Ergonomic insights into bicycle design: the significance of hip and shoulder adduction-abduction angles

Abstract

Comfortable joint angles (CJA), anthropometrics, range of motion (ROM) and sex are crucial for optimising bicycle designs to enhance performance and prevent injuries. Previous studies have not comprehensively provided related data, motivating the current study to address three questions(1) What is the CJA hip and shoulder abduction/adduction (ADD-ABD) for cyclists? (2) How do these measurements vary according to sex and stature? (3) What are the correlations among bicycle variables, anthropometrics, ROM and CJA of the hip and shoulder ADD-ABDs? Data were collected from 12 participants using three bicycles, web cameras and video processing. The analysis showed an average CJA of 26 degrees and 83 degrees for the hip and shoulder ADD-ABDs, respectively. No significant differences were observed between sexes or stature groups. Significant correlations were found between shoulder ADD-ABD and upper-body variables and between hip ADD-ABD and lower-body variables. These findings contribute to improving bicycle designs for individual comfort and performance.Practitioner SummaryThe association of comfortable hip and shoulder adduction-abduction angles with anthropometrics, range of motion (ROM), and bicycle variables was investigated using a detailed biomechanical analysis. It offers insights and contributes to a better bicycle design by identifying optimal joint angles for improved ergonomic fit and rider performance.