Abstract

The rumble strips have proven to provide a good protection against the run-off-the-road type of accidents. However, installing them on the local and community roads has raised many concerns among the cyclists. The cyclists occasionally cross over the rumble strip patterns in order to avoid obstacles or debris on the road shoulders or pass a slower moving rider. The majority of the reported concerns are those regarding the ride comfort and controllability of a bicycle traversing the rumble strip patterns. The ride discomfort and controllability of a bicycle traveling on the rumble strips are experimentally investigated by considering a comprehensive test matrix involving: (1) the conventional and suspended bicycles; (2) different rumble strip patterns and traversing speeds; (3) oblique angle of approach to rumble strip; (4) multiple trials and (5) seven test subjects. The objective assessment of the ride comfort on the rumble strip patterns is carried out by measuring the acceleration responses of the bicycle frame at the handle bar and the seat post while the controllability of the bicycle is assessed in terms of the measured yaw oscillations of the handle bar. The cyclist's sensation of the rumble strip patterns is further investigated through subjective measurements where the riders rated each test based on different criteria involving the ride comfort and controllability