Comparison Study on Operating Speeds of Electric Bicycles and Bicycles

Abstract

Electric bicycles, or e-bicycles, and bicycles share the nonmotorized lanes along both sides of avenues in many Chinese cities. With the help of an electromotor, the former usually have a higher dynamic performance than the latter; hence their operating speeds are quite different. As one of the most important parameters, operating speed and its distribution provide the basic knowledge for traffic flow theory and safety studies. However, as e-bicycles are a new private motorized travel mode, their operating speed has rarely been reported until now. This paper surveys the operating speeds of e-bicycles and bicycles on nonmotorized lanes on eight avenues in Kunming, China. A comparison study of the operating speed and its distribution between e-bicycles and bicycles is presented. Statistical analysis indicates that the mean operating speed of e-bicycles is 21.86 km/h, which is 7.05 km/h faster, or 47.6% higher, than that of bicycles. The influence of riders’ gender and age on operating speed distribution is also discussed. This paper presents a subjective evaluation of safety from the riders’ perspective by surveying 552 e-bicycle riders and 232 bicycle riders.