly increased 82.72% and 66.29% at 7 and 24 hours after race as compared to pre. Meanwhile, the TGSH of erythrocyte was significantly elevated 202.92%, 185.71%, and 185.50% at 7, 24, and 72 hours post race. The GSSG of erythrocyte was significantly elevated 125.57%, 160.66%, 195.36%, and 115.07% at 3, 7, 72, and 120 hours post race. No significant changes were found the SOD of erythrocyte and the plasma UA, NO, and MDA. Plasma PC was a marker of protein oxidative damage, decreased 56.10%, 48.44%, and 46.01% significantly at 7, 24, and 72 hours post race. Conclusion: A road race may induce endogenous antioxidant production and muscle damage. High intensity exercise induces oxidative stress, but there is no evidence that this affects sports performance in the short term. In this study, we hope that this information may contribute to understand oxidative stress and muscle damages caused by strenuous exercise. The coaches can be inspired to set up the proper training model to promote sports performance. Moreover, this information may also contribute to set up antioxidants supplement or nutrition plans.

Women’s road cycling is one of the oldest professional sports for women, yet current professional cyclists experience precarious labour conditions that relate to sexism, and lack of respect, recognition, and inclusion. Issues and challenges for women cyclists are often overshadowed by the sport’s much-celebrated progress of professionalism, for example, their inclusion in elite men’s races and a mandated minimum wage. My research questions are about how professional women cyclists and their labour are shaped and constrained by gender relations. This feminist ethnography includes two and a half years of fieldwork. The collected data consists of fieldnotes of participation in the local Melbourne, Australia road racing scene, and seven months of observations at the highest level of competition in elite road cycling in Europe – the Women’s World Tour. The voices of 15 elite and professional cyclists are included via the presentation of interview data. This data forms the backbone of this explicitly feminist study on professional women cyclists’ lived experiences. The methods and analysis were shaped by critical feminist theory and Raewyn Connell’s (1987, 2021) social constructionist gender framework. My findings show how the power of gender relations in the different sites of women’s cycling socialises women into a dominant masculine structure and culture that leads to the internalisation of socio-cultural norms that reinforce the current gender order. Women’s participation – even their progress in professional cycling – does not challenge the superior position of men in the field of cycling. This thesis explores the gender regimes of local and professional road cycling, women cyclists’ construction of labour, their suffering in the sport, and progress narratives that dominate the field. While resistance agency of women is also identified, gender and labour relations continue to be dominated by masculinity which constrains the impact of such practices. This research offers in-depth analysis of complex gender and labour relations that underlie the socio-cultural conditions that professional women cyclists are constantly exposed to.

INTRODUCTION : En milieu urbain, l’amélioration de la sécurité des piétons pose un défi de santé publique. Pour chaque décès attribuable aux collisions routières, il y a des centaines de personnes blessées et, dans les pays riches, la diminution du nombre annuel de piétons décédés s’expliquerait en partie par la diminution de la marche. Les stratégies préventives prédominantes n’interviennent pas sur le volume de circulation automobile, un facteur pourtant fondamental. De plus, les interventions environnementales pour améliorer la sécurité des infrastructures routières se limitent habituellement aux sites comptant le plus grand nombre de décès ou de blessés. Cette thèse vise à décrire la contribution des volumes de circulation automobile, des pratiques locales de marche et de la géométrie des routes au nombre et à la répartition des piétons blessés en milieu urbain, et d’ainsi établir le potentiel d’une approche populationnelle orientée vers la reconfiguration des environnements urbains pour améliorer la sécurité des piétons. MÉTHODE : Le devis est de type descriptif et transversal. Les principales sources de données sont les registres des services ambulanciers d’Urgences-santé (blessés de la route), l’enquête Origine-Destination (volumes de circulation automobile), la Géobase du réseau routier montréalais (géométrie des routes) et le recensement canadien (pratiques locales de marche, position socioéconomique). Les analyses descriptives comprennent la localisation cartographique (coordonnées x,y) de l’ensemble des sites de collision. Des modèles de régression multi-niveaux nichent les intersections dans les secteurs de recensement et dans les arrondissements. RÉSULTATS : Les analyses descriptives démontrent une grande dispersion des sites de collision au sein des quartiers. Les analyses multivariées démontrent les effets significatifs, indépendants du volume de circulation automobile, de la présence d’artère(s) et d’une quatrième branche aux intersections, ainsi que du volume de marche dans le secteur, sur le nombre de piétons blessés aux intersections. L’analyse multi-niveaux démontre une grande variation spatiale de l’effet du volume de circulation automobile. Les facteurs environnementaux expliquent une part substantielle de la variation spatiale du nombre de blessés et du gradient socioéconomique observé. DISCUSSION : La grande dispersion des sites de collision confirme la pertinence d’une approche ne se limitant pas aux sites comptant le plus grand nombre de blessés. Les résultats suggèrent que des stratégies préventives basées sur des approches environnementales et populationnelle pourraient considérablement réduire le nombre de piétons blessés ainsi que les inégalités observées entre les quartiers.
INTRODUCTION: In an urban environment, improving pedestrian safety is a public health challenge. For every death attributable to road injuries, there are hundreds of injured people and, in richer countries, decreases in the number of pedestrian deaths may reflect a reduction of walking as a mode of transportation. The predominant preventive strategies have limited or no effect on traffic volume, which is the most important predictor of the number of pedestrians injured by motor vehicles. Moreover, environmental interventions are usually limited to sites that have had the greatest number of deaths or injuries. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the contribution of environmental factors such as traffic volume, local walking practices and street geometry, on the number and the distribution of pedestrian injuries in an urban setting. METHOD: The design of the study is descriptive and cross-sectional. The main data sources were Urgences-santé ambulance service records (road injuries), the Origin-Destination survey (traffic volume), the Geobase for the Montreal road network (street geometry) and the census of Canada (local walking practices, socioeconomic status). The descriptive analyses included map locations (x, y coordinates) for all collision sites. Multi-level regression models nested intersections in census sectors and in boroughs. RESULTS: The descriptive analyses showed a great deal of dispersion of collision sites within neighbourhoods. The multivariate analyses showed the significant effects, independent of traffic volume, of the presence of an artery and of a fourth leg at the intersection, and of pedestrian volume in the neighbourhood, on the number of pedestrian injuries at intersections. The multi-level analysis showed extensive spatial variation in the effect of traffic volume. This spatial variation in the number of casualties, and the socioeconomic gradient observed, were in large part explained by traffic volume, the presence of an artery and of a fourth leg at the intersection. DISCUSSION: The great dispersion of collision sites supports an approach which is not limited to sites with the highest number of injured pedestrians. This thesis suggests that preventive strategies based on environmental and population approaches could considerably reduce the number of injured pedestrians , as well as road injury inequalities across urban neighbourhoods.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of regular postexercise hot water immersion (HWI) on selected physiological adaptations and on exercise performance in a temperate environment in trained road cyclists. Methods: Fourteen male cyclists were assigned to either an HWI (n = 7) group or a control (CON, n = 7) group. Both groups completed 9 high-intensity interval training sessions (over 3 weeks), with each training session followed by sitting in a water tub for 30 min. Participants from the HWI group were immersed in 42°C water, whereas a thermoneutral water temperature of 34°C was used for the CON group. Core and intramuscular temperature were continuously recorded during the first water immersion session and for 30 min post-session. Before and after the intervention, the cyclists performed a 20-km time trial test and an incremental test to exhaustion to determine lactate turn point, maximal oxygen consumption and peak power output. Venous blood at rest was sampled pre- and post-intervention to assess changes in plasma volume. Muscles biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis pre- and post-intervention to assess changes in mitochondrial function. Variables were analysed using t-test and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: Intramuscular temperature was significantly higher in the HWI than in the CON group at the end of the water immersion treatment (37.8 ± 0.4 vs 36.2 ± 0.5 °C, p=0.001) and 30 min post-immersion (36.7 ± 0.4 vs 35.1 ± 1.2 °C, p=0.01). In addition, HWI group had significantly higher core temperature immediately post-immersion than the CON group (37.8 ± 0.4 vs 37.1 ± 0.2 °C, p=0.01). However, all other measures were not significantly different between the groups. Nevertheless, there was a significant improvement in 20-km time trial performance in both the HWI (2009.8 ± 147.3 vs 1977.5 ± 134.5 seconds, p=0.01) and the CON group (2010.4 ± 182.3 vs 1974.2 ± 185.7 seconds, p=0.04). Conclusion: Three weeks of high intensity interval training led to an improved 20-km time trial performance, but the post-exercise HWI protocol used in this study did not provide additional performance benefits.

Die gesundheitsschädliche Wirkung unreiner Luft ist Gegenstand unzähliger Studien und wurde bereits hinreichend nachgewiesen. Der Straßenverkehr ist dabei eine der wesentlichsten Schadstoffquellen, denen der Mensch im Alltag ausgesetzt ist. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Schadstoffbelastung von Nutzern des Straßenverkehrs vertiefend abzubilden. Im Rahmen eines Literaturreviews werden insgesamt 50 wissenschaftliche Studien analysiert. Obwohl sich viele Studien mit dem Vergleich der Verkehrsmittel bezüglich der Immissionsexposition auseinandersetzen, widersprechen sich ihre Ergebnisse je nach Schadstoff regelmäßig hinsichtlich der Reihenfolge der Verkehrsmittel oder auch grundsätzlich bezüglich der Signifikanz der Verkehrsmittelwahl. Ursache dafür sind die zahlreichen Einflussfaktoren, die sich von Arbeit zu Arbeit unterscheiden und eine Vergleichbarkeit der Messergebnisse stark erschweren. Trotz einer steigenden Anzahl an Studien zum Thema mangelt es den Messmethoden an einem strengen Qualitätsstandard sowie einer ausführlichen Dokumentation der Messbedingungen. Eine Verallgemeinerung und Vergleichbarkeit der Forschungsergebnisse untereinander ist damit bislang nicht gewährleistet. Die Betrachtung der Luftqualität bildet die wissenschaftliche Grundlage, um Grenzwertüberschreitungen aufzuspüren, Gegenmaßnahmen zu erarbeiten und diese auf ihre Wirksamkeit zu kontrollieren. Die Werte stationärer Messeinrichtungen geben dabei ein nur unzureichend genaues Bild über die Immissionen, denen die Nutzer des Straßenverkehrs ausgesetzt sind. Um ein realistischeres Bild über die Immissionsbelastung von Verkehrsteilnehmern zu gewinnen, wird mittels eines mobilen Messgeräts die PM10-Belastung für Radfahrer in Teilen des Dresdner Straßennetzes bestimmt. Dabei wird deutlich, dass die gemessene Schadstoffkonzentration sowohl räumlich innerhalb einer Messstrecke als auch zeitlich im Laufe des Tages variiert. Um den weitestgehend emissionsarmen Rad- und Fußverkehr weiter zu fördern und auszubauen, ist es nötig, die Schadstoffbelastung dieser Verkehrsteilnehmer noch besser zu verstehen und quantifizieren zu können. Nur dann sind Verkehrsplaner und Entscheidungsträger in der Lage, eine Infrastruktur zu schaffen, die ihre Nutzer so wenig wie möglich gesundheitlich beeinträchtigt.