principles of designing for the bicycle
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Principles of designing for the bicycle. John Franklin Cycling Skills & Safety Consultant. Core principles. Conservation of momentum Even surfaces Maximise visibility Personal space Secondary defence Make it legal. Conservation of momentum. Each stop = 100 metres travel - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Principles of designing for the bicycle
John FranklinCycling Skills & Safety Consultant
Core principles
• Conservation of momentum• Even surfaces• Maximise visibility• Personal space• Secondary defence• Make it legal
Conservation of momentum
• Each stop = 100 metres travel• Each person has optimum rate of pedalling• Direct, easy routes that minimise stopping and
accommodate likely speeds
TYPICAL CYCLING SPEEDS(on the level)
Sports cyclist 20 – 30+ mph
Confident commuter 15 – 20 mph
General utility /commuter
10 – 15 mph
Children 10 – 20 mph
Leisure rider 10 – 15 mph
Even surfaces
• Poor surfaces destroy momentum• Comfort and safety considerations
Observation and Visibility
• Looking ahead easy (eye movement)• Looking behind more difficult (head movement)
and less stable
Observation and visibility
• A common cause of crashes
Personal space• For comfort and safety• To provide margin for
‘drift’ and error
Personal space
Personal space
More space needed if:• Traffic speeds > 30mph• High-sided vehicles• Strong wind or heavy rain
Personal space
Secondary Defence
• No-one should be hurt because they make a single error of judgement
Make it legal