The effect of bicycle road surface on cycling energy consumption

Abstract

The advantages of using a bicycle as a mean of transport for daily urban journeys increase the demands of cyclists for efficient and comfortable mobility. One of the basic elements that allows to reach the required target efficiently is the appropriate bicycle infrastructure, including the type of road surface. Thus, the authors have taken up the problem of the effect of the type of pavement on cyclist's energy expenditure. The article presents the growth rate of bicycle traffic on the basis of measurements carried out in Wroclaw. The types of surface of bicycle paths have been briefly described. The results of own research on the energy expenditure of a cyclist depending on the type of pavement were presented. On the basis of the analysis, the most effective type of surface and the relative differences between the different types.