Ergonomics Research Group, Department of Industrial Management, University of Piraeus, 80 Karaoli & Dimitriou str., Piraeus, Greece.
Appl Ergon. 2010 May;41(3):428-35. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2009.09.006. Epub 2009 Oct 17.
Proper bicycle fit is very important for cycling performance, efficiency, comfort and injury prevention. This is especially true in the case of children cyclists that do not have the necessary cycling experience, balance and the fully developed musculoskeletal system of the adults. Bicycle fit depends on both the design and dimensions of the bicycle as well as on the anthropometric dimensions of the cyclist. In the present paper a case study concerning the ergonomic evaluation and redesign of a series of bicycles for children and teenagers 7-14 years old is presented. The study has been commissioned by a major Greek bicycle manufacturer who wanted to gain competitive advantage by introducing new anthropometrically-designed bicycles. Employing virtual modelling techniques and the method of Principal Component Analysis, bicycle affordance for selected representative cases and various bicycle sizes has been examined. Based on the results of the study redesign recommendations that improved bicycle fit for specific groups were proposed and a formal bicycle size selection method has been defined. The redesigned bicycles are now in full production and distribution is underway in many commercial outlets in Greece.
自行车的适配性对于骑行表现、效率、舒适性和预防伤害非常重要。对于没有足够骑行经验、平衡能力和成年人那样完全发育的肌肉骨骼系统的儿童来说，这一点尤为重要。自行车的适配性取决于自行车的设计和尺寸以及骑车者的人体测量尺寸。本文介绍了一个针对儿童和青少年（7-14 岁）自行车的人体工程学评估和重新设计的案例研究。这项研究是由一家主要的希腊自行车制造商委托进行的，该制造商希望通过引入新的人体工程学设计的自行车来获得竞争优势。通过使用虚拟建模技术和主成分分析方法，对选定的典型案例和各种自行车尺寸进行了自行车可用性的检查。基于研究结果，提出了改进特定群体自行车适配性的重新设计建议，并定义了正式的自行车尺寸选择方法。重新设计的自行车现已全面投产，并在希腊的许多商业网点进行分销。
