A Dual Piezoelectric Element Force Pedal for Kinetic Analysis of Cycling

Abstract

In light of substantial interest in the measurement of rider-induced loads, a new bicycle pedal instrumentation system is presented. The system employs dual piezoelectric transducers and permits the measurement of three components of a uniaxial load, moments about the pedal’s vertical axis, and the point of application of the applied load. Force and moment patterns derived from pedal output agree with previously reported data. Unique to this design, however, is the determination of center of pressure—and these data indicate that the applied load location varies during the pedaling cycle, with a significant effect on the calculated pedal moment.