Summary
The purpose of the project has been to analyse the need for more comfortable and safer cycles for elderly people, the possibilities of achieving this, plus how to initiate such a development and the role of research in this context.
Background to this is the increased interest in the cycle as a mode of local conveyance in urban areas, a European trend which more recently has reached Sweden. A prerequisite for increased cycle traffic is a better cycle infrastructure but also better cycles.
The basic design of the cycle is over 100 years old. Its development has been greatly inhibited by tight international rules (for competition bikes) which have set the frame geometry of all cycles in stone.
Three different activities were conducted to highlight the need for better cycles for older people: group discussions with elderly cyclists, test-riding with a new type of cycle with displaced frame geometry and an expert seminar with participants from the cycle industry, design and ergonomics, research and public institutions.
From the point of view of elderly people, it is quite clear that today’s cycles are marred by many shortcomings. The group discussions highlighted obvious comfort and manoeuvrability problems. The frequent starting and stopping in urban traffic is awkward, the riding position which stresses hands, arms and buttocks is uncomfortable and the high step-through means that, with age, it is difficult to climb onto the cycle.
The safety analysis showed a remarkably strong age effect, involving a considerably greater relative risk of serious injury for elderly cyclists than for elderly people walking and motorists; two to three times greater.
Furthermore, the step-through emerged as a major injury problem. Just over one quarter of all medical care days required by injured elderly cyclists relate to mounting and dismounting.
There seems to be a lowest common denominator for both comfort and safety problems: seat height, riding position and step-through height.
A high riding position has at least two negative safety effects - fall height and exposure of the head in a fall.
If the seat position can be lowered, the fall height is reduced. A more reclined riding position with the feet first reduces exposure of the head.
Comfort and manoeuvrability also improve with a lower seat position, as indicated by test-riding this type of cycle. The test cyclists reported that stopping/starting was much simpler. They simply remained seated and put their feet down. Manoeuvrability was better, especially at low speed. The upright riding position was found to be more comfortable with less stress on hands and arms than with a conventional cycle.
Weight was another problem which was criticised. Generally, cycles are too heavy for comfortable handling; they get heavier the older a person gets.
Technically and in terms of design, there are great opportunities to develop more comfortable, safer cycles. A long list of ideas in that direction was discussed in the expert seminar and group discussions. There were the issues of seat height, riding position and step-through to deal with, but also many components to improve functionally and ergonomically. The requirements appear consistent regarding design - a design which provides better comfort but also better safety.
The conditions for successful development work do exist in Sweden. However, it is crucial to have a partnership between the cycle industry, technical research, design and ergonomics and safety authorities. This can take place within the framework of a research and development programme.
Finally, the concept of “bikes for the elderly” is doubtless unworkable for marketing; just as unworkable as the concept of “cars for the elderly”. This is a case of launching designs for people who want more comfortable, safer cycles and such people exist at all ages.